Service Desk Analyst

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Administrative Information Technology Services seeks a Service Desk Analyst to be the first point of contact for IT services. You will respond to inquiries, troubleshoot issues, and coordinate with IT teams to resolve problems while maintaining professional service desk standards.

The role demands strong customer service, knowledge management, and incident documentation skills, with experience in batch monitoring and system performance oversight.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; two years IT-related experience or coursework.
• Experience with batch processing or service management tools preferred.
• Strong written communication and knowledge management capabilities.
• Familiarity with IT operations and incident handling.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct customer support via phone, email, and other channels.
• Monitor system and batch processing; identify and resolve issues.
• Document incidents and solutions in the knowledge base.
• Manage and update knowledge articles for internal and customer use.
• Assist in service/process improvements and cross-training.
• Communicate status and issues to stakeholders; coordinate with teams.
• Maintain professional behavior and support staff development.
• Flexibility to work overtime and various shifts as needed.

Skills

Customer support

Batch scheduling

System monitoring

Incident documentation

Knowledge management

Service improvement

Technical communication

Project coordination

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Information Technology-related coursework or experience

Tools

HTML

CSS

SQL

Shell scripting

Job description

Service Desk Analyst

Administrative Information Technology Services

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

Job Summary

Responds to inquiries and requests for assistance with computer systems and/or usage. Identifies, analyzes, troubleshoots, and assists in problem resolution, with the aim of eliminating recurrences and reducing repeat calls. This position acts as the first single point of client contact to AITS and serves as a contact for problem reporting and resolution, system status and availability, and general information pertaining to procedures, facilities, and other AITS services, and coordinates with other IT areas to resolve problems as necessary. For additional information on Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS), please visit: https://www.aits.uillinois.edu/careers.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Customer
  support (20%): Provide direct customer support via phone, email, and other
  support channels. Efficiently troubleshoots to understand and isolate the
  customer's root issue; utilizes the KnowledgeBase as primary resource for
  finding solutions; thinks creatively to troubleshoot and solve unfamiliar
  issues; able to make connections between tickets to find common problems;
  watches for trends that indicate potential problems; directs issues to
  higher support tiers and collaborates with external teams to resolve
  issues when needed. Must think of the customer as the most important part
  of the job; promotes a professional Service Desk image and sells the value
  of the Service Desk.
• Production
  requests and batch monitoring (20%): Provide technical front-line and
  second tier support related to open systems batch processing (e.g., batch
  requests, migrations, parameter modification, etc.). Search for and
  analyze potential operating and batch problems and initiate corrective
  measures within limits of authority. At times, this will require the
  candidate to seek out assistance and work with IT professionals both
  within and outside the administrative IT organization, and the candidate
  will need to demonstrate flexibility and perform duties as each situation
  dictates.
• System
  and application monitoring (20%): Monitor system activity/performance for
  a large complex of servers, network interfaces, and peripheral devices,
  taking corrective action in a timely manner. Ensures all monitoring alerts
  are acknowledged, resolved, and cleared from view. Pages on-call staff and
  posts to the university status page to communicate urgent and high
  priority incidents in a timely manner.
• Incident
  and problem documentation (10%): Logs all calls and email requests into
  ticketing system; documents solutions in KnowledgeBase in a clean,
  presentable style that is simple for all customers to understand and
  follow; includes in support tickets all pertinent facts on the customer
  and troubleshooting steps that have been attempted to solve issues,
  particularly for tickets that need to be transferred to higher support
  tiers; works to eliminate recurring problems.
• Knowledge
  management (10%): Daily and routine management of knowledge articles to
  ensure accuracy and freshness. Create new knowledge articles and update
  content in existing articles when needed. Maintain content in the
  knowledge repository so that it is an effective tool for internal support
  staff and for customers alike.
• Service
  and process improvement (5%): Assist in developing and achieving unit goals to help improve Service Desk service, productivity, and efficiency.
  Participate on project teams to test and implement new products and
  services, facilitate sharing of information within and across AITS groups,
  and assist in evaluating software tools to enhance monitoring capabilities. Participate in customer service/process improvement initiatives. Participate in and encourage a knowledge-sharing environment;
  develop and deliver cross-training activities to Service Desk staff.
  Establish and nurture working relationships with clients and AITS departmental staff.
• Communication
  (5%): Keeps peers and end users informed of trends, significant problems,
  unexpected delays, and anything new in the environment that will impact
  customers; keeps customers informed of wide-reaching problems, scheduled
  downtime, etc.; keeps customer informed of progress on problems that
  cannot be resolved on first call. Communicate and coordinate all software,
  hardware, system, and operational problems that arise during shift.
  Possess a clear understanding of critical events when they happen (e.g.,
  system interruptions, server crashes, failed backups, production job
  aborts) what to do, and with whom to make contact. Proactively share
  information with Service Desk employees on all shifts to ensure smooth
  transition of process ownership and provide workflow direction on specific
  activities which will require attention beyond shift turnover. Report atypical assistance requests and their resolution to all Service Desk staff.
• Professional
  Development (5%): Establish and achieve personal career goals. Maintain
  and develop technical knowledge, analytical skills, leadership skills, and
  communication skills. Stay abreast of current technology. Attend training
  and conferences to stay abreast of current technology and to build and
  maintain a professional network.
• Perform
  other duties and responsibilities appropriate for an IT Technical
  Associate. (5%)

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent. Any one or any combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following categories: College coursework which includes Information Technology (IT), IT Management, Programming, IT systems, or a closely related discipline, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent: 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months) Associate's Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months) 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months) Bachelor's Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months) Work experience in IT-related functions, such as hardware/software support, programming, network design, network engineering, IT systems integration, or closely related field. Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position may be required.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1.Familiarity with batch scheduling concepts and experience with service management software and ability to extract data, conduct analysis, and develop recommendations strongly preferred.
• 2.Web design experience and ability to read and edit HTML, CSS, and JS.
• 3.Knowledge of SQL and shell scripting
• 4.HDI or ITIL certification

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Extensive customer service experience required. Ability to interact with customers in a professional and courteous manner via telephone and email. Respectful of customers and manages difficult or emotional customer situations appropriately; responds and follows up promptly to needs and requests for service and assistance.
• Ability to identify and resolve problems quickly and effectively; conveys reliable and accurate information so it is easily understood and uses appropriate communication mechanism(s) to disseminate information; possess sensitivity to involvement of the appropriate decision-makers, as needed, and knows when to escalate; implements solutions, not fixes.
• Excellent writing and communication skills. Able to document technical solutions and create clear, high-quality knowledge documents for public use by customers and internal support staff
• Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification of requests; responds well to questions; ability to interact clearly with people over the telephone, often in stressful situations.
• Must be flexible in work schedules while maintaining punctual, regular, and consistent attendance. Must be available to work overtime or any shift (1st, 2nd, 3rd) as requested or required.
• Excellent teamwork skills and a great team player. Follows team expectations and guiding principles and holds teammates accountable for doing the same.
• Able to work independently; willing and able to make decisions in a timely manner in difficult or ambiguous situations.
• Ability to take initiative and make improvements; anticipate customer needs; look for ways to make things better for the customer; pays close attention to detail.
• Understands concepts of desktop and client software (browsers, operating systems, etc)
• Uses time efficiently; approaches others in a tactful manner; treats others with respect; accepts responsibility for own actions.
• Contributes skills and capabilities to achieve team goals; encourages and gives credit to others for their contributions.
• Performs a wide range of tasks, responding to changes in direction and priorities; accepts new challenges, responsibilities, and assignments. Works outside of ordinary routine.
• Ability to quickly learn and become self-sufficient on new technical skills.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5031 - Information Technology Technical Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search process concludes.

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

The budgeted salary range for the position is $50,000 - $60,000 Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on October 11th, 2026. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact Zuri White at [e-mail]. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - the state's flagship public university and one of the world's leading research institutions - every staff member helps shape what's next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you're empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence - where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [e-mail].

Requisition ID: 1038585

Job Category: Technical

Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu