IT Pro 3-User Support

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 74,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Paid holidays

Excellent retirement plans

Job summary

The University of Minnesota is seeking a Senior Help Desk Analyst to provide technical support for faculty, staff, and students using the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI) HPC clusters and related hardware and software.

The role includes diagnosing issues, developing user resources, training undergraduate staff, and supervising the MSI Help Desk to ensure smooth operations and timely resolutions in a complex research environment.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree plus at least four years of experience, or a master’s degree plus at least two years of experience.
• Knowledge of HPC operations and how researchers use these systems (connections, Linux CLI, job submission, etc).
• Communication skills sufficient to answer questions in a professional manner to diverse users of MSI systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to faculty, staff, and students using MSI HPC clusters and peripheral hardware/software.
• Oversee MSI Help Desk operations; hire/train/schedule/supervise undergraduate staff; assist in budgeting; test future service changes.
• Lead user documentation development and automate standard requests; manage repositories and update user communications.

Skills

Strong communication

IT support

Education

BA/BS degree + 4+ years experience or MS + 2+ years

Tools

Linux command line

Job description

About the Job

Senior Help Desk Analyst

About the Job: Provides technical support to faculty, staff, and students who usethe large computational clusters housed at the MinnesotaSupercomputing Institute (MSI), as well as all the peripheralhardware and software required to make use of these highperformance computers. Diagnoses user problems, troubleshooting,providing solutions, and escalating issues if needed. Develops andedits resources for users based upon current and near-future needs,and writes scripted procedures in support of research pipelines andother functions. Interviews, hires, trains, schedules, andsupervises a staff of undergraduate students that assist at the MSIHelp Desk, creating guides and other materials for new students tothe job so they can effectively serve faculty and graduateresearchers.

Location and Work environment

This position is hybrid (workprofile 2, on campus at least 4 days per week), with a campus worklocation in Walter Library.

Primary Responsibilities

30% - Provides technical support to faculty, staff, and studentswho use the large computational clusters housed at the MinnesotaSupercomputing Institute (MSI), as well as all the peripheralhardware and software required to make use of these highperformance computers. Diagnoses scope of user problems(individual, project, user base), independently troubleshootsactivity, implements solutions, and escalates where higheradministrative permissions are needed. Provides guidance to junioremployees and others in MSI by serving as subject matter expert forprimary services. Rectifies faults that impede timely resolution ofissues and provides feedback to demystify solutions. Monitorsprimary services and surfaces issues to others ahead of larger userimpact. Develops procedures that outline solutions to complexproblems for junior employees and students. Investigate high levelissues that impact the larger user base. Assists Senior Managementwhere issues or changes involve user education.

20% - Oversees the operations of the MSI Help Desk, the main pointof contact at the MSI for researchers on any issues and/or requestsfor services. Interviews, hires, trains, schedules, and supervisesundergraduate student staff that assist at the MSI Help Desk, creating guides and other materials for new students to the job sothey can effectively serve MSI researchers. Assists with thebudgeting process for this aspect of the job. Advocates forstudents in providing opportunities to contribute to other teamswithin MSI by facilitating meetings and directing work based on theneeds of the organization. Serves as representative of users needsin testing future service changes that impact user experience e.g.,Open OnDemand updates, MyMSI, ticketing system testing, internalstaff documentation platform.

20% - Leads user documentation development to support the missionof providing high quality technical documentation. Explorestechnical solutions to automate standard requests and reassessesstandard operating procedures to reduce steps and increase faulttolerance in support of research pipelines and other functions. Manages GHEC Organization repository that includes primaryrepository of support tools utilized by junior employees andstudents, and user documentation website. Writes time sensitiveuser communications for User Bulletin, Monthly Maintenance,Incident Reporting, administrate user facing website, technicaluser documentation website, staff ticketing service, and internaldocumentation service.

10% - Supports the training effort at MSI by overseeing thefunction of the equipment in the Training Room, and assistinginstructors with any need before and during a training session. Onoccasion serves as Assistant Instructor for tutorials, which aretaught either remotely or in-person. Directs continuous improvementof tutorial deliverables as the primary contributor to the videoediting pipeline that enables junior employees to maintain higherproduction value with minimal training. Maintains trainingequipment and recommends purchases based on necessities to reducedowntime.

10% - Primary technical support for units in Research Computing (AIHub, International Institute for Biosensing, GeoCommunities, MSI,U-Spatial) including:

Audio Visual technician for events such as MSI tutorials, webinars,online sessions

Short-term asset assignment

Hardware repairs

Data recovery

Asset Management of surplus staff equipment, performing routinemaintenance, asset assignment, hardware repairs, data recovery andguidance within the domain of expertise (including opening ticketswith Central IT, coordinating handoff for reimaging ofequipment)

10% - Collaborate with operations staff and perform data centertasks to install, service, and maintain hardware.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree plus at least four years of experience, or a master'sdegree plus at least two years of experience.
• Knowledge of high-performance computing operations, and detailedknowledge of those aspects as they pertain to how researchers usethese systems -- connection methods, using the Linux command line,job submission, etc.
• Communication skills sufficient to answer questions in aprofessional manner to a variety of different users of MSI systemswho have a variety of differing motivations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Detailed knowledge of other associated areas of HPC operations:software, computer languages and scripting, networking, compilingand debugging, etc.
• Advanced communication skills, both in writing and editing ofdirect communications and web articles.

About the Department

MSI serves over 5,000 researchers, providing them with world-classcomputational resources to drive innovation and discovery. Thisposition offers a unique opportunity to contribute togroundbreaking research and be part of a supportive, user-focusedteam dedicated to advancing computational science.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $74,142.08 to $88,000 annually; depending oneducation/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Work Profile: This position can be designated as workprofiles 1 or 2:

Profile 1 - Office/Lab Based: Time spent working remotely isoccasional or inconsistent. Dedicated on campus work space to beprovided.

Profile 2 - Regularly Remote: Time spent working remote isconsistently less than 50% time. Dedicated on campus work space tobe provided.

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for moreinformation regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package thatincludes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional trainingand degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition BenefitProgram
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counselingat no cost
• Employee TransitPass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metroarea

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important tonote that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. Thisapproach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions ofeach candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of ourcommitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered toincoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversityand inclusion in enriching the employment experience of itsemployees and in supporting the academic mission. The University iscommitted to attracting and retaining employees with varyingidentities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to andopportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment withoutregard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender,age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteranstatus, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is thatprospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminalconvictions do not automatically disqualify finalists fromemployment. This position is not eligible for H-1B visasponsorship.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among thelargest public research universities in the country, offeringundergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude ofopportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of oneof the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities,students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit fromextensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers,international corporations, government agencies, and arts,nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized byForbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employerfor Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State(2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence &Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-lifeflexibility.