User Support Specialist Lead

Department: MCC Information Technology
Salary/Grade: ITS/79

Job Summary:

This role is responsible for managing and coordinating IT support for multiple departments within the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science. The Technical Support Lead oversees projects to meet the organization's workplace endpoint technology requirements and ensures all activities align with Northwestern University standards and IT objectives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Scheduling and coordinating IT support activities to meet departmental needs.
• Overseeing daily onsite tasks, such as hardware, software, and AV support while ensuring compliance with university goals and standards
• Managing IT-related projects, including planning, execution, and delivery, to support organizational goals.

The role involves collaborating with users, project managers, systems administrators, developers, and other stakeholders to deliver effective IT support for applications. Additionally, the position partners with internal and external teams, including vendors, to resolve complex issues, prioritize challenges, and implement new application features and updates while ensuring user satisfaction.

This position also provides guidance and direction to junior staff, fostering a team-oriented environment and ensuring the successful completion of support objectives.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Oversees the user support experience including monitoring performance, remediation, and optimization strategies of application support to meet business goals and objectives.
• Partners with development team to prioritize system maintenance, edit, enhancements and new features.
• Leads cross function team on new product selection / review process using product demonstrations, feature scoring / feedback templates and group discussions to garner consensus and commitment

Administration

• Supervises creation of user support materials, documentation of processes, and presents feedback from users.
• Leads coordination efforts with NU procurement, vendor, and NU OGC on new vendor contract terms and conditions.
• Manages change through collaboration with staff organizations, administrative units and other invested University service divisions.
• Develops project plans and partners with users to prioritize projects, daily work, and plans for future initiatives.
• Utilizes information technology systems to meet specific client goals.

Development

• Leads project team through execution phase of medium to large projects to closure, scheduling status meetings; tracks and works through issue logs, communicating with stake holders.
• Leads system and platform architecture design / planning sessions and documentation.
• Drives continuous improvement by looking for better ways to do things, seeking feedback, communicating with stakeholders.

Performance

• Leads projects to diagnose and resolve complex problems, questions and inquiries from clients using judgment and extensive experience.
• Demonstrates application of advanced knowledge of skills, methods, practices, policies, and procedures.
• Independently plans and prioritizes project and operational work.

Supervises

• Provides work direction and/or supervises staff such as team members, subordinates, contractors, vendors, students, etc.
• Recommends staff hires/terminations.
• Coaches and mentors staff.
• Manages projects ensuring timelines and deliverables are met and meet expectations.
• CRM tool administration

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as computer science, information technology, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 5 years' experience in consulting, project management, training, technical support, or user service, in an information technology environment or other relevant experience required.
• Work history demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility and leadership.
• Experience as both an end-user and administrator in service areas such as user support, desktop support, help desk management, and documentation or other relevant experience required.

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

• Experience in customer service / customer support environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, organizational skills, management of own time, and respect for the time of others.
• Excellent planning and scheduling skills
• Demonstrated ability to effectively control and participate in multiple projects of varying priorities in a consistently professional manner
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful and effective relationships with management, co-workers and customers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in an academic environment.
• 2+ years of management experience.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $80,297 - $112,917 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

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.

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