Tier 2 Help Desk Tech Lead- #122292

Western Carolina University; Cullowhee (NC); On-site; USD 73,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Disability plans

Tuition waivers

Free group exercise classes

Campus recreation discount

Vaccines on campus

Flexible spending accounts

Paid holidays

Community service leave

Training programs

Job summary

Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC, is seeking a Tier 2 Help Desk Tech Lead to mentor Tier 1 staff and escalate complex issues for faculty, staff, and students. The role provides telephone, email, remote, and in-person support and collaborates across IT to resolve desktop and software problems.

The analyst receives mentoring from Tier 3 teams, contributes to IT projects, and acts as a liaison for the Help Desk while supporting proactive service improvements.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated customer service skills with empathy, patience, professionalism, and effective communication.
• Ability to collaborate with colleagues, support team decisions, share knowledge, and learn leadership opportunities.
• Experience providing Help Desk, telephone, in-person, and remote technical support in higher education or similar complex environments.
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve hardware, software, account, connectivity, and related issues; document work and analyze trends in service management systems.

Responsibilities

• Daily queue management and backup telephone coverage.
• Limited telephone support and remote troubleshooting for university stakeholders.
• Mentor Tier 1 staff; coordinate with Tier 3 teams for expanded technical expertise.
• Contribute technical input to IT projects and act as liaison for the Help Desk team.
• Support proactive service improvements and be the primary contact when the manager is unavailable.

Skills

Customer service

Collaboration

Help Desk support

Technical troubleshooting

Communication skills

Education

Two-year IT-related degree

Four-year IT-related degree + 1 year experience

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes ‘Best Employers’ lists each year. Including:

• 2025 – Ranked 1st in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers by State’ list.
• 2024 – Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes ‘America’s Best Midsize Employers’ list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
• 2023 – Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes ‘America’s Best Midsize Employers’ list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
• 2022 – Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers by State’ list.

Western Carolina University is the UNC system’s westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.

Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans – eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.

Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.

WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences – many of which are offered free of charge.

Position Summary

The primary location of this position is on-site in Cullowhee, NC.

The Tier 2 Help Desk Tech Lead is a member of the Division of Information Technology Help Desk team and serves as a technical escalation resource and mentor for Tier 1 Help Desk staff. The position provides telephone, email, remote, and in-person troubleshooting and support to university faculty, staff, and students.

The analyst provides consultation and training to university clients and collaborates across IT functional areas to coordinate and resolve desktop and software issues involving systems and operations, desktop support, networks, multimedia, and instructional facilities. Responsibilities include daily queue management, limited telephone support, and backup telephone coverage when another team member is unavailable.

The analyst receives mentoring and cross-training from Tier 3 IT teams to expand technical expertise, strengthen service quality, and support future advancement within the Division of Information Technology.

The position also contributes technical expertise to IT projects and teams, serves as a liaison for the Help Desk team, participates in curative analysis efforts to identify proactive service improvements, and acts as the primary point of contact when the manager is unavailable.

Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Required for this Position

• Demonstrated customer service skills characterized by empathy, patience, professionalism, and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues, support team decisions, share knowledge, and take initiative in learning and leadership opportunities.
• Experience providing Help Desk, telephone, in-person, and remote technical support within a higher education or similarly complex customer-focused environment.
• Proven ability to independently diagnose and resolve complex hardware, software, account, connectivity, and related technology issues while utilizing service management systems to document work, analyze trends, and support operational decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an ‘equivalent combination of education and experience.’ If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both.

Graduation from a two year technical college with a major in an Information Technology field and one year in the information technology field related to the position’s role; or graduation from a four year college or university and one year experience in the information technology field related to the position’s role; or graduation from a four year college or university with a major in an Information Technology area. Related information technology experience may be substituted year for year for the required education.

Anticipated Hiring Range

Anticipated Hiring Range $72,820

Position Type

Position Type Permanent Full-Time

Number of Hours per Week

Number of Hours per Week 40

Number of Months per Year

Number of Months per Year 12

Salary Band Range

Salary Band Range $35,406 - $95,992

Salary Grade

Salary Grade For administrative purposes during the implementation of Career Banding this Journey level position is considered a Salary Grade 76.

Background/E-Verify

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks.

Western Carolina University uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Proper documentation of identity and employability are required at the time of employment.

All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

EOE

Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; ethnicity; religion; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call [phone] or email at [e-mail].

University Safety

The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online at University Annual Safety Report or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, 227 HFR Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7147) or the Office of University Police, 111 Camp Annex, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (828-227-7301). The report, required of all universities participating in Title IV student financial aid programs, discusses crime statistics, procedures for reporting suspicious or criminal activity, security, police authority, crime prevention strategies, university policies on substance abuse and sexual offenses, workplace violence and fire safety.

Required Documents

• Cover Letter/Letter of Application
• Resume
• List of references

Optional Documents

• DD-214
• NGB 23A (RPAS)
• DD256 or NGB22

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*)

• * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
  • HigherEdJobs.com
  • Inside Higher Ed
  • HERC - Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
  • Website - Jobs.wcu.edu
  • Indeed.com
  • Personal Referral
  • Agency Referral
  • Other