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. Were seeking a Head of IT Infrastructure to architect, build, and operate a world-class, scalable campus technology foundationend-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 (1218 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

• 1218+ 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.
• Bachelors in Engineering/CS or equivalent; Masters 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; ~4060% travel).
• Employment Type: Full-time.

Reports To: COO / Head of Operations (or CTO), with dotted line to Academic Partnerships.