IT HelpDesk Manager

SPU Seattle Pacific University; United States; On-site; USD 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Tuition discounts for employees and/or

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Seattle Pacific University seeks a technically skilled, service‑oriented Help Desk Manager to lead the campus IT Support Desk for students, faculty, and staff.

You will supervise a team of 10+ student employees, provide hands‑on technical support, and partner with the Director of Technology Support Services to shape service strategies and improve processes while upholding SPU's values and commitments.

Qualifications

• Three years of IT support or related technology support experience.
• Experience supervising or mentoring employees in a technical/cust. service setting.
• Strong troubleshooting across computing hardware, software, and campus tech.
• Experience managing service requests and support processes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with diverse users.
• Able to balance priorities and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily IT Support Desk operations to deliver timely, professional support.
• Supervise and mentor 10+ student employees and ensure quality service.
• Collaborate with Director to improve help desk processes and tools.
• Ensure adherence to IT policies, security standards, and data protection.

Skills

IT Support

Team Leadership

Technical Troubleshooting

Customer Service

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Problem-Solving

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT / CS / IS or related field

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 1891, Seattle Pacific University has a long and distinguished history in Christian higher education. Located just minutes from downtown Seattle, SPU seeks to be a premier Christian university fully committed to engaging the culture and changing the world by graduating people of competence and character, becoming people of wisdom, and modeling grace-filled community. SPU's Information Technology team supports this mission by delivering secure, reliable, and forward-looking technology that enables students, faculty, and staff to do their best work. Our IT team values service, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, with a focus on delivering practical solutions that make a meaningful difference across the University.

What We Need

Seattle Pacific University is seeking a technically skilled, service-oriented Help Desk Manager to lead the daily operations of our IT Support Desk and deliver high-quality technology support to students, faculty, and staff. This on-campus position oversees Help Desk services, supervises and mentors a team of more than 10 student employees, and provides hands-on technical expertise for complex support issues. Working closely with the Director of Technology Support Services, the Help Desk Manager helps shape service strategies, improve processes, and ensure that campus technology support is responsive, effective, and aligned with the University's needs. The ideal candidate combines strong technical troubleshooting abilities with a passion for developing people, improving systems, and delivering exceptional customer service. They are proactive, organized, and comfortable balancing day-to-day operational demands with opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement. The on-site Help Desk Manager supports Seattle Pacific University's mission by contributing to a Christ-centered learning and working community committed to academic excellence, service, and engagement with the world. In this role, the employee brings their skills, gifts, and professional expertise to work that matters—serving students, colleagues, and the broader University community in ways that reflect SPU's values and purpose. To that end, all University employees are required to be aligned with and supportive of SPU's Statement of Faith and its derivative policies and lifestyle expectations.

What You'll Do

Help Desk Operations & Technical Support: Lead daily IT Support Desk operations, ensuring timely, professional, and effective support for students, faculty, and staff. Monitor service requests, ticket queues, escalations, staffing coverage, and service performance to maintain consistent service quality. Provide hands-on technical support for complex issues involving computers, software, classroom technology, audiovisual equipment, and other campus systems. Identify opportunities to improve Help Desk processes, support tools, workflows, and the overall customer experience.

Team Leadership & Development: Supervise, train, schedule, and mentor a team of 10+ student employees. Establish clear expectations, provide performance feedback, and foster a positive, accountable, and service-focused team environment. Develop and maintain training materials, onboarding resources, and knowledge base documentation for student employees and end users.

Technology Services & Collaboration: Partner with the Director of Technology Support Services and colleagues to improve Help Desk services and support evolving campus technology needs. Maintain accurate, accessible technical documentation and promote consistent troubleshooting practices. Ensure Help Desk operations follow University IT policies, security standards, and data protection requirements. Collaborate with campus departments to resolve service challenges, provide technology guidance, and support effective use of University systems.

What You Bring

At least three years of experience in IT support, technical customer service, or a related technology support environment.

Demonstrated experience supervising, training, or mentoring employees, preferably in a technical support or customer service setting.

Strong technical troubleshooting skills across personal computing hardware, software, and common workplace technology.

Experience managing service requests, troubleshooting workflows, and customer support processes.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to users with varying levels of technical knowledge.

Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritize competing needs and resolve issues effectively.

Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ability to work collaboratively across technical and non-technical teams.

Commitment to excellent customer service, continuous improvement, and responsible technology stewardship.

Mission Alignment

A personal commitment to the Christian faith and affirmation of SPU's Statement of Faith; enthusiasm for supporting the University's Christian mission; and willingness to uphold the policies and lifestyle expectations of SPU's Christian community.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

Experience managing or coordinating an IT Help Desk or service desk operation.

Familiarity with ITIL principles, service management frameworks, or related certifications.

Experience supporting classroom technology, audiovisual systems, or technology in an academic environment.

Experience working in higher education or another complex, service-oriented organization.

Experience developing technical documentation, training programs, and knowledge management resources.

Compensation & Position Details

Anticipated Hiring Pay Rate: $33.00 - $38.00 per hour, commensurate with experience.

Status: Full-time, non-exempt

Department: Information Technology

Reports To: Director of Technology Support Services

Location: Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA (on-campus position)

Benefits

• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• University contributions to a health savings or health reimbursement account
• employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
• retirement benefits, including a University contribution
• tuition discounts for employees and eligible family members
• paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and University holidays
• an Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources

Benefits and eligibility are subject to applicable University policies and plan provisions.

Additional Information

We look forward to hearing how your unique talents and giftings make you a great fit for this role and how you can contribute to the mission of SPU!

Founded in 1891, Seattle Pacific University has a long and distinguished history in Christian higher education. Located just minutes from downtown Seattle, SPU seeks to be a premier Christian University fully committed to engaging the culture and changing the world by graduating people of competence and character, becoming people of wisdom, and modeling grace-filled community. Seattle Pacific University seeks applicants committed to its Christian mission. As part of our mission of cultural engagement, SPU is committed to building an excellent staff and faculty that reflects a broad range of talents, experiences and perspectives. Valuing the full array of God's created humanity is an ethos that is inseparable from our Christian faith. At SPU, we recognize this full human array as a basic feature of God's creation and a core theme of the gospel. At the heart of our mission-centered commitment is a desire to represent the breadth of God's kingdom more fully. We strive to become a workplace to recruit, develop, and retain faculty and staff who can embrace, value, and engage differences with humility and care. We invite you to join us on our journey by starting a career at SPU!

Seattle Pacific University provides reasonable accommodation to applicants. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the application or hiring process please contact the Human Resources Department at [phone], or email [e-mail]. Notification must be given at least five (5) working days before the accommodation is needed.

This small volume, SPU: Who We Are, gathers key documents that articulate the identity and guiding principles of Seattle Pacific — our statement of faith, our enduring commitments, and our expectations for life together in a diverse, academic community. These statements are more than policies; they form the shared framework within which we pursue our mission as educators, scholars, staff, and colleagues.

SPU is committed to helping all members of the SPU community provide for their own safety and security. Each year, in compliance with federal law, SPU publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This compliance document is available on the SPU website. A print version of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at the Office of Safety and Security at 601 West Emerson Street, Seattle, WA 98119, or you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 206-281-2922. SPU’s report contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as crime prevention, fire safety, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. The report also contains information about reported crimes for the three previous calendar years that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by SPU; and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus In addition, the report contains information about fires occurring in on-campus student housing facilities during the three preceding calendar years. This information is required by law and is provided by the Seattle Pacific University Office of Safety and Security.