IT Help Desk Specialist

ARA Brand; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is seeking an IT Help Desk Specialist to join the Corporate IT team in Santa Barbara.

You will deliver first-level remote support, assist with system administration, QA testing, and collaborate with IT engineers across the company. You will triage requests, resolve technical issues, document procedures, and ensure end-user satisfaction while maintaining licensing and billing records.

Qualifications

• 2+ years IT support experience with a bachelor’s degree or 8+ years of experience without a degree.
• Experience supporting Windows apps incl. Office 365, SharePoint, VPN clients, RSA in a fast-paced environment.
• Troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Experience using an automated help desk/ticketing system.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Customer service oriented.
• Ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Availability to work 8am-5pm MT / 10am-7pm ET and after-hours on-call.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-level remote technical assistance to end users with login and application issues.
• Triage and prioritize incoming requests.
• Identify, research, and resolve technical problems.
• Perform basic system administration tasks.
• Route requests to higher tiers and ensure ownership and satisfaction.
• Document and maintain IT procedures and information.
• Communicate system outages and maintenance.
• Track licensing and internal billing.

Skills

IT support

Windows OS

Office 365

SharePoint

VPN

RSA

Ticketing system

Troubleshooting

Communication

Customer service

Learning quickly

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Ticketing system

Job description

Job Category: Customer Support & Training

Requisition Number: STAFF010178

• Posted : October 19, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

Santa Barbara, CA 93111, USA

Description

As an IT Help Desk Specialist, you’ll be a core member of our dynamic Corporate IT team. You will work in a small group of other help desk personnel to provide system administration and remote technical support to other IT personnel and employees across the company, as well as assist the Corporate IT engineers with administrative, QA testing, and other needs as required.

What you’ll do as an IT Help Desk Specialist

• Provide first level remote technical assistance to end users on a variety of login and application issues.
• Triage and prioritize incoming requests.
• Identify, research, and resolve technical problems.
• Perform basic system administration tasks.
• Assign requests to tier 2 and tier 3 as required and ensure problem ownership and end-user satisfaction.
• Document and maintain IT related procedures and other information.
• Communicate system outages and maintenance.
• Track licensing and internal billing.

IT Help Desk Specialist Requirements

• High School diploma or equivalent
• 2 or more years of experience providing IT support with a bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 8 years of experience without a degree
• Experience supporting an array of applications on Windows operating systems including Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint, VPN clients, and RSA in a high paced support environment
• Troubleshooting and analytical skills
• Experience in using an automated help desk management (ticketing) system
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Customer Service oriented
• Ability to learn new systems quickly
• Must be able to work 8am - 5pm MT/10am - 7pm ET
• Must be able to handle after hours on call - weeknight evening on call apx. 1 week a month and weekend on call apx. every 6-8 weeks.

IT Help Desk Specialist Preferences

• Experience supporting desktops/laptops and servers
• Experience with Active Directory user administration
• Knowledge of RSA
• Knowledge of Webex and other conferencing services
• Network+ and Security+ certifications
• Understanding of Microsoft licensing
• DoD experience

SALARY RANGE FOR THIS POSITION IS BETWEEN: $60,000-$70,000 dependent upon education and experience.

Hybrid Work Notice

Hybrid Work Notice: This position is open to candidates seeking either hybrid or remote work. While remote work will be considered, preference will be given to candidates who are available to work in a hybrid capacity in our Santa Barbara, CA office.

Company Information

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 2,200 professionals and continues to grow. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.

Behaviors

• Innovative: Consistently introduces new ideas and demonstrates original thinking
• Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
• Dedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrity
• Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.