IT Support Engineer II

Ascendium Education Group; Madison (AL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Generous time off

Student loan repayment assistance

Tuition reimbursement

Career development opportunities

Retirement plan with employer match

Job summary

Ascendium Education Group seeks an IT Support Engineer II in Madison, WI to provide direct end-user support, resolve incidents, and manage onboarding/offboarding and device lifecycles. You will troubleshoot on Windows and Apple devices, support mobile devices and meeting room tech, and document issues in the service desk system.

The role emphasizes clear communication, customer service, and collaboration with IT and Security teams.

Qualifications

• Knowledge equivalent to a degree in information technology or a related field.
• Three or more years of experience in end-user support, service desk, or deskside support.
• Working knowledge of computer hardware, operating systems, applications, accounts, and basic networking.
• Clear oral and written communication with employees, IT colleagues, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Answer the IT support phone line and respond promptly to tickets, chats, and walk-up requests; provide a welcoming and reliable first point of contact.
• Diagnose and resolve common account, application, device, connectivity, printing, and collaboration issues during the first contact whenever practical.
• Provide Level 2 troubleshooting for Windows and Apple computers, mobile devices, peripherals, phone and voice services, and meeting room technology.
• Record symptoms, troubleshooting steps, resolution, urgency, and follow-up in the service desk system; classify and prioritize requests accurately.
• Own assigned incidents and requests through resolution, communicate status to employees, and elevate with clear context when specialized support is needed.
• Prepare, image, configure, deploy, upgrade, replace, recover, and securely retire employee devices and peripherals in accordance with IT standards.
• Coordinate employee onboarding, role changes, and offboarding, including account and access requests, equipment setup, collection, inventory, and documentation.
• Identify recurring contacts and suggest practical changes that improve first contact resolution and the employee support experience.
• Maintain useful knowledge articles, troubleshooting steps, and device setup instructions for the team and employees.
• Recommend safe workarounds that restore productivity while longer-term fixes are being developed.
• Help improve service desk processes, ticket quality, response times, and hardware lifecycle practices.
• Adapt to changing technology, support priorities, and employee needs.
• Stay engaged and calm when diagnosing unfamiliar or urgent issues.
• Learn new systems and tools and apply feedback to improve service.
• Help employees adjust to device, application, and process changes.
• Work closely with other support engineers, IT and Security specialists, and business partners to resolve incidents and deliver consistent support.
• Share findings and documentation so the team can resolve similar requests more quickly.
• Coordinate with vendors and other teams when a request crosses support boundaries.
• Listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, and explain next steps in language suited to each employee.
• Provide timely updates on open tickets, planned work, outages, and escalations.
• Write clear ticket notes and communicate respectfully by phone, chat, email, and in person.
• Understand how employee technology and responsive support enable Ascendium’s work.
• Prioritize service based on business impact, urgency, security, and agreed service expectations.
• Protect employee and company information while following access, device, and change procedures.
• Build trusted relationships by following through on commitments and seeking feedback.
• Break down technical problems, test likely causes, and select a practical path to resolution.
• Use available documentation and tools while knowing when to involve a subject matter expert.
• Look for patterns in repeat incidents and provide useful evidence for problem management.
• Verify the solution with the employee and take responsibility for a complete handoff or resolution.
• Ascendium offers a comprehensive benefits package as part of employee compensation.

Skills

End-user support

Service desk

Deskside support

Troubleshooting

Communication

Customer service

Education

IT degree or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

Endpoint management tools

Job description

The IT Support Engineer II provides direct support to Ascendium employees as a primary point of contact for technology questions, incidents, and service requests. This role answers the IT support phone line, responds through the service desk, and works to resolve issues during the first contact whenever possible.

As a member of the IT and Security team, this engineer supports end-user computers, mobile devices, applications, accounts, and workplace technology. They own requests through resolution, keep employees informed, and coordinate with other support engineers and specialists when an issue requires additional expertise.

The ideal candidate combines strong troubleshooting skills with patient, clear communication. They can prioritize competing requests, explain technical steps in plain language, document their work, and manage the full employee and hardware lifecycle from onboarding and deployment through replacement, recovery, and offboarding.

The position is based in Madison, Wisconsin, where Ascendium is headquartered. This engineer will generally work in the office five days per week to provide hands-on support to employees as needed.

Job Responsibilities

On a day-to-day basis, you may contribute in the following areas.

End User Support and Technical Operations

• Answer the IT support phone line and respond promptly to tickets, chats, and walk-up requests; provide a welcoming and reliable first point of contact.
• Diagnose and resolve common account, application, device, connectivity, printing, and collaboration issues during the first contact whenever practical.
• Provide Level 2 troubleshooting for Windows and Apple computers, mobile devices, peripherals, phone and voice services, and meeting room technology.
• Record symptoms, troubleshooting steps, resolution, urgency, and follow-up in the service desk system; classify and prioritize requests accurately.
• Own assigned incidents and requests through resolution, communicate status to employees, and elevate with clear context when specialized support is needed.
• Prepare, image, configure, deploy, upgrade, replace, recover, and securely retire employee devices and peripherals in accordance with IT standards.
• Coordinate employee onboarding, role changes, and offboarding, including account and access requests, equipment setup, collection, inventory, and documentation.

Innovation

• Identify recurring contacts and suggest practical changes that improve first contact resolution and the employee support experience.
• Maintain useful knowledge articles, troubleshooting steps, and device setup instructions for the team and employees.
• Recommend safe workarounds that restore productivity while longer-term fixes are being developed.
• Help improve service desk processes, ticket quality, response times, and hardware lifecycle practices.

Agility

• Adapt to changing technology, support priorities, and employee needs.
• Stay engaged and calm when diagnosing unfamiliar or urgent issues.
• Learn new systems and tools and apply feedback to improve service.
• Help employees adjust to device, application, and process changes.

Collaboration

• Work closely with other support engineers, IT and Security specialists, and business partners to resolve incidents and deliver consistent support.
• Share findings and documentation so the team can resolve similar requests more quickly.
• Coordinate with vendors and other teams when a request crosses support boundaries.

Communication

• Listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, and explain next steps in language suited to each employee.
• Provide timely updates on open tickets, planned work, outages, and escalations.
• Write clear ticket notes and communicate respectfully by phone, chat, email, and in person.

Strategic Focus

• Understand how employee technology and responsive support enable Ascendium’s work.
• Prioritize service based on business impact, urgency, security, and agreed service expectations.
• Protect employee and company information while following access, device, and change procedures.
• Build trusted relationships by following through on commitments and seeking feedback.

Problem Solving

• Break down technical problems, test likely causes, and select a practical path to resolution.
• Use available documentation and tools while knowing when to involve a subject matter expert.
• Look for patterns in repeat incidents and provide useful evidence for problem management.
• Verify the solution with the employee and take responsibility for a complete handoff or resolution.

Additional Duties as Assigned

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

A qualified candidate will possess the following.

• Knowledge equivalent to a degree in information technology or a related field, or comparable practical experience.
• Three or more years of experience in end-user support, service desk, or deskside support.
• Working knowledge of computer hardware, operating systems, applications, accounts, and basic networking.
• Ability to troubleshoot independently and resolve a broad range of employee issues while on the phone or in person.
• Consistently demonstrates patient, empathetic, and responsive customer service.
• Ability to organize a ticket queue, assess urgency, follow through, and work with general direction.
• Clear oral and written communication with employees, IT colleagues, and vendors.
• Sound judgment, professionalism, curiosity, and a commitment to secure handling of company information.

Differentiating Experience

A highly qualified candidate will possess any of the following.

• Experience supporting both Windows and Apple devices in a business environment.
• Experience with endpoint management, device imaging, patching, and hardware inventory tools.
• Experience supporting Microsoft 365, identity and access requests, and common collaboration tools.
• Experience coordinating employee onboarding, offboarding, equipment refreshes, and asset recovery.
• Experience with IT service management tools, knowledge bases, and service metrics.
• Experience supporting mobile devices, printers, phones, and meeting room technology.

Other Information

Ascendium offers an outstanding benefits package designed to provide employees and their families with a high degree of security. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous time off.
• Student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement.
• Career advancement, ongoing training, and professional development opportunities.
• Retirement savings plan with employer match.

Ascendium provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, creed, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

H-1B sponsorship (initiation or transfer) is not available for this position.

Ascendium requires criminal, employment, and education background investigations before hiring.