Department: NUL IT Infrastructure
Salary/Grade: ITS/79

Job Summary:

Are you challenged and motivated by working with an ever-growing combination of new and immerging technologies? This position leads a team of desktop technicians responsible for solving client-computing problems while implementing new technologies for both library staff and patron services. Partners with internal/external staff and vendors balancing the resolution of support tickets and day-to-day support with large-scale team projects and rollouts.

User Support Specialist Lead collaborates with library departments and Northwestern IT teams to address technology needs and develop strategies and to ensure technology needs are addressed promptly. Partners with desktop team to research and evaluate user's needs. Lead IT projects related to desktop infrastructure upgrades and deployments.

Excellent leadership, customer service, communication, focus on details, are relevant to being successful in this position. Supervises the user support experience including monitoring performance, remediation, and optimization strategies of application support. Provides work direction and supervises team members. Coaches and mentors' staff. Drives continuous improvement by identifying innovative approaches, seeking input from staff, and engaging with customers. Works with Library IT director and NU procurement, vendors, and NU OGC on new vendor contracts and service maintenance renewals. Supervises purchasing IT equipment and software including maintenance agreements.

Please Note: The target budgeted minimum starting salary for this position is $77,958.00. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University

Specific Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership

• Partners with desktop team to research and evaluate user's needs.
• Develops support strategies and plans to meet business goals and objectives.
• Represents University Libraries on campus / NIT working groups and campus-wide initiatives.
• Recommend changes to applications to address frequent support issues encountered while assisting users.
• Evaluates current technologies and services and adjusts and reshapes team in pursuit of continual innovation and improved efficiencies.

Supervision

• Provides work direction and supervises team members.
• Recommends staff hires/terminations. Writes position descriptions; leads recruiting process.
• Lead IT projects related to desktop infrastructure upgrades and deployments ensuring timelines, work and expectations are met.
• Facilitates internal and external communications.
• Identifies team training needs. Coaches and mentors' staff.

Administration

• Coordinates the creation of documentation of support processes and IT knowledge base articles.
• Maintaining hardware and software inventory, ensuring adequate resources for support activities.
• Works with Library IT director and NU procurement, vendors, and NU OGC on new vendor contracts and service maintenance renewals.
• Supervises purchasing IT equipment and software including maintenance agreements.
• Assists with budgetary plans for library technology including replacement of computers and software and recommendations for annual planning/budget.
• Communicates with Library staff concerning changes to public and staff computers to better educate and support technology.
• Leads team to review problems and deliver solutions to technology issues, questions, and inquiries

Development

• Drives continuous improvement by identifying innovative approaches, seeking input from staff, and engaging with customers.
• Leads team to address, diagnose, and resolve sophisticated end-user device incidents and problems through desktop support services and remote support, where appropriate.
• Leads team providing technical support to end-users, ensuring timely resolution of issues and requests. and maintain effective support levels.
• Provides technical support for desktop computers including imaging and deployment.
• Coordinates team support for library classrooms, labs, and public technologies including Maker Space, Video studio, and printing.
• Leads system and platform architecture design / planning sessions and documentation.

Performance

• Reviews and optimizes desktop support processes to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Solicits feedback from users on application performance and raises critical performance issues.
• Reviews tickets to identify trends and common issues to improve user experience, avoid incidents and reduce future ticket volume.
• Improves desktop infrastructure and services through the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
• Monitors emerging technologies and industry trends and standard processes.
• Directs staff developing end-user training to enhance technical skills and knowledge.
• Follows up to ensure problem resolution and develops supporting documentation of all activities.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

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

• Demonstrates a learning aptitude for emerging technologies such as AI/ML that apply to library services and IT operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility

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.