Department
Booth IT: Service Desk
About the Department
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.
Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.
Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 61,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.
As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment. For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.
Job Summary
The Help Desk Analyst is the first point of contact for technology support at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, serving students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Working as part of a single-point-of-contact service desk, the Analyst provides Tier 1 and some Tier 2 support by phone, email, chat, and walk-in, and owns each request through to resolution and follow-up. Beyond resolving incidents, the Analyst helps the service desk work smarter: documenting solutions in the knowledge base, using approved AI and automation tools to improve speed and quality, identifying recurring problems, and supporting day-to-day administration of identity, device, and application platforms. The Analyst also supports the student computer lab, classroom and hybrid-meeting technology, and the front desk, and participates in a rotation for on-call, off-hours support.
This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.
Responsibilities
- Receives, logs, prioritizes, and resolves support requests from all channels (phone, email, chat, walk-in, voicemail, and self-service portal) for network and Wi-Fi connectivity, Windows and Mac computers, printers, mobile devices, applications, audio/visual and hybrid-meeting technology, and ad hoc requests.
- Aims to resolve issues at first contact whenever possible; owns each ticket through resolution, including user follow-up and confirmation that the issue is fixed.
- Escalates unresolved or complex issues promptly to Tier 2 or the appropriate specialist team with clear, complete handoff notes; escalates urgent or high-impact issues immediately to the Help Desk Team Lead.
- Monitors and manages own open ticket queue to meet service level targets, and proactively update users on status.
- Communicates clearly and professionally with users of all technical levels, including notices about outages, maintenance, upgrades, and new services.
- Creates, modifies, and disables user accounts; manages group memberships, licenses, and access requests in accordance with University and Booth policy and the principle of least privilege.
- Performs multi-factor authentication enrollment and resets, password resets, and SSO troubleshooting, following identity-verification procedures to guard against social engineering.
- Performs front-line administration and/or assistance of supported applications and collaboration platforms, for example, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and learning and classroom technology; including configuration, access, and user-level troubleshooting.
- Enrolls, configures, provisions, and supports computers and mobile devices using the department’s imaging tools; maintains accurate hardware and software inventory records.
- Executes onboarding and offboarding checklists accurately and on time for students, staff, and faculty.
- Documents solutions in the knowledge base so that other analysts and users can reuse them; creates new articles and reviews and updates existing ones for accuracy and clarity on an ongoing basis.
- Uses approved AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and Claude, to assist with troubleshooting research, ticket summaries, user communications, and knowledge article drafting, always verifying output for accuracy and following University policy on data privacy and acceptable use.
- Identifies recurring issues and trends from ticket data; recommends and helps implement fixes, scripts, ticketing workflow automations, canned responses, and self-service improvements.
- Contributes to problem management and root-cause analysis for repeat or high-impact incidents, and post-incident reviews as requested.
- Provides feedback on virtual agent, chatbot, and AI assistant responses to help improve their accuracy and usefulness.
- Assists users with adopting new technology and approved AI tools through quick guides, how-to support, and training sessions.
- Participates in projects such as software and operating system rollouts, hardware refresh cycles, and lab and classroom upgrades.
- Triages reported phishing and suspicious activity, takes initial containment steps as defined in procedures, and escalates suspected security incidents to the appropriate team promptly.
- Follows and reinforces University and Booth information security, data handling, and privacy practices; completes required security awareness training.
- Monitors and supports PCs, printers, and software in the student computer lab, and resolves lab printing and equipment issues.
- Provides front desk support, including loaner equipment, walk-up assistance, and support for classroom and hybrid-meeting technology.
- Uses the department’s monitoring and ticketing tools to track incidents, produce daily reports, and keep ticket records accurate and complete.
- Shares knowledge with teammates and helps train new analysts and student workers as assigned.
- Participates in the rotation for on-call, off-hours help desk support.
- With limited direction from others, performs a variety of IT support activities for end-user hardware/software resolution, and guides end-users through troubleshooting procedures. Uses fundamental knowledge of University software systems to recommend system modifications to reduce user problems. Simulates or recreates a range of straightforward user problems to resolve operating difficulties. Performs analyses and assists in a variety of IT support activities including, but not limited to, developing troubleshooting scripts for the help desk; and providing technical assistance in setup, installation, and configuration of desktop hardware and software in compliance with internal controls, policies, and standards.
- Coordinates and implements updates to network hardware, software systems, and applications. Maintains currency and high level of technical skill in the IT support field. Refers more complex problems to the Supervisor. Researches and analyzes computer products and systems available in the marketplace and makes recommendations to management.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Certifications:
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Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Experience:
- Help desk or technical support experience in a customer-facing environment.
- Background in a higher education or professional services environment.
Certifications:
- Relevant certification such as CompTIA A+, Network+, or Security+; Microsoft MD-102 or SC-900; ITIL 4 Foundation; or HDI Support Center Analyst.
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint/OneDrive) and web-based collaboration tools.
- Proficient with user account administration, password and MFA resets, and basic network troubleshooting including Wi-Fi, VPN, and DNS/DHCP concepts.
- Proficient using an IT service management or ticketing system, with strong documentation habits.
- Familiar with TeamDynamix or a comparable ITSM platform.
- Familiar with identity and access management, such as Microsoft Entra ID / Active Directory, and endpoint management tools, such as Kase and, Jamf.
- Understanding of printer and lab management, and audio/visual or hybrid-meeting equipment.
- Understanding using generative AI tools to support technical work, and awareness of data privacy considerations when using them.
- Working knowledge of Windows and macOS, including configuration, troubleshooting, and software deployment.
Preferred Competencies
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to explain technical concepts to non-technical users.
- Strong customer service orientation, problem-solving, multi-tasking, and organizational skills.
- Learn new technologies quickly, including AI-enabled tools, and to adapt to changing priorities.
- Work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Working Conditions
- On call by cell phone and provide off-hours help desk support about once a month.
- This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.
- Primary work schedule of 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with occasional other schedules as needed, primarily at the Hyde Park campus and occasionally at the downtown Gleacher Center campus.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (required)
The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Information Technology
Role Impact
Individual Contributor
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Pay Rate Type
Hourly
FLSA Status
Non-Exempt
Pay Range
$30.00 - $34.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
