User Support Specialist (73L)

Department: NUL IT Infrastructure
Salary/Grade: NEX/15

Job Summary:

Do you flourish in a technically exciting environment with opportunities to grow your skills? Are you comfortable with learning and implementing new technologies? This is an exciting opportunity for a talented and self-motivated IT professional to join a team focused on advancing innovation and efficiency in library services, working with a broad range of colleagues and users across multiple campus locations. As a User Support Specialist, you will provide Mac / Windows desktop support to address client-computing needs while assisting in implementing and supporting a wide variety of technologies. You will be part of a team actively exploring AI/ML, AR/VR, and other emerging technologies that advance the library as a hub of academic collaboration and research innovation. Your work directly supports core library operations and functions including staff productivity across all departments and many public-facing services and spaces. You will be responsible for providing technical support for macOS hardware and software, including effective configurations, a consistent user experience, and engaging with industry-leading tools and applications. Individuals who enjoy assisting people resolve their technical challenges will thrive in this role. You will balance resolution of support tickets with team projects and rollouts. You will respond to incoming technical support requests and provide triage assistance. Excellent customer service, communication, focus on details, and troubleshooting skills are needed to be successful in this position. We look forward to your contributions to our group.

The target budgeted minimum starting salary for this position is $27.75 hourly. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University. This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 73.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Recommends application changes to address frequent support issues encountered by users.
• Recommends changes to processes to improve user's ability to do the work they need to do.
• Obtains and documents business requirements from user groups to be used in technical design documents

Administration

• Develops documentation for all support activities and problem resolutions.
• Attends training sessions and meetings regarding updates and/or enhancements to organizational area's software.
• Attends user meetings to gain knowledge of users' evolving business.
• Trains users on use of applications
• Creates detailed testing plans to capture standard and advanced product usage requirement to improve app / system upgrade and deployments.

Development

• Diagnoses and resolves complex problems, questions and inquiries encountered by clients according to established practices
• Understands and sets-up service monitoring and metrics to measure and monitor service availability

Performance

• Coordinates with external technical support personal to resolve internal reported issue.
• Troubleshoots technical issue using application/server logs.

Supervises

• Assists with on-boarding of junior staff.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 2-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to an associate's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 2 years IT, CS user support or other relevant experience required.

Infrastructure (extends across applications)

• Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
• Mac OS X Operating System
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access, Outlook)
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Windows Operating System
• Apple Remote Desktop
• Apple Configurator
• Apple Configurator
• Apple School Manager
• JAMF Mobile Device Management

Analytical

• problem solving
• Troubleshooting

Project

• collaboration and teamwork

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! 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 strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.