Cornell College seeks a highly motivated and experienced Help Desk Supervisor to lead our front-line technical support team. The Help Desk Supervisor will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the IT Help Desk, ensuring efficient and effective technical assistance is provided to faculty, staff, and students. This role involves supervising a team of support technicians, managing service requests, maintaining knowledge base documentation, and contributing to improving IT support services within a dynamic higher education setting. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership, problem-solving, communication skills, and a customer-centric approach to IT support.

Duties and Responsibilities

Supervisory Responsibilities (20%):

• Directly supervise a team of Help Desk Technicians, including hiring, training, mentoring, and performance management.
• Schedule and assign work to team members to ensure adequate coverage and efficient resolution of support requests.
• Conduct regular team meetings to communicate updates, discuss challenges, and foster a collaborative work environment.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of Help Desk staff, providing constructive feedback and identifying areas for professional development.
• Ensure adherence to established IT policies, procedures, and service level agreements (SLAs).

Help Desk Operations Management (30%):

• Oversee the daily operations of the Help Desk, ensuring timely and accurate resolution of technical issues.
• Manage the ticketing system, ensuring proper logging, prioritization, escalation, and resolution of incidents and service requests.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as resolution time, first-call resolution rate, and customer satisfaction.
• Identify trends in support requests and recommend solutions to prevent recurring issues.
• Maintain and update the IT knowledge base with accurate and up-to-date information for both end-users and support staff.

Technical Support and Escalation (20%):

• Provide advanced-level technical support to end-users when necessary, troubleshooting complex hardware, software, and network issues.
• Serve as an escalation point for unresolved issues, working with other IT teams to find solutions.
• Participate in the development and implementation of IT support processes and procedures.

Communication and Collaboration (20%):

• Serve as a primary point of contact for IT support-related inquiries and escalations.
• Communicate effectively with faculty, staff, and students regarding the status of their support requests and planned IT maintenance.
• Collaborate with other IT teams (e.g., Network Services, Systems Administration, Application Development) to resolve complex issues and contribute to IT projects.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with the campus community.
• Work with diverse user groups with varying levels of technical proficiency.
• Support campus-wide technology initiatives and deployments.
• Stay informed about emerging technologies and their potential impact on the college.

Documentation and Reporting (10%):

• Develop and maintain documentation related to Help Desk procedures, troubleshooting steps, and common issues.
• Generate reports on Help Desk performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement.
• Contribute to the development of user training materials and workshops.

About Cornell College

Cornell College is a selective liberal arts college distinguished by our Ingenuity curriculum that builds on the strengths of our One Course At A Time schedule. This combination encourages the qualities of being thoughtful, original, and inventive, using the strengths of a liberal arts education to apply ideas to solve problems and meet challenges through hands-on experience in learning. Academic immersion, Division III NCAA athletic teams, and unparalleled flexibility attract an ambitious student body from across the U.S. and worldwide. We are located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, an urban fringe community located in the heart of the ICR Iowa region.

Qualifications

• An associate's or Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field is required. Equivalent experience may be considered. Relevant industry certifications (e.g., ITIL, HDI, CompTIA, or Microsoft) are highly preferred.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a technical support role, with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience supervising or leading a technical support team.
• Strong technical aptitude and troubleshooting skills across various hardware, software, and operating systems (Windows, macOS, etc.).
• Experience with help desk ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Zendesk).
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical users.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Commitment to providing high-quality IT support.

Preferred Skills and Experience (Relevant to Higher Education):

• Experience working in an IT environment within a higher education institution.
• Familiarity with academic technologies such as Learning Management Systems (e.g., Moodle, Canvas), classroom technology, and video conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Google Meet).
• Understanding of student information systems (SIS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems commonly used in higher education (e.g., Banner, Jenzabar).
• Experience supporting mobile devices (iOS, Android) in an enterprise environment.
• ITIL certification or familiarity with ITIL best practices.
• Experience with remote support tools.
• Knowledge of network fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP).
• Experience with Active Directory and user account management.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards and assistive technologies.
• Experience developing and delivering technical training or workshops.

Working Conditions

The work is on campus primarily at a desk, with occasional walking outdoors in varied weather conditions to get from building to building. Some time will be spent in other offices, or standing in a computer lab or classroom environment. Work will be primarily during college business hours, with an occasional evening or weekend possible. All requirements are subject to change over time, with possible modifications made to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability. The position works 100% in person.

Cornell College offers a fantastic benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, HSA & FSA accounts, a TIAA 403(b) retirement account, and tuition remission and exchange for employees and dependents. We also offer life insurance, disability insurance, travel insurance, and accident insurance. All full-time staff begin with a 4-week vacation accrual, along with 14.5 paid holidays per year.

Application Process

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and list of at least three professional references through Cornell College's online application system.

Cornell is an equal-opportunity employer and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. Cornell complies with Iowa's Smoke-Free Air Act. Cornell utilizes E-Verify and requires satisfactory completion of a background check.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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