About us:

Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES-Ghana) is an ECOSOC-accredited NGO at the forefront of youth development policy, practice and research in Ghana. For more than 15 years, we have provided tailored skills training for youth, leading to improvements in their leadership, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and life planning skills. Through our service delivery, we have provided education, skills training, and technical support to thousands of youth and helped them transition to self and wage employment. Our research has contributed to filling the gap in youth data and the evidence base for public policy. And, we continue to use our national appeal and grassroots constituency, through our Voices of Youth Coalition, to advocate and campaign for youth-inclusive policies at all levels. We are entering an exciting phase of growth at YES-Ghana and are looking for new people to help take us forward.

Purpose of the role:

• As the Information Technology Specialist, you will ensure that internet access, email, intranet, Wide Area Network, and other applications are available to YES-Ghana staff.
• You will provide system-level support of multi-user operating systems, hardware and software tools, including installation, configuration, maintenance, and support of infrastructure and network systems.
• You will analyse user requirements and procedures and improve existing systems, as well as review computer system capabilities, workflow, and scheduling limitations.
• You will be a central member of the PASEWAY project team and will be responsible for acquisition, testing, deployment and problem-solving with regards to the Participant Information Management System (PIMS) and a Business Referral and Service Matching system.
• If you are passionate about youth innovation, believe in the potential of social innovation, and enjoy working in a fast-paced and creative organisation, then we would love to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

i. Organisation-wide IT backstopping

• Provide first-line support to end users for PC, server or mainframe applications, and hardware through troubleshooting
• Prepare PCs for deployment and provide education and/or training; perform software installations on company computers and configure applications as specified
• Train and support users in online communication services and client hardware and software operating environments
• Interact with networking services, software systems, and applications as appropriate for problem resolution; resolve operating difficulties and recommend system modifications to improve performance; assist in the evaluation of business problems, evaluate and recommend vendor packages, and implement required software
• Ensure effective maintenance of day-to-day system operations, e.g. system files management, account maintenance, archiving, backup and recovery, and hardware maintenance
• Conduct system/network monitoring for performance, security controls, capacity planning and disaster recovery
• Perform hardware diagnostics for the organisation’s computers; advise the organisation on hardware and software requirements; maintain partnerships with manufacturers and vendors; serve as the contact to IT vendors and service providers for planning and problem resolution
• Analyse and evaluate present or proposed business procedures or problems to define data processing needs; support organisation-wide efforts to utilise CRM to improve constituent engagement

ii. Project-specific support

• Take lead in the procurement and design of a Participant Information Management System (PIMS) for the PASEWAY project; consult project teams on system design and structure
• Assist project teams with PIMS set up and configuration; test, review and optimise PIMS for structure, logic, and functionality
• Train key field staff and volunteers in PIMS field administration
• Troubleshoot remote monitoring issues including smartphone/tablet functionality, connectivity, and sync issues
• Create, maintain, and improve data visualisations using common business intelligence tools
• Take lead in the procurement, design, testing, deployment and ongoing maintenance of a Business Referral & Service Matching system for the PASEWAY project

Qualification Required & Experience

iii. Other duties

• Other duties may be required from time to time, including responsibilities which require work on weekends and holidays for which time off in lieu (TOIL) may be taken
Person specification:
• Minimum bachelor degree and/or professional qualification in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Management Information Systems or related field
• 3-5 years’ relevant experience in similar role
• Knowledge of IT operations, data and voice communications, and systems analysis; knowledge of SQL and relational databases strongly preferred
• Knowledge and experience in Windows administration, Active Directory, Network Services – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), updates services, networking protocols, and cloud services administration
• Experience with remote data collection platforms (ODK, Fulcrum, etc) and communication technologies, including troubleshooting
• Experience with popular business intelligence tools such as Metabase, Tableau, QlikSense, or Jasper will be an added advantage
• Knowledge of CRM systems for improving organisation processes and effectiveness; experience with backup, restore, and performance monitoring applications
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely to non-technical users
• Ability to organise and coordinate log information for easy maintenance and access
• Ability to initiate projects, draw plan of activities, monitor and notify supervisor of variances
• Prior experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO) or other development organisation will be an added advantage

Salary & benefits:

• Competitive salary structure
• Accra Cost of Living allowance
• 13th month salary
• SSNIT contributions
• Medical and dental cover
• Group Personal Accident cover
• Time off in lieu (TOIL)
• Annual leave
• Sick leave
• Parental leave (maternal and paternal)
• 2 weeks Christmas and New Year break
• Professional development initiatives

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please submit a one-page motivation letter and an updated CV to:

jobs@yesghana.org Please use Information Technology Specialist as the subject line of your email.

Be sure to highlight in the motivation letter how specifically you meet the qualifications, skills and experience requirements for this role. Due to capacity constraints, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date: 09 February, 2020