About The Service
ICT is part of the Council’s Customer and Digital Services Directorate.
Its primary functions are:
• to provide high quality IT systems, support and maintenance across the organisation
• to provide strategic advice and guidance to the service areas and their directorates
• to contribute to the delivery of the Council’s Digital First approach set out in the Capital Ambition programme.
The ICT Service consists of several functions including:
• the Service Desk
• Enterprise Systems and Data teams responsible for the development, support and maintenance of both in-house developed and 3rd party applications
• ICT Services teams delivering network, server and end user computing services
• Security and Compliance
• Enterprise Architecture
About the job
The successful candidate will join the Schools Information Management System (SIMS) Support Team that sits within the wider Application Support & Data team.
In addition to this Application Support Engineer post, the SIMS Support Team consists of 3 Senior Application Support Engineers.
The SIMS IT Application is used by Cardiff’s community and faith schools to record and report on pupil, staff and curricular data. The Team provides vital support to school staff to ensure effective use of this application.
The postholder will spend the majority of their time interacting with school-based staff in response to their queries relating to the functionality and usage of the SIMS application, capturing and analysing these queries on the appropriate systems, and offering solutions or identifying the optimal referral routes.
You should have a desire to work in a busy team environment and be happy to work both collaboratively and independently.
The successful candidate must have experience of using or supporting SIMS in a school/local authority environment.
What We Are Looking For From You
• Effective communication with Customers at the first point of contact, ensuring that all enquiries are dealt with in a manner that meets the Customer’s requirements within the terms of the Service Level Agreement between Schools and the SIMS Application Support Service.
• Accurate and efficient capture and/or update of customer interactions using the appropriate Service Desk system e.g. Halo, Capita Service Now Support, ensuring that GDPR legislation is strictly adhered to.
• Prompt analysis and triage of Customer queries and requests, aiming to resolve at first point of contact or escalate to one of the following as appropriate:
• the specialist Senior Application Support Engineer for SIMS,
• the correct third party,
• the appropriate team within Cardiff Council e.g. other ICT team or Education Service,
• to external organisations such as Welsh Government
• Accelerate and maximise the number of Customer queries that can be resolved at first point of contact by collaborating with Senior Application Support Engineers to expand own knowledge of SIMS functionality.
• Deliver basic and introductory level training on the use of the SIMS software to school based staff
• Manage bookings for all SIMS training courses in collaboration with the Senior Application Support Engineers using the relevant software (currently DigiGov).
• Liaise closely with the Information Systems Team in the Education Service on matters arising that are related to SIMS functionality and/or data capture and quality.
• Actively contribute to the ongoing development of the SIMS Support resources and service, to meet the evolving demands of the service delivery to schools, with guidance from the Senior Application Support Engineers.
• Develop all technical, design and support documentation to company standards.
Additional information
This vacancy is suitable for job share.
This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced checks.
We welcome applications in both English and Welsh. Applications in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than English applications.
For the full details on the post please click the “Recruitment Pack” link below.
The Supporting Information section of your application is the most important part. Please pay particular attention to it. It is where you tell us what makes you suitable for the job and will be assessed against the Person Specification.
You should refer to and address each point of the Person Specification in turn, giving evidence of the skills, experience and knowledge you have in each area by providing practical examples of your capability. Failure to complete this section in this way will considerably reduce the likelihood of you being shortlisted.
Due to the current COVID-19 circumstances the interview process for this role will be held on a virtual basis using an appropriate online platform.
If you require further information about this post, would like an informal chat or you have any concerns around your ability to participate in a virtual interview process, please contact Cath Jones (Application Support & Data Team Manager) on 029 2087 2153.
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