I.T Officer

IT Officer – Kijani Forestry (Gulu, Uganda)

Location: Gulu, Uganda (with remote field support across districts and occasional East Africa travel)

Department: Technology

Reports to: Director of Software Engineering

Employment Type: Full-time

About Kijani Forestry

Kijani partners with farmers to drive reforestation across East Africa using field agents, GPS, and Android apps. Our systems are built for low-bandwidth, high-impact environments—leveraging PostgreSQL, mobile device fleets, and secure offline syncing to support field operations.

Role Summary

We’re looking for a hands-on IT Officer to ensure our devices, networks, and systems remain secure, updated, and reliable—from HQ to remote field teams. This role blends IT support, networking, device provisioning, and light DevOps. You’ll guide users through real-world tech challenges with clarity, calm, and resourcefulness.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Degree in IT, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
  

• 4+ years in IT support or field operations, ideally in NGO or agri-tech contexts.
  

• Familiarity with Windows 11, Ubuntu, Android Enterprise, VPNs, and networking basics.
  

• Strong troubleshooting skills, especially in low-bandwidth environments.
  

• Basic Linux server admin and Git experience.
  

• Fluent in English; Luganda, Swahili, or other regional languages a plus.
  

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with PostgreSQL, Bash/Python scripting, MDM tools, or cloud firewalls.
  

• Relevant certifications: CompTIA A+/Network+/Security+, Microsoft, or Linux certs.
  

How to Apply

Send your CV and a short note describing a time you helped non-technical users under tough conditions (e.g. power cuts, poor connectivity, old hardware). Include any certifications or links to tools/scripts you’ve built.

The Green Warrior needs you. Help us grow forests—and the tech that powers them.

1. End-User Support & Field Enablement

• Provide Tier 1 & 2 technical support for office and field staff using:
  

  • Windows 11 laptops
    

  • macOS and Ubuntu desktop systems
    

  • Android mobile devices
    

• Troubleshoot common issues such as:
  

  • Printing errors, VPN connection problems, app crashes
    

  • Network connectivity and data synchronisation failures
    

• Support field agents in resolving offline sync problems with ForestryApp:
  

  • Diagnose storage capacity, Android OS version, app version mismatches, clock drift, and patch levels
    

• Offer remote assistance to field teams working under low bandwidth or unstable power conditions
  

• Educate staff on best practices for data backups, secure usage, and efficient troubleshooting steps
  

2. Device Provisioning, Configuration & Lifecycle Management

• Set up and image new laptops with required software and security configurations
  

• Enroll Android devices into Android Enterprise (Fully Managed) mode
  

• Push apps remotely using mobile device management (MDM) tools
  

• Apply standard configurations for endpoint security, VPNs, and communication tools
  

• Track hardware inventory, device assignments, warranties, and service records
  

• Perform secure device wipe and data sanitization before reassigning or recycling devices
  

3. Network & Connectivity Management

• Monitor and maintain LAN/Wi-Fi infrastructure at office locations
  

• Troubleshoot routers, switches, and mobile hotspots used by field staff
  

• Maintain and update firewall settings and VPN tunnels for secure access to internal systems
  

• Optimize mobile and wireless bandwidth usage in rural locations
  

• Set up and manage allow/deny lists for regional service access restrictions
  

• Configure network QoS rules when needed to improve performance of critical tools (e.g., data sync, video calls)
  

4. Server, Cloud & Application Support

• Apply patches and conduct regular maintenance on Ubuntu servers hosting:
  

  • Laravel-based ForestryApp backend
    

  • PostgreSQL databases
    

  • Nginx reverse proxies or web servers
    

• Monitor logs and uptime for application servers
  

• Assist the software engineering team with:
  

  • SSH key setup
    

  • Git-based deployments and automation scripts
    

  • Staging and production environment configuration
    

• Identify and escalate infrastructure performance or resource issues
  

5. Security & Compliance

• Enforce endpoint hardening standards:
  

  • Full disk encryption
    

  • Secure login policies and screen timeout
    

  • Antivirus or endpoint detection and response (EDR) installation
    

• Implement and monitor firewall rules, IP blocklists, and Fail2Ban or similar intrusion detection tools
  

• Manage user access control:
  

  • Create and revoke user accounts
    

  • Enforce MFA (multi-factor authentication)
    

  • Conduct regular access reviews and credential rotation
    

• Ensure systems comply with Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act:
  

  • Guide secure handling of farmer PII, GPS data, and photos
    

  • Apply data classification and protection policies
    

• Monitor and mitigate risks of data loss or breaches
  

6. Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity

• Set up and monitor automated backups for:
  

  • Application servers
    

  • Cloud databases or file storage
    

  • Laptops of selected users (field leads, operations heads)
    

• Test recovery procedures regularly and document results
  

• Establish clear RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective) expectations
  

• Maintain offline backup processes for critical field documents (e.g., local copies of app build, CSVs, PDFs)
  

7. IT Policy, Standards & Documentation

• Draft and maintain IT policies for:
  

  • Acceptable device use
    

  • Password standards and renewal
    

  • External storage (USB, SD cards) and data exports
    

• Develop and continuously update the internal IT Knowledge Base and runbooks:
  

  • Standard laptop setup and onboarding checklists
    

  • VPN and email setup guides
    

  • Common ForestryApp sync failure resolutions
    

• Produce user-friendly documentation:
  

  • Simple PDF or mobile-optimized guides for field staff
    

  • WhatsApp-shareable troubleshooting steps with screenshots
    

8. Tooling, Automation & Continuous Improvement

• Write and maintain scripts to automate tasks such as:
  

  • Daily log collection
    

  • System updates
    

  • Automated alerts for out-of-date devices or failed syncs
    

• Support implementation of centralized log aggregation:
  

  • Use of syslog servers, ELK stack, or third-party monitoring tools
    

• Test and deploy lightweight remote support tools that work in constrained environments:
  

  • RustDesk, MeshCentral, Tailscale, WireGuard, etc.
    

• Identify and recommend cost-effective, rugged hardware solutions suited for rural deployment
  

9. Cross-Team Collaboration

• Liaise with Field Operations to understand real-world tech challenges:
  

  • Poor signal areas
    

  • Device battery performance
    

  • Storage constraints
    

• Work with the Software Engineering team to:
  

  • Report and diagnose bugs reported via IT tickets
    

  • Support app deployments and version control in production
    

• Support the Data Team with:
  

  • Ensuring timely data uploads from field devices
    

  • Recovery of missing or corrupted data
    

• Participate in regular cross-functional check-ins to align on priorities, escalations, and field enablement strategies
  

10. Monitoring, Metrics & Reporting

• Maintain visibility across IT operations by tracking:
  

  • Device health (patch levels, antivirus status, storage use)
    

  • Data sync success rates across devices and regions
    

  • Uptime and performance of critical servers and applications
    

  • Backup success/failure logs and alerts
    

• Provide weekly or monthly summary reports to the Director of Software Engineering
  

• Highlight risks, ongoing issues, and proposed mitigations in reports
  

Daily Routine Snapshot

Here’s what a typical day might include:

• Responding to urgent support requests via chat, email, or phone
  

• Troubleshooting sync issues with field agents
  

• Reviewing the monitoring dashboard and addressing flagged risks (e.g., low battery devices, backup failures)
  

• Imaging a new laptop and enrolling an Android device for deployment
  

• Updating documentation or scripting a repetitive task
  

• Joining a sync meeting with Ops to discuss support needs in upcoming field visits
  

• Reviewing firewall or VPN logs to detect unusual access patterns
  

• Coordinating with developers on a staging deployment
  

• Preparing field-friendly how-to guides based on recent issues reported