IT User Support Specialist 1

Working under the direction of the Director of Device Support Services, the IT User Support Specialist 1 will be part of a team that supports end user computing devices for multiple departments in the Biological Sciences Division. The IT User Support Specialist 1 will be exposed to a diverse set IT problems and provide excellent customer service to many Faculty, Staff, and Students with various levels of technology experience., * Provide in-person, phone, and email support to users of supported departments.

• Keep ticketing system up-to-date with the status off all support requests.
• Keep inventory system up-to-date with all deployed computing asset information.
• Stay abreast of current University, BSD, and Hospital security policies being enforced and ensure supported users and devices are compliant.
• Research, recommend, and order software and hardware requested by faculty and staff of supported departments.
• Configure applications and endpoints to access university systems and resources.
• Recognizes the importance of computer and data security and will work with faculty and staff on adhering to the security standards of the organization.
• Provides support to end users in problem resolution for both Windows and Apple systems.
• Guides end users through troubleshooting procedures.
• Performs upgrades to hardware and software.
• Supports printing and other peripheral computing devices.
• Shares phone duties with other team members both during the day and scheduled off-hours rotation.
• Performs set-up, installation, and configuration of desktop hardware and software in compliance with internal controls, policies, and standards.
• Under the general direction of service desk management, the Service Desk Support Specialist provides Tier 1 support, acting as the first level of contact for all IT issues. Provides technical support and advice to members of the University community. Provides technical and customer support primarily via phone, live chat, walk-up, email, and web submittal.
• Support includes email accounts, connectivity issues, operating system problems, spyware/virus removal; as well as support for various enterprise applications and a variety of desktop software packages. Writes support documents for common problems and questions to be maintained in the IT Services Knowledge Base.
• Tracks issues to resolution updating the internal knowledgebase and/or communicating findings with relevant business units. Follows workflows for escalations when escalating problems to appropriate support groups through the IT service management system. Escalates more involved incidents to the appropriate service owner or problem manager. Combines related incidents that have become problems and address or escalate those holistically.
• Updates daily status reports and shift handover reports. Acts as a liaison between customers and technical escalation teams by coordinating installation and maintenance services. Maintains communications with customers during the problem resolution process. Provides a single view to the organization for information technology related questions, requests, and problems. Follows proper standard operating procedures.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline., * Associate’s degree or higher in a related technical area OR two years of equivalent technical training/experience., * Fundamental understanding of hardware and software installation and troubleshooting in a desktop computing environment.

• Familiarity with network connectivity and ability to troubleshoot connectivity problems.
• Understanding of Microsoft Office Suite, email clients, and browsers.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent listening skills with the ability to empathize and focus on client service.
• Ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience in a clear and coherent manner.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality/discretion at all times.
• Ability to identify opportunities for use of solutions to improve support effectiveness.

Working Conditions

• Office Environment.

The University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division (BSD) contains all elements of academic medicine. Basic and translational research, education, and patient care come together in a single campus. Its mission is to create new knowledge of living systems, train the next generation of leaders in biology and medicine, and advance the forefront of health through innovative patient care. The Biological Science Division is divided into 10 basic science and 13 clinical