Desktop Support Specialist

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The Desktop Support Specialist plays a vital role in the daily operation of the IT Help Desk and the technology support of Emerson College students, staff, and faculty. This role is responsible for primary Tier 2 computer support by completing assigned trouble tickets across campus, and will interact with customers and stakeholders daily. Additionally, this role will require you to provide necessary support to our Help Desk student employees.

The Desktop Support Specialist is a forward facing position and as part of IT, duties will also include regular and frequent customer communication, and participating in student staff training opportunities and departmental documentation efforts.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Participation in Help Desk trouble ticket resolution process, communicating with end-users, diagnosing, troubleshooting, and repairing College-owned computer equipment on campus. This includes desktops, laptops, monitors, memory upgrades, peripherals, and other related hardware. This also includes requested software installation or periodic maintenance and upgrades as necessary. Other important responsibilities include using WorkspaceOne to image and manage Windows computers, and Jamf to image and manage Macs.
• Frequent customer interactions by phone and in person, evaluating and assisting with troubleshooting and problem solving
• Serve as support for the Help Desk student staff as they answer questions and complete tickets, assisting with their ticket queue management and completion; this includes ensuring that they are providing correct advice to users and helping inform their communication abilities and styles.
• Serve as backup to assist with AV equipment and troubleshooting in Classroom and event situations.
• Participation in student staff training opportunities and departmental documentation efforts
• Serve as backup to assist with AV equipment and troubleshooting in Classroom and event situations.

QUALIFICATIONS - Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to effectively perform job.

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is required.
• Minimum of 2 years working in a position of direct user support for computer technology required
• Dell and Apple certification or related IT certifications preferred. Understanding of basic networking and telecommunications technologies preferred.
• At least 2 years working in an Academic or IT Help Desk setting preferred.
• Experience with imaging Windows and Mac OS X computers using WorkspaceOne, and Jamf preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES - May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job.

• A strong focus on customer service and experience.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; you must be able to explain complicated computer issues succinctly and clearly
• Strong listening and comprehension skills; you must be able to interpret computer issue explanations from users and make decisions and recommendations
• Strong computer troubleshooting skills; you will interact with a great variety of software and hardware, and should feel comfortable troubleshooting problems in various settings. This includes Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Antivirus, Windows, and all modern versions of OS X. You should also be comfortable with Dell and Apple hardware troubleshooting and basic maintenance.
• The ability to see a problem through to resolution, know when to escalate, and when to let the customer get back to work
• Excellent personal time management skills; this role is demanding of your time and resources, and you must be able to fit everything in
• A genuine passion for customer support; helping people solve computer problems comes naturally to you, and you want to help our users improve their relationship with technology as much as you want to make them happy.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES - Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Requires the ability to effectively communicate in person and through communication media
• Requires the constant coordination of mental and visual attention
• Requires the ability to lift and move objects that are heavy
• Requires the ability to lift and move material occasionally

WORK ENVIRONMENT - Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Usual Office Conditions

COMPENSATION

Starting salary for this position will be between $24.30 - $29.15 hourly, commensurate with experience.

This position is primarily a hybrid role with mandatory days in the office as needed. The hybrid arrangement will be made upon hire. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the Boston campus in order to ensure operational effectiveness.

Division: Division of Information Technology

Grade of Position: S-23-06NE

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

This position will be exclusively represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 888 for purposes of wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.

Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.