User Support Specialist Senior

Northwestern University; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern University is seeking a User Support Specialist within the MCC Information Technology group to provide IT support across multiple departments on the north campus. The role involves planning, coordinating, and delivering proactive IT services for business applications and systems.

Responsibilities include troubleshooting, identifying enhancements, and maintaining performance across five buildings, with in-person and virtual support.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in IT or related field or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience in troubleshooting and supporting complex IT systems and applications.
• Strong knowledge of system configurations, software maintenance, and IT best practices.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and mentor team members.

Responsibilities

• Assess and recommend technology solutions to align with departmental and organizational goals.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify future IT needs and create roadmaps.
• Ensure alignment of IT strategies with emerging technologies and industry best practices.
• Manage system configurations, updates, and user access across supported applications.
• Monitor and maintain system performance to ensure availability and reliability.
• Develop and enforce IT policies and procedures to enhance operational efficiency.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts and develop solutions for complex technical issues.
• Oversee enhancements to existing applications, ensuring scalability and usability.
• Provide mentorship and training to junior team members on technical and procedural matters.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Planning & scheduling

Troubleshooting

Mentorship

Education

Associate’s degree in IT or related field

Tools

CrowdStrike

Kace

JAMF

Qualys

Bomgar

Zoom

Request Tracker

SailPoint

Job description

Department: MCC Information Technology
Salary/Grade: ITS/77

Target hiring range for this position will be between $65,120 - $84,829 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Job Summary

The User Support Specialist provides IT support for multiple departments within the McCormick School of Engineering. This role involves planning, scheduling, and coordinating activities to support the organization's applications and services by combining research, fact-finding, and a deep understanding of business and IT requirements.

Key responsibilities include identifying potential application enhancements to address complex challenges, considering technology capacity, system limitations, operating efficiency, and desired outcomes. The Specialist also troubleshoots systems, analyzes code, and implements corrections as needed to maintain optimal performance.

Please note: Ability to support user requests across five buildings on north campus, both in-person and virtually. Ability to lift up to 20 pounds at times.

Specific Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Assess and recommend technology solutions to align with departmental and organizational goals.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify future IT needs and create roadmaps.
• Ensure alignment of IT strategies with emerging technologies and industry best practices.

Administration

• Manage system configurations, updates, and user access across supported applications.
• Monitor and maintain system performance to ensure availability and reliability.
• Develop and enforce IT policies and procedures to enhance operational efficiency.

Development

• Lead troubleshooting efforts and develop solutions for complex technical issues.
• Oversee enhancements to existing applications, ensuring scalability and usability.

Performance

• Provides an advanced level of troubleshooting support in response to complex problems, questions and inquiries.

Supervises

• Provide mentorship and training to junior team members on technical and procedural matters.
• Manages projects ensuring timelines and deliverables are met and meet expectations.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's degree in IT or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Proven experience in troubleshooting and supporting complex IT systems and applications.
• Strong knowledge of system configurations, software maintenance, and IT best practices.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and mentor team members.

Enterprise Applications

• Other: CrowdStrike, Kace, JAMF, Qualys, Bomgar, Zoom, Request Tracker, SailPoint

Infrastructure

• active directory design, administration
• identity management/provisioning
• information security
• macOS
• Microsoft Copilot
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook)
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Windows Operating System

Programming Languages and Frameworks

• Microsoft PowerShell

Analytical

• critical thinking
• decision making
• judgment
• problem solving
• Troubleshooting

Project

• budgeting
• collaboration and teamwork
• cost/benefit analysis
• functional documentation
• organizational skills
• planning

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Experience in customer service / customer support environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, organizational skills, management of own time, and respect for the time of others.
• Excellent planning and scheduling skills
Demonstrated ability to effectively control and participate in multiple projects of varying priorities in a consistently professional manner
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful and effective relationships with management, co-workers and customers
• Strong knowledge of deploying and troubleshooting Windows and Mac desktop and laptop operating system environments
• Experience providing purchasing recommendations based on client requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an academic environment.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Planning and implementation of deployment projects, including the ability to set up, maintain, or repair computer equipment and related devices, such as printers and data cabling.
• Administering Active Directory resources, especially shares and permissions.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parentalleave;tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.