IT Operations Lead

Technology is the backbone of everything Proximity does - from the tools our teams use in Head Office to the systems connecting our field offices across Myanmar. As IT Operations Lead, you'll be responsible for keeping it that way by managing our network, servers, and cloud platforms across Head Office and our field offices in Myanmar.

This is a hands-on role with real ownership. You'll handle day-to-day operations while also contributing to IT policies, vendor relationships, and how we plan and improve our systems over time. We're a lean team, so you'll need to be comfortable moving between the technical and the organizational. This role suits someone equally comfortable troubleshooting a network policy and managing vendors and managing stakeholder expectations.

Once You're Here, You Will:

• Administer and maintain our core network infrastructure, including Palo Alto firewalls, Engenius switches, MikroTik routers, and wireless access points across Head Office and field offices
• Manage our on-premise servers and virtual machines, ensuring availability, performance, and reliable backups at all times
• Oversee our cloud platforms such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, AWS, or equivalent, covering user access management, configuration, and cost monitoring
• Own IT security practices end-to-end: firewall policies, VPN, endpoint controls, patch management, and incident response
• Manage the full IT asset lifecycle, from procurement and inventory tracking through to maintenance and retirement
• Manage relationships with hardware, software, and connectivity vendors, ensuring service quality, reliable delivery and cost effectiveness
• Coordinate with business teams for hardware/network requirements and budget planning
• Coordinate with the Helpdesk Lead on infrastructure-related escalations
• Lead and oversee day-to-day operations of IT Operations team
• Partner with digital initiative teams to support the deployment and uptime of internal digital tools
• Develop and enforce IT policies and cybersecurity best practices across the organization

Must-Haves:

• 5+ years in IT operations, systems administration, or network engineering with at least 2 years in a lead capacity
• Solid experience managing enterprise firewalls and routers in a production environment
• Practical experience administering cloud platforms - Google Workspace, Microsoft 365/Azure, AWS, or equivalent
• Solid understanding of core networking: LAN/WAN, VPN, DNS, DHCP, firewall rules, and wireless
• Ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical colleagues and stakeholders
• Comfortable making pragmatic decisions under pressure and with lean resources
• Good people skills and able to work with people at all levels

Added Bonus:

• Direct experience with Palo Alto firewalls, Engenius switches and MikroTik routers, or relevant certifications (PCNSA, MTCNA, CCNA, and/or AWS associate-level credentials)
• Familiarity with IT security frameworks or data governance practices
• Working knowledge of virtualization such as VMWare and Hyper-V

In return…

You’ll earn a competitive salary, with medical benefits, and incredible opportunities to develop your career. You can expect an amazing office with the forward-thinking people and world-class training opportunities through Proximity School.

You’ll get to see more of the world, with the potential for international travel to conferences and events to keep your skills sharp.

And, ultimately, you’ll have the opportunity to change lives in Myanmar for the better, while doing groundbreaking work.

About Proximity

Proximity Designs is tackling globally important issues at the nexus of climate change, deep poverty, food insecurity, and inequality. We do this by helping hundreds of thousands of rural people care for their soils, grow more food, earn better incomes and build resilience against climate change. We address a critical government and market failure, by designing and delivering products and services needed to make farming families more productive, profitable and environmentally sustainable. We offer our low-income customers a suite of innovative and affordable farm solutions such as micro-irrigation systems, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, and on-call crop protection services.

Over the past 24 years, we’ve generated USD 1.6 billion in additional income for 1.3 million poor farming households across rural Myanmar. With this income increase, farmers can invest in their future: education for their children, more nutritious food, better healthcare and investments in their farms or other village enterprises.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining us, please click Apply to submit your application.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis without regards to race, sex, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, or marital status, and therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.