Head of IT Infrastructure (Daskalos)

Head of IT Infrastructure — Daskalos (Multi-Campus, India)

Role Summary

Daskalos is launching and operating multiple higher-education campuses across India in collaboration with international partner institutions. We’re seeking a Head of IT Infrastructure to architect, build, and operate a world-class, scalable campus technology foundation—end-to-end. The ideal leader has stood up greenfield college campuses (or equivalent large, multi-site environments), makes strong solutioning decisions, and drives disciplined execution across vendors and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Architecture

• Define the multi-campus

  IT infrastructure blueprint

  (LAN/WAN/SD-WAN, Wi-Fi 6/6E, data center/edge, cloud, identity/SSO, endpoint management, collaboration, AV/classroom tech, security & surveillance integrations).
• Create a

  multi-year roadmap

  for scalability, resilience, and cost optimization (capex/opex, lifecycle, refresh cycles).
• Establish

  reference architectures and standards

  (network segmentation, zero-trust principles, cabling, power/UPS, redundancy).

Campus Build-Outs & Solutioning

• Lead site surveys, BoQs, and

  high-level/low-level designs

  ; own RFPs, vendor tech evaluations, and final solution selections.
• Oversee installation and commissioning of

  network, servers/edge, Wi-Fi, classroom AV, access control/CCTV

  , and service rooms.
• Integrate academic systems (

  LMS

  ,

  SIS/ERP

  , library systems) with identity, networking, and security controls.

Operations & Service Management

• Stand up an

  ITIL-aligned

  run model (incident, change, problem, asset/CMDB, capacity, DR/BCP).
• Define and track

  SLAs

  , uptime, MTTR, and performance metrics; run NOC/SOC collaboration as needed.
• Implement

  observability

  (NMS, log mgmt, SIEM) and

  backup/DR

  for on-prem and cloud workloads.

Security, Compliance & Quality

• Drive

  security by design

  (network segmentation, MFA, MDM, endpoint hardening).
• Ensure compliance with applicable

  data protection and education regulations

  (e.g., DPDP Act, GDPR where relevant) and standards (e.g., ISO 27001 practices).
• Run

  quality governance

  : design reviews, acceptance tests, audits, and continuous improvement.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Source and manage

  OEMs, system integrators, ISPs/telcos, AV partners

  , and managed service providers.
• Own contracts,

  RFP/RFQ

  , commercials, SOWs, SLAs, and quarterly business reviews; enforce penalties/earn-backs where applicable.
• Coordinate with

  international partner universities

  and domestic stakeholders to align requirements and approvals.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build and lead a

  high-performing infra & operations team

  (central + campus IT).
• Collaborate with Academics, Student Services, Facilities, and Finance for integrated delivery (e.g., power/UPS, racks, cooling, access control).
• Communicate clearly with executive leadership; convert business needs into

  deliverable technical plans

  .

Key Outcomes (12–18 months)

• Launch-ready campuses:

  Complete IT build-outs for several campuses on time and within budget; day-one readiness validated by cutover tests.

• Always-on operations:

  ≥99.9% uptime for critical services (network, identity, LMS/SIS integrations, AV in classrooms, security systems).

• Coverage & performance:

  100% classroom and common-area Wi-Fi coverage with defined throughput targets; <50 ms latency for key apps.

• Governance & quality:

  SLAs/OLAs in place; monthly service reviews; audit readiness for security, privacy, and compliance.

• Stakeholder satisfaction:

  Faculty/Student IT CSAT ≥4.5/5; partner university IT sign-offs completed per MoU.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 12–18+ years

  in IT infrastructure with

  5+ years

  leading multi-site or campus build-outs;

  demonstrable greenfield campus

  experience is a must.
• Proven delivery of

  at least two end-to-end campus (or large corporate campus) setups

  in India (from design to go-live and steady state).
• Deep hands-on and architectural knowledge across:

• Networking:

  routing/switching,

  SD-WAN

  , Wi-Fi design, network security, QoS.

• Identity & Access:

  Microsoft Entra ID/Azure AD (or equivalent), SSO/SAML/OIDC, RBAC.

• Endpoints & Collaboration:

  MDM/UEM (e.g., Intune), Office 365/Google Workspace, meeting/classroom AV.

• Compute/Storage/Cloud:

  virtualization, edge compute, backups/DR, hybrid cloud.

• Security & Observability:

  firewalls, NAC, SIEM, NMS, logging/monitoring.
• Strong

  vendor management and procurement

  chops: RFPs, BoQs, commercials, SLAs, acceptance testing.

• Process orientation

  (ITIL),

  project/program management

  (PMP/Prince2 or equivalent mindset), and

  governance rigor

  .
• Excellent

  communication

  ,

  stakeholder management

  (international & domestic), and

  cross-cultural collaboration

  skills.
• Bachelor’s in Engineering/CS or equivalent; Master’s preferred. Relevant certifications (ITIL, CCNP/Enterprise, Azure/AWS, PMP) are a plus.

Competencies

• Solutioning & Decision Quality:

  balances standards with pragmatic delivery; documented trade-offs.

• Execution Excellence:

  plans → builds → tests → operates with discipline; hits dates and budgets.

• Forward Thinking:

  designs for scale, reuse, and lifecycle; proactive risk management.

• Negotiation & Influence:

  gets the best from partners; escalates and resolves fast.

• People Leadership:

  hires, coaches, and retains strong talent; fosters accountability.

Practical Details

• Location:

  India (with frequent travel across campuses; ~40–60% travel).

• Employment Type:

  Full-time.

Reports To: