Job Description

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