Help Desk and Tech Support Manager (IT Senior Associate, Level 3) – Temporary

Help Desk and Tech Support Manager (IT Senior Associate, Level 3) – Temporary - Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY

GENERAL DUTIES

I.T. Senior Associates perform highly complex professional work in technology-related disciplines. While areas of specialization vary, typically I.T. Senior Associates perform a range of work in development/programming, communications, technical support, or similar functions depending on the needs of the Information Technology area to which they report. Work tasks include diagnosing, evaluating, overseeing and resolving highly complex projects. They have wide latitude for independent initiative and judgment and may serve in lead roles on complex programs or projects, and/or serve as a direct supervisor of a unit or group.

I.T. Senior Associates should demonstrate mastery of one or more technology-related disciplines, decision-making ability in situations related to those disciplines, and be able to serve as a resource in these areas. They may contribute to decisions on I.T. policies and technical standards.

This job is in CUNY's Classified Civil Service. The full specification is available on our web site at http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/hr/classified-civil-service/ccsjobs/

CONTRACT TITLE

IT Senior Associate

FLSA

Exempt

CAMPUS SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, founded in 2006, is nationally recognized for its innovative programs and commitment to preparing diverse and talented journalists for success in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The School is a leader in digital, engagement, bilingual, and entrepreneurial journalism education.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Operations, the IT Senior Associate, Level 3 administers and oversees the School's Help Desk and end-user support program. The position is responsible for daily service desk operations, supervision and coordination of support personnel, incident and request management, escalation practices, service documentation, endpoint support coordination, customer service standards, and continuous improvement. The role ensures responsive and consistent technology support for faculty, staff, students, alumni, and authorized external partners across academic, administrative, classroom, event, broadcast, and media production environments.

This position is designated as essential personnel and requires the employee to work in person.

To be considered for the position, you must have filed for the CUNY IT Senior Associate exam in March 2025 (Exam # 2086). This position is temporary until the IT Senior Associate exam scores are published; the incumbent must be reachable on the list to remain in the position and to be eligible for permanency in the title.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Help Desk Administration and Service Delivery

• Administer daily Help Desk operations and serve as the primary operational lead for end-user technology support.

• Establish service desk workflows, ticket categories, assignment rules, priority definitions, escalation paths, and closure standards.

• Monitor ticket queues, service requests, response times, aging items, escalations, and recurring issues to support timely and consistent resolution.

• Develop and maintain customer service standards that promote clear communication, accountability, professionalism, and an effective user experience.

• Coordinate support coverage for normal operations, academic activities, special events, classroom instruction, and media production needs.

Staff Supervision and Support Coordination

• Supervise and coordinate Help Desk staff, IT personnel, consultants, student assistants, and contracted support resources assigned to user support functions.

• Assign work, set service expectations, review ticket quality, provide coaching, and identify training and professional development needs.

• Participate in hiring, onboarding, scheduling, cross-training, and coverage planning for support personnel.

• Promote consistent troubleshooting, documentation, escalation, and customer communication practices across the support team.

Incident, Request, and Problem Management

• Oversee the intake, triage, assignment, escalation, resolution, and documentation of incidents and service requests.

• Provide advanced troubleshooting and coordinate resolution of complex issues involving accounts, devices, software, printing, collaboration tools, classrooms, audiovisual systems, and network access.

• Identify recurring problems and work with internal teams, CUNY Central Office, and vendors to determine root causes and implement corrective actions.

• Maintain procedures for major incidents, service interruptions, user communications, and post-incident review.

Service Management, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement

• Develop, track, and report service indicators such as ticket volume, response and resolution performance, backlog, escalation trends, user-impacting issues, and service quality.

• Use service data and user feedback to identify training needs, process gaps, automation opportunities, and improvements to support delivery.

• Apply IT service management principles and contribute to service catalog, incident, request, problem, change, and knowledge management practices.

• Prepare operational summaries and recommendations for leadership regarding Help Desk performance, risks, resources, and improvement priorities.

Knowledge Management, Documentation, and Training

• Create, organize, review, and maintain Help Desk procedures, standard operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, user instructions, frequently asked questions, and knowledge articles.

• Ensure support documentation is accurate, accessible, current, and suitable for both technical staff and end users.

• Develop and deliver technology orientations, workshops, and targeted training for faculty, staff, students, and support personnel.

• Communicate planned changes, outages, known issues, security reminders, and service updates in clear, user-focused language.

Endpoint, Account, and Access Support Oversight

• Coordinate provisioning, configuration, deployment, support, recovery, and replacement activities for desktops, laptops, mobile devices, peripherals, and related software.

• Oversee support processes for user accounts, access requests, identity services, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, printing, classroom technology, audiovisual systems, and approved cloud services.

• Ensure requests involving access, equipment, software, and data are handled in accordance with applicable policies, approvals, security requirements, and licensing terms.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• High School Diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent

• An equivalent of ten years of experience post-high school that can be met by one of the following: ten years of full-time work experience in a computer or technology related position; an Associate's degree plus eight years of full-time work experience in a computer or technology-related position; or a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution plus six years of full-time work experience in a computer or technology-related position

• Demonstrated English Language proficiency

• A Motor Vehicle Driver's license, valid in New York State, may be required for some, but not all positions.

This title has three levels. In addition to the minimum qualifications above, To qualify for Levels 2 and 3, additional qualifications, such as education, experience, or certification relevant to the area of specialization are required.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience managing enterprise technology operations in a higher education environment.
• Significant experience supervising technical staff and leading cross-functional technology projects.
• Expertise in endpoint management platforms including JAMF, Kandji, Microsoft Intune, or similar enterprise management solutions.
• Experience managing technology procurement, budgeting, and vendor relationships.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Apple and Windows operating systems, networking, and cloud-based services.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks, risk management practices, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience implementing ITIL-based service management processes.
• Experience supporting multimedia, broadcast, audiovisual, and instructional technology environments.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to develop strategic technology recommendations and translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Relevant industry certifications such