Information Technology Specialist II

Mountain Empire Community College is a comprehensive two-year college serving residents of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson counties, and the City of Norton. MECC is one of twenty-three colleges in the Virginia Community College System and operates under policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Local Advisory Board.

About the role

The Information Technology Specialist will coordinate and maintain assigned processing systems and procedures, ensuring that efficiency and user satisfaction are maintained. The IT Specialist will provide direct support to staff and students across the MECC campus. This position is designated as a covered employee in a non-restricted position, accumulating paid leave, participating in state retirement, life insurance, and related plans, as well as the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program. Eligible to participate in the state health plan and flexible benefits program.

Responsibilities

• Set up hardware or software, diagnose connectivity or data access problems, answer questions about hardware or software, and help users access shared drives and devices.
• Build and maintain databases and servers.
• Administer Active Directory Domain Services: OU design, Group Policy authoring and troubleshooting, delegation, DNS/DHCP.
• Administer Microsoft 365 cloud environment – Entra ID, Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive, Teams, Intune, Defender.
• Perform server administration for Windows Server and Linux systems.
• Manage endpoint devices and software deployment using Intune, Configuration Manager, or equivalent.
• Automate administrative tasks and produce reports using Windows PowerShell.
• Resolve escalated technical issues, communicate effectively with non-technical users, and manage work through an IT service management or ticketing system with accurate documentation and follow-through.
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation.
• May be required to perform other duties as assigned, including assisting in emergencies declared by the Governor.

Requirements

• A minimum of three years of progressive experience in systems administration, desktop support, or a related IT role.
• A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field may substitute for two years of the required experience.
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.

Qualifications

• Active Directory administration in a production environment, including user and group management, organizational unit structure, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP.
• Building, configuring, patching, and maintaining Windows Server systems, with working familiarity in Linux server administration.
• Administering Microsoft 365 services in a production environment, including Exchange Online, SharePoint/OneDrive, Teams, and Entra ID.
• Deploying and managing end-user devices and software through an endpoint management platform such as Microsoft Intune or Microsoft Configuration Manager.
• Understanding of information security practices and applicable compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of computer repair, troubleshooting, and fundamental networking concepts (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls).
• Proficiency in scripting and web languages, including PowerShell (required) and one or more of Bash, HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Extremely proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate with end users to understand and troubleshoot problems.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a higher education environment.
• Familiarity with information security practices and compliance frameworks applicable to higher education, including FERPA, NIST (800-53 / Cybersecurity Framework), and CIS.
• Experience applying security baselines and system hardening standards.
• Experience performing and validating backups and restores in an enterprise environment.
• Working knowledge of enterprise networking (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewalls) sufficient to isolate faults across network, server, and client layers.
• Experience with virtualization and hypervisor administration.
• Experience with Apple device management (Apple School Manager, Intune, or Jamf).
• Experience writing technical documentation and standard operating procedures.
• Experience working collaboratively in a small IT team supporting faculty, staff, and students.
• Relevant certifications such as CompTIA Security+, Network+, Linux+, or Microsoft role-based certifications (AZ-800, MD-102, MS-102, SC-300).

Pay

$59,764 - $67,000

Schedule

Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. May be required to work unpredictable hours in emergencies.