Service Desk Escalation Engineer - MSP

Service Desk Team Lead/ Escalation Engineer - MSP

Location: Rockville, MD

Work arrangement: In the office on Tuesdays; remote or at client sites the rest of the week. Occasional client-site work may account for approximately 30% of the role.

Salary: $70,000–$85,000

Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) with a 3% match; unlimited PTO; and team events

About the Opportunity

An established IT consulting firm serving small and midsize businesses in the DC Metro area is seeking a hands-on Service Desk Team Lead. You'll serve as the primary escalation point for Tier 1 and Tier 2 technicians, resolve advanced technical issues, and help develop the skills and practices of the Service Desk team.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical troubleshooting with a lead mentality, takes ownership of issues through resolution, and communicates professionally with clients and teammates.

Responsibilities

• Respond to and resolve client service requests in line with service standards and SLAs.
• Provide remote and on-site technical support for users, workstations, mobile devices, printers, and business applications.
• Handle user onboarding and offboarding, workstation deployments, and account administration.
• Serve as the primary escalation resource for Service Desk technicians.
• Troubleshoot advanced Microsoft 365, Windows, networking, security, cloud, and infrastructure issues.
• Administer Microsoft 365 environments, including user accounts, licensing, device management, security, and collaboration services.
• Support Windows Server and Active Directory environments.
• Troubleshoot DNS, DHCP, VPN, firewall, wireless, and other network issues.
• Assist with backup management, endpoint security, and infrastructure support.
• Research unfamiliar issues using vendor resources, technical documentation, and independent troubleshooting.
• Gather relevant technical details before escalating issues to Engineering, and ensure escalations are fully documented and qualified.
• Partner with Engineering as needed while maintaining ownership of the client experience.
• Keep tickets, time entries, troubleshooting steps, and resolution notes accurate and complete.
• Communicate clearly and promptly with clients throughout the support process.
• Mentor and coach technicians, sharing technical knowledge and effective troubleshooting practices.
• Reinforce standards for ticket quality, client communication, and escalation readiness.
• Review recurring escalations and recommend coaching, documentation, or process improvements.
• Contribute to knowledge base articles, standard operating procedures, and technical documentation.
• Identify recurring issues and help improve Service Desk efficiency and first-contact resolution.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of hands-on IT support experience.
• Managed service provider (MSP) experience is required.
• Experience handling Tier 2 and Tier 3 escalations and independently troubleshooting advanced issues.
• Proficiency with Azure, Ignite, and traditional help desk support tasks.
• Experience supporting Microsoft 365 environments.
• Experience mentoring junior technicians or serving as a senior technical resource.
• Strong customer service, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across multiple client environments.
• Resourcefulness and persistence when researching unfamiliar technical issues.
• Professional presence and a polished, client-focused approach.