Technical Specialist

Application Deadline: 5 June 2026

Department: Technical Services

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Wigan & Leigh College

Reporting To: John Donnellan

Compensation: £41,315 - £45,119 / year




Description
Full-time - Permanent 37 hours a week

Infrastructure, security, support. Make it all work.
At Wigan & Leigh College, technology underpins almost everything we do. It helps students learn, teachers teach and college teams do their best work.

As a Technical Specialist, you'll manage and maintain the systems that keep the college running. You'll work across our network, servers, virtual desktop infrastructure, software deployment, print systems, telephony and IT security. You'll also provide higher-level technical support when issues are escalated, working closely with the Desktop Support Team, IT colleagues and external vendors.

This role would suit someone with strong technical knowledge who enjoys variety, problem-solving and improving how systems work. You'll need to be confident with infrastructure, calm under pressure and able to explain technical issues clearly to people who do not live in IT every day.




What you'll do

• Manage and maintain the college network, including switches, routers and network topology.
• Administer and support physical and virtual servers, keeping systems reliable and performing well.
• Oversee software installation, configuration, deployment and maintenance across college systems.
• Develop, maintain and support the college's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, making sure it is accessible and efficient for staff and students.
• Manage print and telephony systems, including networked printers, print servers and communication services.
• Research, evaluate and implement new technical solutions that improve IT services and user experience.
• Monitor and maintain IT security, identifying risks and making sure systems are patched appropriately.
• Maintain accurate documentation for network configurations, procedures, technical changes, audit and compliance.
• Provide technical support and guidance for complex IT issues escalated through the Desktop Support Team.
• Work with IT colleagues, contractors, suppliers and external vendors to deliver high-quality services.

What you'll bring

• Strong knowledge of network infrastructure, including switching, routing and network topology.
• Experience administering physical and virtual servers.
• Good working knowledge of VDI technologies.
• Experience with software deployment, patch management and troubleshooting in a multi-user environment.
• Familiarity with print management, networked printer support and telephony systems.
• A solid understanding of IT security principles, risk management and compliance.
• The ability to research, evaluate and implement new technologies.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through complex technical issues.
• Good communication skills, including the ability to explain technical information to non-technical users.
• Strong organisation, attention to detail and the ability to keep clear records.

What you're like

Technical. You know your systems and can ask the right questions.
Practical. You focus on solutions that work in the real world.
Calm. You can stay focused when systems are busy or problems are urgent.
Clear. You can explain technical issues without overcomplicating them.
Customer-focused. You understand that reliable IT makes college life better for everyone.
Organised. You document what matters and follow things through.
Collaborative. You work well with IT colleagues, wider departments, contractors and suppliers.
Improvement-minded. You look for better ways to do things, not just quick fixes.

Essentials

• Right to work in the UK.
• You'll need an enhanced DBS check. If you get the job, we'll do this for you.
• You're committed to safeguarding and inclusion.
• You can travel across our sites.
• You're flexible and happy to work beyond standard hours when needed to support the college during emergencies and urgent projects.

Desirable, but not essential

• Experience in an education or college environment.
• Relevant technical certifications, such as Cisco, Microsoft or VMware.
• Knowledge of cloud services and hybrid infrastructure.
• Project management experience.

Why work with us?
Time to recharge

• Generous annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays (depending on your role)
• Family-friendly leave policies

Wellbeing as well as work

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Medicash healthcare plan
• Occupational health support
• Confidential counselling
• Specsavers eye test vouchers
• A culture where people look out for each other

Financial peace of mind

• Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme
• Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, buy tech)
• Railcard & Tusker Green car scheme
• Local and national discount schemes

Clear progression routes

• Opportunities to step up, specialise, or move across departments
• Leadership pathways
• Support to gain teaching qualifications

Read more about our benefits .

Please complete our application form in full. We can't accept CVs.

We're expanding and hiring across departments. You can see what else is open at wigan-leigh-ac-uk.pinpointhq.com