IT Systems Manager

IT Systems Manager

Astrea Academy Trust
Salary: £47,159 - £53,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Contract: Permanent, Full Time (37.5 hours per week)
Location: Based in Astrea Academy Trust Head Office with travel as and when needed to our schools
Reporting to: Director of IT
Closing Date: 20th September 2026

Are you an experienced IT professional with a passion for delivering secure, reliable, and innovative technology services? Do you thrive on leading teams, driving improvement, and ensuring technology empowers both staff and students to achieve their best?

If so, we would love to hear from you. Astrea Academy Trust is looking for an outstanding IT Systems Manager to lead our IT Systems Team and play a key role in shaping and maintaining the Trust's technology infrastructure. This is an exciting opportunity to combine strategic thinking with technical expertise, ensuring our schools and central teams benefit from high-performing, secure, and resilient IT systems.

Astrea Academy Trust is a family of academies united by a commitment to providing an exceptional education for every child. We are driven by a belief that all young people, regardless of background or circumstance, deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Through a culture of high expectations, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we work together to create environments where pupils and colleagues can thrive.

Our central teams play a vital role in supporting our academies, ensuring they have the systems, expertise, and resources needed to deliver excellent outcomes for the communities they serve.

As IT Systems Manager, you will lead the design, development, and management of the Trust's core IT systems and infrastructure. Working closely with the Director of IT, you will provide technical leadership, oversee cyber security controls, and ensure consistent standards are maintained across all academies and central services.

You will manage a skilled team of IT professionals while driving projects, improving services, and ensuring the Trust's systems remain secure, reliable, and fit for the future.

• Lead, manage, and develop the IT Systems Team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and ongoing management of IT infrastructure and systems across the Trust.
• Establish and maintain consistent technical standards, configurations, and best practices.
• Deliver IT projects and system improvements in line with organisational priorities and agreed timescales.
• Ensure systems remain available, resilient, secure, and perform effectively across all locations.
• Lead the operational delivery of cyber security controls, including vulnerability management, patching, monitoring, and incident response.
• Oversee network security, endpoint protection, identity management, and cloud-based services.
• Manage backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity arrangements.
• Support compliance with data protection legislation, Digital Standards, and cyber security frameworks.
• Work closely with schools, central teams, and the wider IT function to provide an excellent technology service.
• Provide technical advice, guidance, and assurance to senior stakeholders and the Director of IT.
• Ensure effective use of service management processes and tools to maintain high standards of service delivery.

We are seeking a skilled IT leader who can combine strong technical expertise with excellent people management and communication skills.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience managing enterprise IT systems and infrastructure.
• Experience leading, motivating, and developing technical teams.
• Strong knowledge of cyber security principles, controls, and best practice.
• Experience managing Microsoft technologies, cloud platforms, networking, and infrastructure services.
• A track record of delivering technology projects and service improvements.
  
  Experience of system monitoring, backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills…