IT Specialist

Job Description

Develop new application systems to meet the needs of organizational policies and processes; maintain and enhance existing application systems.

Work with departments to establish their requirements for new and enhanced application systems, including reviewing and completing AI-drafted requirement documents before development begins.

Design, develop and implement new application systems using AI coding tools (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and similar) that meet user needs and system functionality to contribute to organizational policies and processes.

Review and audit AI-generated code prior to deployment, covering correctness against stated requirements, access control, input validation, injection exposure, handling of credentials, dependency provenance and performance at production data volumes.

Submit new and changed code for technical review before release, and act on review findings.

Work within and maintain the institute's automated testing, type checking and continuous integration controls, and extend them to cover new systems.

Work with users to test, debug and troubleshoot applications, assuring software and systems quality and functionality.

Automate manual and duplicated workflows across departments, and support the migration, integration or replacement of legacy systems.

Support the day-to-day operation of existing application systems.

Offer technical support to staff on the in-house application systems, and troubleshoot problems reported against them. This role does not cover general IT support such as devices, user accounts or network.

Deploy and operate application systems within the institute's AWS environments, including development, staging and production, with monitoring and attention to running costs.

Apply and maintain security controls for data, network access and backup systems, including least-privilege access, patching, credential management and audit logging, and perform periodic tested restores.

Work within the institute's obligations under the Personal Data Protection Act and its CPE registration, and support the IT aspects of EduTrust and other audits.

Maintain system documentation, architecture notes and handover records for all systems developed.

Requirements

• Diploma or degree in Computer Science/Information Technology or related field, or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Minimum of 2 years' experience in applications development or a comparable technical role.
• Demonstrated working experience with AI coding tools on production projects, including familiarity with their common failure modes.
• Ability to read, review and critically assess code written by others.
• Working understanding of application security, including common vulnerabilities such as injection and broken access control, authentication and authorization, handling of credentials, and dependency risk.
• Working knowledge of PHP or of TypeScript and Node.js, with familiarity with Next.js and React, and willingness to work across both as required.
• Working knowledge of SQL databases, including schema design, query performance and migrations.
• Experience deploying and securing applications on AWS cloud infrastructure.
• Ability to interpret user requirements, including identifying gaps, contradictions and unstated needs in requirement documents.
• Fast and willing to learn.
• Excellent problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Good organization and time management skills. Able to work independently on assigned areas, set priorities appropriately, and raise problems and uncertainties early rather than working around them.
• Efficient troubleshooting abilities.
• Good communication, including writing, speaking and active listening.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience in workflow automation, systems integration, and the replacement of legacy systems can also be advantageous.