IT Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Title : IT Support Specialist

Department : Advancement Operations

Reports to : Director, Systems and Technology

Location : Kingston, RI

Employment Type : Full Time

Position Summary

The URIF IT Support Specialist is responsible for providing endpoint and printer support to approximately 100 URIF on-site and remote staff members, and serves as the liaison between URIF, URI ITS, and other parties to ensure that the backup, server, and cybersecurity needs of URIF are being met. Primary functions include ensuring that URIF staff IT devices are properly configured, maintained, and patched (including anti-virus and vulnerability management software); troubleshooting staff IT hardware and software issues as needed; assisting with the support and maintenance of servers used for URIF processing; and ensuring system backups are successfully conducted to support URIF operations. This position helps to evaluate and improve existing processes, design new processes, and implement a new product or information system/security infrastructural change. This key position will report to Director of Systems and Technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the hardware, software, network, and printing needs of URIF staff, including support for emerging virtual meetings, hybrid work environment, and remote access needs. Make recommendations, as needed, to ensure technology is current and effective to meet day-to-day needs of URIF staff. Make budget requests to support needs. Timely response to URIF staff for urgent needs to ensure continued operations.
• Providing timely assessment and timely communications to URIF management regarding cyber issues that may impact URIF operations, including the impact (or potential impact) on URIF data or systems, IT vulnerabilities, and preventative protocols in place to mitigate risk for URIF. Serve on incident response team.
• Serve as primary point of contact with the University to ensure best practices are in place for URIF cybersecurity. This includes leading vulnerability management assessments and responding to issues, ensuring virus protection is in place for URIF desktops and servers, and ensuring patches are applied to URIF servers on a timely schedule. Work with the University to manage testing for Absolute, Qualys and Windows Defender deployments to support URIF needs.
• Ensure and manage backup solutions for URIF systems and servers, to enable restoration of data as needed. Ensure backups (to the prior day) are available as needed in response to disaster recovery URIF.
• Work with URI ITS to maintain Entra and Intune configuration policies associated with URIF operations, to provide seamless authentication using SSO for URIF staff and software development.
• Monitor the information technology needs for URIF, make appropriate recommendations to introduce new technology as appropriate, assisting in implementing solutions to ensure effective URIF organization operations.
• Provide technical consultation, support, and training to URIF staff as needed to support the day-to-day URIF organization needs, including how-to articles, hands-on training, documentation, and video tutorials on key work-related functions that staff members can use at their disposal.
• Manage all URIF staff requests in a timely manner, including requests communicated by phone (work and cell phone), email, Help Desk tickets, Smartsheet ticketing system, walk-ins, and via Teams as they occur, and prioritize them by severity.
• Demonstrate effective project management capabilities by prioritizing competing demands, coordinating resources across multiple initiatives, and delivering solutions within established timeframes to minimize disruption to URIF operations.
• Manage and lead processes related to client, server and network upgrades as needed to support URIF staff, coordinating upgrades with least impact to URIF operations, including migration to cloud-based services. Currently approximately 120 clients utilize on-site/remote managed network and approximately 10 servers. Facilitate VPN client upgrades with URI security and remote access needs when dealing with staff working from home. Help support part of the physical network and virtual network infrastructure.
• Responsible for physical asset control, monitoring IT equipment inventory and review of all IT related purchases to ensure alignment with our current IT environment. Track and maintain inventory of all current hardware and software systems related to URIF. Purchase approved computer-related assets and manage budget for hardware/software needs. Manage secure disposal or reutilization of all computer-related assets.
• Serve as the liaison for the URI Foundation, maintain working relationships with various Information Technology departments at URI on behalf of URIF, as well as a high level of understanding of current IT technologies and the needs of the organization.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree is required and 3 years’ experience in an IT support role
• Experience providing effective customer service, including the ability to communicate technical solutions to non-technical users
• Must possess strong people skills with the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing and be able to prepare and deliver oral presentations to staff
• May require after-hours support to meet organization needs
• Works independently and requires only general supervision

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience configuring and securing Windows and Mac operating systems
• Experience support Microsoft Office 365 applications
• Experience with Microsoft Windows Server technologies
• Experience with VMware, active directory, security, DNS
• Experience setting up Intranet and Internet Web servers, prior support for mobile office technology used by staff, development and implementation of cyber security policy and practices
• Experience installing peripherals, hardware and memory

Salary: $55k to $65k based on experience.

Join the URI Foundation team!

We offer competitive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, and unparalleled retirement savings programs. Join our team of talented, mission-driven advancement professionals!

We are an equal opportunity employer and provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, making decisions based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic characteristics, or any other characteristic protected by law.