Research Technology Support Specialist

Position Overview

The Computer Services Consultant II provides technical support, assistance, and consultation in the use of computer hardware, software, networks, classroom and conferencing technologies, printers, peripherals, and related services to faculty, students, staff, researchers, and administrative users.

Position Summary

The position plans, configures, installs, maintains, and troubleshoots networked and stand-alone computing systems and provides responsive onsite, remote, and telephone support.

Responsibilities may include workstation and endpoint deployment, classroom or conference-room technology support, account and access administration, technology asset management, documentation, training, backup and restoration activities, and coordination with network, systems, audiovisual, instructional technology, research technology, security, and vendor partners.

The specific assignment and reporting relationship may vary based on organizational needs.

Core Responsibilities

Technical Support and Consultation

• Provide technical support, assistance, and consultation to faculty, students, staff, researchers, administrative users, and lower-level consultants in assigned areas.
• Respond to support requests onsite, remotely, or by telephone; diagnose problems and resolve, escalate, or refer technical issues as appropriate.
• Support computers, workstations, operating systems, software applications, printers, peripherals, network connectivity, wireless services, security software, and related technologies.
• Provide customer-focused communications, explain technical solutions in understandable terms, and keep users informed of status and next steps.
• Participate in incident response, service restoration, scheduled coverage, maintenance, and operational readiness activities.

System Planning, Installation, and Lifecycle Support

• Perform analytical, technical, and administrative work to plan, design, configure, and install networked and stand-alone computer systems for classrooms, instructional spaces, computer user rooms, offices, conference rooms, research spaces, and other supported environments.
• Install, configure, upgrade, maintain, and troubleshoot hardware and software and perform backup and system-restore procedures as assigned.
• Analyze user and operational needs, evaluate products, and recommend hardware, software, replacement, or configuration options.
• Provide replacement recommendations and budget estimates as requested and assist with technology lifecycle planning.
• Assist with technology asset management, inventory, deployment, reassignment, surplus, and related recordkeeping.

Flexible Assignment Support

• Support DEN instructional operations as assigned, including classroom computers, instructional technology, conferencing systems, printers, peripherals, and related end-user services.
• Support Infrastructure and Enterprise Systems Services assignments as needed, including endpoints, conference rooms, business computing, print services, network connectivity, account access, and general technology services.
• Provide technology support in administrative, academic, instructional, and research environments based on the needs of the assigned service area.
• Shift priorities, location, schedule, or functional emphasis as needed to address service demand, projects, incidents, staffing coverage, and organizational priorities.
• Collaborate across functional teams to coordinate changes, resolve dependencies, and maximize effective use of shared computing resources.

Accounts, Access, Security, and Data Protection

• Manage or support user accounts, permissions, email account sharing, and shared-server folders within assigned authority and procedures.
• Apply established security requirements and procedures when configuring, supporting, and maintaining devices, software, accounts, access, and data.
• Assist with endpoint protection, software updates, patching, secure configuration, and response to identified security issues.
• Perform or support backup, restoration, data-transfer, and device-replacement activities in accordance with established procedures.
• Escalate security incidents, access concerns, data risks, or compliance issues to appropriate teams.

Documentation, Training, and Service Improvement

• Develop and maintain technical documentation, user procedures, security procedures, knowledge articles, checklists, and software or documentation libraries.
• Document incidents, service requests, configurations, troubleshooting steps, solutions, assets, and support outcomes in designated systems.
• Conduct hands-on training sessions or instructional classes in hardware, software, and supported technology services for faculty, students, and staff.
• Identify recurring issues and recommend improvements to equipment, software, configurations, documentation, workflows, and service delivery.
• Stay informed of relevant technology developments through publications, vendors, professional organizations, meetings, and seminars.

Work Coordination

• Coordinate with network, systems, audiovisual, instructional technology, research technology, information security, facilities, procurement, and vendor partners as required.
• Contribute to technology projects, deployments, upgrades, moves, installations, testing, and special initiatives.
• May provide work direction, training, or technical guidance to student or temporary workers. This position does not have regular formal supervisory responsibility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, information systems, or a related field preferred. Combined experience and education may substitute for the minimum education.
• Two years of directly related computer support experience required; three years preferred.
• Knowledge of computing environments and working knowledge of associated hardware, software, operating systems, networks, wireless communications, security software, procedures, and peripherals.
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting computers, workstations, software, printers, peripherals, classroom or conference-room technologies, and network connectivity.
• Experience supporting faculty, students, staff, researchers, or administrative users in a complex service environment.
• Experience with technology asset management, account and access support, documentation, training, backup and restoration, and ticketing or service-management tools preferred.
• Experience installing or maintaining servers and networks preferred.
• Strong customer-service, troubleshooting, organizational, documentation, communication, collaboration, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work flexibly across assignments, locations, technologies, schedules, and service areas based on operational needs.

Assignment and Reporting Relationship

This position (Research Technology Support Specialist (ISI)) is one of nine in the Computer Services Consultant II job category assigned across the following onsite service areas: Technical Support Services, Distance Education Network, Campus Research Support, Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) Research Support, and Information Sciences Institute (ISI) Research Support.

• The Technical Support Services, Distance Education Network, and Campus Research Support positions are located onsite at the UPC campus.
• The ICT Research Support positions are located onsite at ICT, and the ISI Research Support positions are located onsite at ISI.
• These represent three distinct onsite job locations: UPC campus, ICT, and ISI.

Individual positions may carry the business title Computer Services Specialist (Campus), Computer Services Specialist (DEN), Research Technology Support Specialist (Campus), Research Technology Support Specialist (ICT), or Research Technology Support Specialist (ISI), and may report to the manager responsible for the assigned service area.

Assignments may change as needed to support the Viterbi shared-services model and evolving organizational priorities.

Work Modality

• All nine positions are designated as onsite and are expected to work onsite five days per week.
• The assigned onsite work location will be UPC campus, ICT, or ISI, based on the position’s service area assignment.
• The specific work schedule will be determined and managed based on operational requirements, service needs, and coverage expectations.

Evening, weekend, on-call, or additional hours may be required to support installations, maintenance, projects, incidents, emergencies, and peak operational periods. Due to the positions’ essential onsite functions, these positions are not eligible for a hybrid or remote work arrangement.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $38.93 - $43.34 per hour. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as scope of responsibilities, work experience, education and training, skills, internal equity, and market conditions.

Minimum Education

Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Experience: 2 years

• Minimum Field of Expertise: Knowledge of computing environments.
• Experience with networks, workstations, wireless communication, security software and procedures.
• Working knowledge of associated hardware, software, operating systems, and peripherals.

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Additional information

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