IT Operations Advisor - Contract

Nelson Education LTD; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education content provider in Toronto is seeking an IT Operations Advisor to manage and mentor the Service Desk team while supporting IT infrastructure. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of IT operations experience with strong networking focus, cloud experience, and exceptional communication skills. This role offers a hybrid work environment with various employee benefits.

Benefits

Access to on-site fitness center

Professional development opportunities

Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive IT operations experience focused on networking.
• Proven ability to configure and troubleshoot networks and servers.
• Demonstrated experience managing IT teams.

Responsibilities

• Guide and mentor Service Desk team on technical issues.
• Support daily IT operations and employee onboarding.
• Collaborate on upgrades and cloud migration projects.

Skills

Networking and infrastructure

Problem-solving

Customer service

Communication

Education

Post-secondary education in Information Technology or related field

Tools

Azure

AWS

Active Directory

Job description

At Nelson, we’ve been shaping the future of education for children and youth across Canada for over 110 years. As the country’s largest K-12 education content provider, we remain dedicated to our legacy of looking forward, paving the way in creating boundless, accessible, and engaging learning experiences for all.

Our innovative solutions, including Edwin, our digital learning platform, provide curriculum-aligned content that supports diverse learning styles while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning. We listen intently to the unique needs of educators, students, and administrators everywhere, and continuously evolve what we do and build to improve their lives daily.

When we’re searching for individuals to join our team, we look for bold, innovative team players with a passion for education and making a positive difference in our communities. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Apply to join our team today. Let’s Create Possible, one learner at a time.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President, People & Employee Experience, the IT Operations Advisor is a hands-on technical specialist responsible for guiding Service Desk operations and supporting the organization’s IT infrastructure. Acting as a trusted advisor to the Service Desk team, this role blends day-to-day technical support, infrastructure oversight, and mentorship. The Advisor will ensure reliable, secure, and efficient IT services across the organization, while continuously fostering a world class technical support experience for all employees.

Key Accountabilities

Guide and mentor the Service Desk team, providing expertise and acting as an escalation point for complex technical issues while remaining hands‑on.

• Support and coordinate daily IT support operations, ensuring timely resolution of requests, smooth employee onboarding / offboarding, and adoption of best practices (ITIL).
• Support in the maintenance of core infrastructure, including servers, networks, cloud platforms (Azure / AWS), and identity systems (Active Directory, Single Sign-On, Multi‑Factor Authentication).
• Provide guidance and expertise to strengthen the reliability and security of laptops, desktops, and mobile devices through regular updates, monitoring, and endpoint management.
• Partner with the Service Desk and IT teams on projects such as upgrades, cloud migrations, and office technology enhancements, helping apply structured change management to minimize disruption.
• Collaborate with vendors and assist in managing contracts and hardware / software assets throughout their lifecycle.
• Support the implementation and awareness of IT policies related to security, backups, disaster recovery, and compliance.
• Help monitor systems for vulnerabilities, contribute to incident response efforts, and participate in business continuity planning.
• Analyze service performance data, sharing insights and recommendations to help identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Partner with the VP, People & Employee Experience to help build a modern, employee‑focused IT Operations function.

Requirements

• Post‑secondary education in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field; or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• 5+ years of progressive IT operations experience with a strong focus on networking and infrastructure.
• Proven ability to configure, administer, and troubleshoot :
• Networks (LAN / WAN, VPN, wireless, firewalls, DNS / DHCP)
• Servers and virtualization platforms
• Cloud environments (Azure, AWS, or equivalent)
• Identity and access management (Active Directory, SSO / MFA)
• Demonstrated mentorship experience with small IT teams.
• Strong knowledge of ITSM frameworks and practices (ITIL certification preferred).
• Experience managing vendors and contracts.
• Exceptional problem‑solving, troubleshooting, and communication skills.
• Customer‑first mindset with strong experience in providing front‑line support to all levels of employees and partnering across organizations.
• Ability to work from the office in a hybrid (3+ days per week in office) setting required.
• Project Management certification an asset.

Benefits

What We Offer

At Nelson, we believe in taking care of our people.

Your well‑being, growth, and work‑life balance matter to us, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you – professionally and personally.

• This role is a hybrid position (M-F, standard business hours, 3-days per week in‑office)
• Commuter friendly location (Sheppard & Don Mills)
• Free, convenient shuttle bus service from Don Mills Subway Station to and from the office
• Access to on‑site fitness center and fitness classes
• Access to LinkedIn Learning for continuous skill growth
• Mentorship and professional development opportunities
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential support spanning from mental health services to financial counselling, and many things in‑between.

This is a contract position currently slated to end in June 2026, with the opportunity for extension at that time, based on the needs of the business and performance.

Don't have 100% of the above qualifications? Do you still think Nelson is a great fit for you? We encourage you to apply anyway!

Our EDI Statement

Nelson teaches the world by learning from everyone in it.

We are committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace environment. This is an integral part of our company’s culture and mission that aligns with our four key pillars of Employee Diversity, Developing Authentic and Accurate Content, Amplifying External Voices, and Supporting the Local Community and Beyond.

We believe in the power of education and our ability to impact social change. Truth, honesty, integrity, and respect guide our decisions and actions in the development of learning solutions that empower success for all educators and learners.

We value a respectful, inclusive, and safe workplace that nurtures belonging and represents many different cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and opinions. Everyone is free to be who they are.

We foster and continue to build relationships that are equitable, diverse, and inclusive with existing and future partners in education.

We commit to holding ourselves accountable by creating measurable short and long‑term goals that place equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core of what we do in our resources, the workplace, the educational community, and in the larger society.

We strive to build an inclusive world for everyone. We are stronger together.

Our Commitment

Nelson is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to Inclusion, Equity and Diversity. As part of this commitment, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, gender, gender identity, colour, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, or disability status.

Should you require any accommodation during our recruitment and selection process, please reach out to .