Information Technology Infrastructure Specialist

Kaplan Middle East & North Africa; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 270,000 - 380,000; Part time

Job summary

Kaplan Middle East & North Africa seeks freelance or associate trainers to deliver IT Infrastructure Track modules in live or in-person formats across GCC regions for banking and financial professionals.

You will lead hands-on labs (VMware vSphere, Windows/Linux, Cisco networking, storage), assess progress, and mentor learners through action learning projects and a final Hackathon, upholding premium training standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of hands-on IT infrastructure experience in data centre operations, enterprise networking, systems administration or storage engineering.
• Minimum 3 years of technical training or facilitation experience with live cohorts of 15–25 professionals.
• Deep working knowledge of VMware vSphere/vSAN, Windows Server and Linux administration, Oracle/SQL Server databases, Cisco routing and switching, and enterprise SAN/NAS storage.
• Experience in banking/financial services or heavily regulated industries; regulatory familiarity is preferred.
• Proficiency in Python and/or Ansible for infrastructure automation and scripting.

Responsibilities

• Deliver IT Infrastructure Track modules at high instructional standard, across intensive in-person training.
• Facilitate hands-on virtual lab sessions with real-world configurations.
• Contextualise content within banking/financial services regulatory environments.
• Administer pre-/post-module assessments and provide actionable feedback via LMS.
• Provide content feedback and content-gap reporting to content developers and programme team.
• Mentor participants through capstone projects and action-learning assignments.

Skills

VMware vSphere

Windows Server

Linux Admin

Oracle SQLDB

Cisco Networking

Cybersecurity

Python

Ansible

English Fluent

Tools

LMS

Job description

We are looking for subject matter experts who are Freelance or Associate Trainer and will deliver all IT Infrastructure Track modules in a live or in-person format. Working with high-potential banking and financial professionals, the Trainer is responsible for facilitating technical instruction, guiding virtual lab exercises, assessing participant progress, and supporting learners through action learning projects and a final programme Hackathon. This role demands both deep technical expertise and the ability to connect complex infrastructure concepts to a regulated financial services environment. The Trainer is not simply a subject matter expert — they are a programme ambassador, expected to reflect the quality and rigour the client organisation demands from a premium training partnership. The training can take place in the GCC regions.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver IT Infrastructure Track modules at a high instructional standard, managing pace, depth, and learner engagement across intensive in-person training.
• Facilitate hands-on virtual lab sessions, guiding participants through real-world configurations in vSphere, Windows/Linux OS hardening, database clustering, Cisco network engineering, and storage architecture environments
• Contextualise all technical content within the banking and financial services operating environment, drawing on regulatory frameworks and industry best practice to demonstrate the business relevance of each topic
• Administer pre- and post-module assessments and scenario-based exercises; provide structured, actionable feedback on participant performance through the programme's LMS platform
• Submit Trainer Feedback Reports to the Programme Team covering content effectiveness, cohort performance observations, engagement levels, and recommended content or delivery adjustments
• Mentor participants through action learning projects and capstone assignments, providing technical guidance that builds independent problem-solving capability without substituting the participant's own analysis
• Support the programme's Internal Hackathon as a technical mentor, reviewing IT Infrastructure prototypes for technical viability, operational feasibility, and alignment with financial services constraints
• Coordinate with the Content Developer to flag content gaps, outdated technical references, or recurring comprehension issues that require material revision before subsequent deliveries
• Maintain a professional, high-energy classroom culture consistent with the institutional standing of the client organisation and the standards expected of a premium training provider

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10 years of hands-on, production-grade IT infrastructure experience spanning at least two of: data centre operations, enterprise networking, systems administration, or storage engineering
• Minimum 3 years of technical training or facilitation experience, with a demonstrated ability to manage live cohorts of 15–25 experienced professionals
• Deep working knowledge of VMware vSphere/vSAN, Windows Server and Linux administration, Oracle or SQL Server database administration, Cisco routing and switching, and enterprise SAN/NAS storage
• Practical familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks, network security controls, and data governance requirements applicable to the banking and financial services sector
• Experience working in banking, financial services, or a heavily regulated industry; understanding of the operational sensitivities and compliance culture within a financial institution is strongly preferred
• Proficiency in Python and/or Ansible for infrastructure automation — sufficient to demonstrate live scripting and explain its operational relevance to network and server teams
• Strong facilitation and classroom management skills; able to adapt delivery pace, depth, and style in real time based on cohort dynamics and prior experience levels
• Excellent written and spoken English communication skills

Required Certifications (One or More Per Category)

• Virtualisation: VMware VCP-DCV or higher
• Networking: Cisco CCNP Enterprise or CCNP Data Centre (CCIE preferred)
• Microsoft / OS: MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering programmes for banking institutions, government-linked entities, or national talent development initiatives
• Familiarity with premium training provider delivery standards, including structured reporting, LMS integration, and stakeholder-facing performance dashboards
• Prior experience mentoring professionals through capstone or action learning projects within a structured, cohort-based programme
• Technical authority — commands immediate credibility with technically literate participants; able to go deep on any module topic without hesitation
• Sector intelligence — understands enough of the financial services context to make infrastructure decisions feel consequential, not abstract
• Facilitation mastery — creates an environment where participants challenge ideas, experiment in labs, and reflect on outcomes rather than passively receive information
• Regulatory fluency — weaves compliance frameworks and governance requirements into technical instruction naturally, not as a separate afterthought
• Professionalism — consistently represents the training partner at the standard the client expects; punctual, well-prepared, and polished in all participant interactions
• Adaptability — able to adjust delivery approach mid-module in response to cohort feedback, varying experience levels, or real-time content issues