IT Support Specialist, Executive Support

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

IT Support Specialist, Executive Support

Job Profile Title

Information Technology Support Specialist B

Job Description Summary

Information Systems & Computing (ISC) is the University of Pennsylvania’s central IT organization, providing the core network, data, voice, video, and enterprise application infrastructure and services upon which Penn’s numerous Schools and Centers build their unique tools and capabilities.

ISC’s 300-plus employees work closely with the University’s IT organizations in order to create, deliver and support products and services that help Schools and Centers operate efficiently and effectively. We strive to be easy to work with, and to serve as a trusted advisor to Penn’s IT community, faculty, staff and students in support of an environment of discovery and progress.

ISC’s focus on customer service and the high-quality, cost-effective, reliable implementation of modern IT solutions advances the mission of the University, as well as that of each individual School and Center. At Penn, technological freedom and departmental autonomy represent dearly held core values. ISC supports those ideas by providing foundational services and cogent counsel, empowering individuals and departments to employ their distinct strengths in support of their goals.

Learn more about us by visiting https://www.isc.upenn.edu/about or www.linkedin.com/company/penn-information-systems-computing/.

ISC’s HireIT Services team provides best-in-class IT service delivery in a matrix environment to more than 1200 clients across a diverse collection of campus organizations, including members of Penn’s executive offices. The HireIT team works to form trusting professional relationships with our clients by partnering to meet local needs.

Through HireIT intake services, the IT Support Specialist will provide top-tier end-user support and technical consulting through daily interaction with high-profile clients and staff who have varying levels of technical expertise. This position joins a team which focuses on executive IT support for the University of Pennsylvania central administration including the offices of the President and Provost. Due to the nature of this role, high availability and flexibility are expected. Additional work will consist of supporting IT projects for clients and HireIT IT initiatives.

This position is hybrid eligible and occasional evening or weekend hours are required.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Leadership Support: Interact daily with university leadership and staff to provide IT support both remotely and on-site while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information. Establish and foster ongoing relationships with leadership clients. Maintain working knowledge of client office functions and needs. Make recommendations for IT solutions for improving work.
• Client Support Intake: Engage daily with clients of different technical backgrounds, offering high-quality support and consultation via HireIT intake channels (phone, email, ticket management system) and through desk-side support at multiple campus locations.
• Relationship Management: Establish and maintain relationships with clients, including client relationship management and communication to inform them of changes and updates. Keep clients informed about Penn computing policies, standards, and recommended practices. Maintain an understanding of client office functions and needs. Engage and manage relationships with ISC service providers and partners in Penn's schools and centers.
• Project Participation and Management: Assume ongoing responsibility for designated services and complete additional project work as assigned. Keeps inventory and deployment logs, project status milestones, and accurate configuration files uploaded in relevant systems.
• Client Support: Provide hands-on technical support and assistance to clients in various campus locations. Diagnose and resolve technical problems with computing hardware, software, and network services. Maintain support level knowledge of client hardware and applications. Contribute to the knowledge base, documentation, and client communications. May include occasional coverage for evenings, weekends, and recognized University holidays.
• AV Support: Provide support for high-level meetings, including interacting with University leaders and supporting the Board of Trustees. Maintain confidentiality of sensitive materials.
• Education and Training: Engage in ongoing learning about new technology, business processes, and professional development.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience providing IT support for executive-level employees, preferably in a higher ed environment.
• Experience providing technical support for contemporary client operating systems (Macintosh and Windows) and productivity applications, preferably in an academic computing or professional services environment.
• Strong customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a client-centric, technically-focused environment, with an excellent track record of providing exemplary technical support and customer service, particularly with people at higher levels of the organization.
• Experience configuring, deploying, and supporting client desktop systems in a managed environment.
• Skills and experience in database development, web development, multimedia, audio-visual, or information security are a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills with the ability to present technical materials clearly to varied audiences.
• Sound independent judgment, a professional demeanor, & a commitment to maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials.
• Ability to both lead, and work in support of others to produce best outcomes; must be team-oriented, with a demonstrated aptitude and eagerness for learning and collaboration.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Information Systems and Computing

Pay Range

$62,067.00 - $70,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay