Role Description

Application deadline: July 13, 2025

The IT Specialist is responsible for effective provisioning, installation/configuration, operation, and maintenance of networks, servers, system hardware and software and related infrastructure. This individual participates in technical research and development to enable continuing innovation within the infrastructure. This individual ensures that networks, servers, system hardware, operating systems, software systems, and related procedures adhere to organizational values, enabling staff, volunteers, and partners to do their work with excellence.

• Location: Kigali, Rwanda, Rwanda

• Level: Professional

• Type: Full-time

• Department: Information Technology

• Reports to: Senior IT Services Manager

Responsibilities

• Promote and contribute to the fulfillment of HOPE International’s mission and vision.
• Engineering and Provisioning
• Engineering of IT solutions for various project and operational needs.
• Install new / rebuild existing servers and configure hardware, peripherals, services, settings, directories, storage, etc. in accordance with standards and project/operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain installation and configuration procedures.
• Contribute to and maintain system standards.
• Research and recommend innovative, and, where possible, automated approaches for system administration tasks. Identify approaches that leverage our resources and provide economies of scale.
• Strategy
• Help establish the CSU Kigali office as a regional center of excellence for ICT.
• Advise HOPE International on strategies for effectively supporting and developing its regional IT capacity so that it maintains a competitive advantage.
• Help identify new technologies or platforms that could be deployed in specific programs to solve existing problems.
• Working with various teams to procure hardware and software for the region.
• Operations and Support
• Perform system monitoring, verifying the integrity and availability of hardware, server resources, systems and key processes, reviewing system and application logs, and verifying completion of scheduled jobs such as backups.
• Advise HOPE’s regional microfinance banks on how to maintain secure and reliable IT infrastructure.
• Advise/support HOPE’s regional Saving Group programs.
• Maintain effective user account management.
• Provide support per request from various constituencies. Investigate and troubleshoot issues.
• Repair and recover from hardware or software failures. Coordinate and communicate with impacted constituencies.
• Assist with project management of major IT initiatives.
• Assist in deployment of end user hardware, such as computers, peripherals, cellular phones, and tablets using a common build platform.
• Track and document incoming requests and outcomes from end users in a courteous manner while building long-term rapport.
• Perform hands-on fixes at the desktop level, including remote access support, installing and upgrading software, installing hardware, implementing file backups, and configuring systems and applications.
• Evaluate resolutions and analyze trends for ways to prevent future problems; Prioritize and schedule support requests, and escalate requests (when required) to the appropriate person.
• Apply diagnostic utilities to aid in troubleshooting.
• Research software updates, drivers, knowledge bases, and frequently asked questions resources to aid in problem resolution.
• Test fixes and perform post-resolution follow-ups to ensure problem has been adequately resolved.
• Develop help sheets, frequently asked questions lists, and other documentation for internal use and for end users.
• Maintenance
• Ensure OS patches and upgrades on a regular basis, and upgrade administrative tools and utilities. Configure / add new services as necessary.
• Maintain operational, configuration, or other procedures.
• Perform periodic performance reporting to support capacity planning.
• Perform ongoing performance tuning, hardware upgrades, and resource optimization as required. Configure CPU, memory, and disk partitions as required.
• Maintain data center environmental and monitoring equipment.

Qualifications

• Personal confession of Christian faith and commitment to the mission and vision of HOPE International.

• Bachelor degree desired, with a technical major, such as engineering or computer science.

• 5-10 years System Administration/Network Administration experience.

• Experience leading others in deploying systems and managing major IT projects.

• Familiarity with relational databases and related concepts.

• Excellent oral and written communication, training, presentation, and organizational skills.

• Self-motivated and managed, exceptional follow-through.

• Strong ability to interface and cultivate good working relationships across departments.

• Strong problem solving and analysis skills.

• Systems Administration/System Engineer certification in Microsoft (preferred).

• Must be Fluent in English and, ideally, French.