Support Operations Specialist

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Competitive salary available based on qualifications, experience and education of the selected candidate.
The Information and Technology (ITS) organization has an exciting opportunity to employ a Support Operations Specialist to support Campus Computing Services at the University of Michigan. This position will be responsible for: supporting the management of a large fleet of laptop loaner assets; supporting onboarding, training, and access for new hires; developing resources to improve training and support; assisting with scheduling, coverage, and other tasks related to maintaining operations across the Tech Help consulting, field maintenance staff, and Remote Consulting teams; leveraging data tools to ensure we are maintaining the availability of Sites hardware at a high level and the effectiveness of staff; collaborating with other ITS and University teams as they overlap with operations including Tech Repair, Tech Shop, Service Center, IAM, etc.
A qualified candidate will have experience working with minimal supervision and experience working as part of a high-performing and dynamic team. The candidate must have great customer service skills, a strong work ethic, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a high level of problem-solving ability.
This position will be reporting to the Campus Computing Support Supervisor in ITS Support Services. ITS Support Services is a division within ITS that is responsible for providing direct support for many ITS Services.
PRODUCTION SUPPORT (80%) Responsible for monitoring, distributing, and completing incidents and requests in the Campus Computing support queues to be distributed to internal service providers and field support staff on a day-to-day basis.  This includes validating that tickets have been completed properly and satisfactorily. Conducting root cause analysis to uncover opportunities for improvement. Monitor and ensure support staff work assignments are being completed according to expectations and performed timely and efficiently to maximize service responsiveness and device/resource availability. Maintains accurate stock levels of consumables and inventory of all hardware and software in the Campus Computing Sites environment. Periodically performs physical spot checks to validate. Help ensure maximum availability and readiness of Campus Computing hardware and software resources across campus by monitoring status, proactively addressing needs where possible and following up on open incidents. Steps in as needed to help resolve customer support issues.  Work with customers, including clearly and articulately communicating problems and solutions, understanding and empathizing with the customer, and building and maintaining relationships with the customers.  Handles and resolves customer service escalations. Guide, provide knowledge, and help train student temporary staff. Serve as an escalation resource to aid in the resolution of complex problems and issues. Help maintain appropriate staff schedules, ensuring coverage hours at all locations. Help coordinate and communicate schedule changes as necessary and contribute to staffing forecasts and related process improvements. Contributes, participates and shares information and ideas with the team. Develops and maintain positive and cooperative relationships, inside and outside of workgroup, interacting in a friendly, open, and honest manner. Contributes to annual hardware and software refresh efforts (retirement of older computers and printers and replacing with new equipment, refreshing/upgrading software). Communicates service improvements and updates associated knowledge and documentation. SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS (15%) Facilitates small/medium operational projects. Proposes, plans, and executes the projects in collaboration with leadership.  Assists with large projects by completing tasks to facilitate the implementation of new or changed systems, writes status reports, and updates logs in accordance with established methodologies. Provides input to ensure the planning and execution of deliverables meet the objectives of the organization and the customer.  Prioritizes the completion of tasks and resolves issues to ensure compliance with project deliverables. Contributes process, service, and tool enhancements by identifying when established procedures or tools are not working and there are gaps, and makes recommendations for improvements. Assists in the development, editing, and validation of support documentation and operational procedures. Demonstrates relationship-building and effective communication skills as a member of the ITS organization, interacting with many schools, colleges and units, through active listening and frequent communication with department staff, resulting in understanding customer needs, creating solutions for enhancements, and collaboration with department staff. Demonstrates quality service by actively contributing to customer satisfaction through advocating for customer needs, escalating incidents and requests, and increasing the customer's ability to help themselves, resulting in meeting or exceeding customer satisfaction metrics. Utilizes analytical and communication skills in the development and modification of written procedures, processes, and technical support documentation, resulting in content tailored to the level and type of audience for support and issue resolution. DEVELOPMENT OF SELF AND OTHERS (5%) Stays current with relevant advances in technologies. Responsible for maintaining and updating knowledge of IT policies and procedures, hardware, software and technical services.  This can include: on-the-job training, attending technical courses or conferences, reading, research and testing.  Develops and follows best practices and procedures and shares knowledge with team members. Demonstrates skill development by actively participating in growth opportunities for continuous development and improvement and applying new skills/knowledge to the job as evident by the ability to efficiently and effectively perform assigned duties, resulting in meeting or exceeding customer expectations and performance metrics. Demonstrates effective communication skills when providing training and direction to other staff, resulting in staff and teams using and implementing the latest policies, procedures, and best practices to accomplish tasks. Bachelor's degree in a related field and/or equivalent combination of education, certification and experience. Minimum of 2 years of related experience in a role responsible for working with teams and customers requiring confidentiality, timeliness, customer service, organization, prioritization, troubleshooting, and working independently to successfully achieve results. Experience in a customer advocacy role; must be friendly, outgoing and approachable with a diverse clientele Demonstrated proficiency with current computer technology and applications (e.g. desktop computing, productivity apps, MS Office, Google apps, etc.) Ability to provide accurate and complete information in both written and verbal formats. Ability to tailor messages to different audiences, including end users, faculty/staff,  and technical specialists, taking into account varying knowledge of assistive technologies and of general technology concepts. Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate technical concepts (verbal & written) and interact effectively with customers and technical staff. Experience coordinating customer and computing environment support needs in the field and related logistics Ideal candidates are customer-focused, dependable, and able to work with minimal supervision in a fast-paced and changing work environment. Demonstrated ability to work well with others Experience working in a higher education organization. Experience working in a large IT organization. Experience with continuous improvement and quality assurance activities.
UM- ITS welcomes a healthy applicant pool so we encourage all interested applicants to apply. This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT Punctual, regular, and consistent attendance is required. Normal amount of remaining stationary. Average mobility to move around an office environment. Able to conduct normal amount of work at a computer. Will require to travel to various locations on and off campus. Requires on-call availability and rotation outside of normal working hours. Requires working during non-business hours with potential for schedule changes from day to day and on weekends. May require to maintain own high-speed residential connectivity service Responsible for protecting data and information from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion; and, following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of data, etc. as stated in a computer access agreement which the incumbent signs. Valid driver's license with less than 7 points. Periodic moving of equipment weighing up to 60 pounds by self or weighing up to 120 pounds with assistance from others. Benefits at the University of Michigan In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
Generous time off A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting Many choices for comprehensive health insurance Life insurance Long-term disability coverage Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses Dental and Vision Insurance Parental and Maternity Leave The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.
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