Title: Director of Information Technology
Reports to: Program Manager
Location: Neno, Malawi
Organizational Profile: Partners In Health (PIH) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Boston, MA, whose mission is to provide quality health care for the poor and marginalized in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Dominican Republic, and Navajo Nation. In addition, PIH has a growing network of affiliated organizations and initiatives in several other countries, including Nepal, Burundi, Mali, Liberia, and Togo. Through service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PIH works around the globe to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of it, to serve as an antidote to despair, and inspire others to do the same. Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) is the Malawi-based sister organization of PIH. Since 2007, APZU has worked as partners with the Malawian Ministry of Health to operate 2 hospitals and 11 health centers that serve Neno's 140,000 residents, and has invested over $20 million in improving health infrastructure and health systems in the district. This is an exciting time for PIH. We are taking on immense challenges, and a newfound visibility has brought the opportunity to influence great change on the global stage. PIH seeks individuals committed to the mission and values (see PIH Values) of the organization to join the team. Position Overview: The IT Director is responsible for managing APZU's IT network infrastructure, including a datacenter, two wired and wireless Internet networks located in lower and upper Neno, printers, and other end user devices. The IT Director will provide mentorship and ongoing training to a team of local network administrators, help desk staff, and provide ongoing leadership. He/she will design and implement tools for network monitoring, configuration backup and network redundancy to ensure maximum uptime of critical services.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Design and implement network management systems and practices to ensure maximum uptime and reliability of all APZU Internet networks.
- Design tools for network monitoring that can effectively communicate network performance to other APZU staff members, and can be used to inform further improvements to the design of the network.
- Design failsafe mechanisms in the Internet network to ensure that certain critical activities, as determined by APZU leadership, can be performed even when overall network performance is low.
- Design power backup systems to ensure that network equipment can continue to operate when power is not available.
- Implement best practices for installation of network equipment such as routers, cables and servers to ensure appropriate security and minimize chance of environmental damage.
- Install and maintain servers, thin client computers and other devices as required to support APZU`s electronic data systems.
- Build capacity within the IT team to take on advanced roles in network management and troubleshooting.
- Build capacity within the IT team to effectively manage troubleshooting and repair of end user devices such as laptops, computers and printers.
- Ensure that IT team has appropriate geographical coverage to support all of APZU's supported hospitals, offices and other facilities.
- Liaise with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ensure the APZU network has a reliable Internet connection and minimize downtime due to service disruptions
- Design local solutions such as web proxies, DNS servers and file sharing to reduce overall traffic on the ISP network.
- Design and implement user and traffic policies to ensure that critical communication at APZU can be prioritized over other traffic
- Implement tools for monitoring network usage and use data to improve network policies.
- Ensure that an accurate inventory of all IT equipment at APZU is kept
- Implement policies to keep hardware and software up-to-date and working properly.
- Procure new IT hardware and software as needed, following protocols for acquisition as established by APZU and PIH.
- Implement policies and protocols to safeguard PIH/APZU data and preserve network integrity.
- Support, maintain, and upgrade electronic medical records (EMR) servers and software, including central production servers, test servers, and laptop child servers used at outreach clinics.
- Support data requests and other activities as requested by the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Quality (MEQ) Director.
- Liaise with MEQ to help develop EMR technologies to help meet the data needs of APZU. Essential Qualification:
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or another related field
- At least two years leadership experience in IT systems administration.
- Demonstrated experience with a variety of software and hardware systems
- Ability to proactively troubleshoot hardware and software problems, including network connectivity problems.
- Demonstrated experience at working well with senior and peer management, all levels of end users, and peers in high-pressure situations and complex environments.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, and multitask.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse students, government officials, and academia.
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to respond to frequently shifting needs on the ground with flexibility while maintaining a positive approach and a sense of humor.
- Interest in social justice, health care, and international capacity building.
- Fluency in English and/or Chichewa preferred.
- Comfortable living in a rural area. Desirable Qualifications:
- Experience with an international non-profit/NGO is an advantage
- Commitment to health and social justice.
- Strong sense of humor and an easy-going attitude is an asset
