Computer Support Specialist II

Position Details

Brief Position Overview
The Computer Support Specialist II supports the College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station (COA/MAES) within the University IT team (UIT).

• Customer Support
• Provide technical support in person, over the phone and via email for faculty and staff in the COA statewide.
• Understand and leverage University purchasing policies, procedures and best practices when procuring technology for the COA/MAES.
• Communicate with a wide range of constituents and knowledge levels regarding technical and security issues.
• Maintain an approachable, customer-friendly atmosphere.
• Maintain technical competencies, especially in technology deployed in the institution, the COA/MAES and departments.
• Maintain awareness of, and engage in institutional programs, projects and initiatives as appropriate or directed.
• Develop self-help and other documentation to improve user’s IT experiences.
• Travel to research centers as needed to install a variety of equipment and or troubleshoot issue that cannot be done remotely.
• Technology Management
• Communicate and encourage security best practices throughout the COA/MAES.
• Follow, recommend and educate staff on information security best practices.
• Leverage proactive security and management tools and strategies.
• Analyze, troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve problems with end user devices.
• Recommend best practices among customers, including proactively asking questions to determine security needs.
• Maintain competency and proficiency with UIT and COA/MAES technology management tools that support the COA/MAES statewide, off-campus locations.
• Research, test, recommend, implement and manage new technology solutions.
• Proactively manage and monitor computers, peripherals, both hardware and software, as well as legacy and emerging technologies.
• Draft and publish Standard Operating Procedures in confluence (SOPs).
• Analyze workflow, both at scale and at the individual level, to provide solutions to enhance the user experience and COA’s image.
• Maintain strong competencies regarding the COA/MAES statewide, off-campus technology services in order to provide timely, efficient support.

Required Qualifications

• Two years of relevant post-secondary education, or two years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) progressively responsible experience in a directly related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience supporting Windows and macOS environments, including installation, configuration, maintenance, security, and troubleshooting of operating systems, common software applications, and associated hardware and peripherals.
• Working knowledge of industry-standard help desk practices, tools, and service delivery processes, with the ability to independently troubleshoot and resolve technical issues in a user-facing support environment.
• Knowledge of IT security principles and experience applying security policies and best practices related to endpoint systems and user support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or closely related field and five years of progressively responsible experience in technical customer service, and certification(s) in a service desk discipline, networking and/or desktop computing, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of industry standard service management procedures; knowledge of computer security and security practices, especially in higher education; knowledge of networking principles and technology.
• Skilled at the independent research and application of emerging technologies; skilled at computer and device repair and maintenance; skilled at giving and writing instructions of a technical nature; skilled at using incident management or ticket systems.
• Skilled at providing complete technology support services to remote locations.
• Familiarization with Network standards and installation.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

• This position is in-person in nature, with the work conducted at the Montana State University campus.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, an acceptable driving record, and meet all State of Montana requirements to operate State/University vehicles.
• This position is not eligible for sponsorship.
• This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job.
• No supervisory duties.