Helpdesk Technician

The Helpdesk Technician is the first point of contact and plays a vital role in all technology support at Northwest State Community College (NSCC), including its satellite and remote campuses. This role is responsible for efficiently triaging, resolving, and escalating support requests while coordinating tasks across IT support tiers. Key responsibilities include managing routine hardware, software, and network issues, while ensuring timely communication with users, and maintaining clear documentation. A strong focus is placed on customer service and continuously improving helpdesk operations and processes.

This role will play a key role in supporting IT operations by helping to coordinate initial and ongoing training, as well as mentorship of IT student workers to ensure high- quality service delivery. This role also plays a pivotal role in aligning user needs with IT operational capabilities, significantly contributing to both user satisfaction and the department's overall effectiveness.

Normal Weekly Hours: Hours vary between 7 am - 6 pm.  The IT office requires coverage until 6 pm Monday-Thursday, 8 am - 4:30 pm on Friday.   Days/hours will vary due to operational situations.

1. Manage incoming IT support requests and incidents from various channels (phone, walk-in, ticketing system) and route them to appropriate person or IT student employee.
2. Document all support interactions thoroughly in the ticketing system, including requestor, request details, troubleshooting steps, and resolution.
3. Drive efficient helpdesk operations by monitoring, prioritizing, and triaging incoming support requests. This involves proactive collaboration with cross-functional IT teams and specialized support tiers to streamline issue escalation, expedite problem resolution, and ensure consistent adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), alongside contributing to key projects and initiatives.
4. Aid in the support of IT student workers including initial and ongoing training as well as mentorship.
5. Maintain clear, consistent, and regular communication with users regarding the status of their requests. This includes providing timely updates on troubleshooting progress, estimated resolution times, and any necessary follow-up actions.
6. Provide consistent and reliable technical support to all campus locations, including satellite and remote sites.
7. Develop and maintain comprehensive helpdesk documentation, including user-friendly guides, a robust knowledge base, and detailed troubleshooting procedures.
8. Generate and analyze reports on helpdesk performance metrics and user satisfaction to identify trends, pinpoint areas for service improvement, and inform strategic decision-making.
9. Provide feedback to improve internal processes and enhance the end-user experience.
10. Keep IT inventory information up to date and monitor hardware check-in/out.
11. Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience: 

• An Associate's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related technology field is required.
• Minimum of 1 year of progressive experience in tier-one helpdesk technical support required; within a higher education institution is preferred.
• Practical experience in diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, and network issues, along with proficiency in configuring, deploying, operating, and maintaining computer systems, applications, and audio/visual equipment required. 

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of and  practical experience with helpdesk ticketing systems and established escalation protocols.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills for effective stakeholder interaction.
• Exceptional organizational skills with a proven ability to manage multiple requests, prioritize tasks effectively, and maintain meticulous documentation.
• Foundational understanding and practical experience with Windows desktop operating systems, common application software, basic computer hardware, and IT best practices.
• Relevant knowledge and practical experience with conferencing hardware and software platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) 
• Strong analytical capabilities and critical thinking skills to effectively diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve technical challenges.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Active Directory and identity administration, including user account management, group assignments, permissions, and troubleshooting (SSO, MFA, password self-service portals).
• Awareness of cybersecurity common best practices.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Aid in the support of IT student workers.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC CONTACT

Heavily exposed to the public, students, employees, and faculty in larger event and classroom environments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to regularly travel across campus, which may involve walking for up to 50% of the workday, to provide on-site support at various locations.  Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. consistently.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Northwest State Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and educator that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, religion, age, disability or military status in employment or the provision of services.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the policy of Northwest State Community College to provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities.  When contacted for an interview, an applicant who requires special accommodations due to a disability should notify the Human Resources office at the time he/she is contacted so that proper arrangements can be made for the interview.