Information Technology Infrastructure Specialist

The ICT Department are looking to recruit an enthusiastic and experienced ICT Infrastructure Specialist. Could this be you? Ready to take the next step in your career? With some 2,500 pupils, Bolton School is a large, thriving, academically selective day school. It is situated a mile or so from the town centre in a stunning 32 acre campus and is within easy reach of some of the nation’s finest cities and countryside.

A large Foundation Services Department supports the School operations and within this there is a trading arm, Bolton School Services Limited (BSSL). This includes BSS Leisure Services, Kidzone and Patterdale Hall, a superb Outdoor Pursuits Centre situated at the Southern end of Lake Ullswater. Those who work within the organisation are able to combine the experience and pleasure of educating and being around young people with some of the challenges of a business environment.

The successful candidate will work as part of the Foundation Services ICT department, providing support for all ICT activities across the Foundation.

• be able to act as a trouble‑shooter, providing effective and timely solutions across all infrastructure. This will include ICT systems, document core systems, software and hardware, as well as maintaining and developing all network technologies across the Foundation, such as physical and virtual systems
• be an ICT expert for SAN, blade centre and virtualisation technology
• be fully conversant with Firewall, core switch and edge switch configuration
• have strong problem‑solving abilities, excellent customer service skills, be comfortable working under their own initiative, excellent organisational skills and a flexible approach to work.

We are looking for a skilled IT professional with experience across Microsoft server and desktop environments, including Windows Server 2012 R2–2022, Windows 10/11, Microsoft 365, Exchange, SQL Server, and Office 365. The ideal candidate will have strong networking knowledge covering Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, IIS, RDS, and endpoint management, alongside experience with virtualisation platforms such as VMware ESXi/vSphere. Familiarity with enterprise networking and security technologies including Aruba, Cisco, Palo Alto, and Trend Micro is essential, as is experience managing backup and recovery solutions such as Veeam, Backup Exec, Barracuda, and Exa Grid.

Candidates should also be confident working with Dell and HP server infrastructure, SAN storage, fibre channel switching, and enterprise switching environments.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, proactive, and able to work independently while effectively managing priorities and meeting tight deadlines. They will demonstrate excellent attention to detail, strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to build positive working relationships with colleagues, children, and young people while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. A collaborative approach, willingness to work flexibly when required, and a commitment to continuous personal and professional development are essential, along with the ability to apply innovative thinking to solve new challenges and contribute positively to team objectives.

The salary will be between point 17 and point 26 (£30,247 and £36,923 per annum) on the Bolton School Support Staff Salary Scale, dependent on skills and experience.

We offer an attractive range of benefits including 20 days’ annual leave plus additional time off between Christmas and New Year and all public holidays. Employees can join the Bolton School Group Personal Pension Scheme, with a minimum employee contribution of 6% and a generous School contribution of 10%, including the option of salary exchange.

Additional benefits include free lunches on campus, free on‑site parking, excellent transport links, life assurance cover up to age 65, access to a free Employee Assistance Programme, and ongoing training and development opportunities. Staff may also benefit from fee remission arrangements for children attending Bolton School, alongside convenient childcare…