Data Center Operations Support Specialist Intermediate

The Information and Technology Services (ITS) organization has an opportunity to employ a Data Center Operations Support Specialist Intermediate to provide Tier I  support  monitoring networks from a centralized IT operations center ensuring high availability and attainment of service level agreements  by effectively detecting, analyzing and escalating alarms for Network, Voice, Video, Hardware, Data Center infrastructure and related systems.  This position provides Tier 1 after-hours phone support to faculty, staff, students, guests and alumni. The Specialist also performs computer operations tasks such as backup tape handling, operational monitoring, job scheduling requests, and access to data centers. The successful candidate will possess problem resolution, diagnostic and customer service skills.   

This position will report to the Director of Data Centers.  The ITS Data Center Operations department provides Tier I monitoring support for networking systems, security and datacenter infrastructure as well as provide backup support for the ITS Service Desk after-hours. 

This role requires someone who can work under minimal supervision, proactively anticipate and resolve problems. The person in this role has experience providing excellent customer service, the ability to follow documented procedures and standards in a consistent manner, and takes initiative to keep up-to-date with changing job requirements. This role also requires excellent written skills for the purpose of writing and updating documentation as well as providing details in ticketing systems.  In this role, the Specialist will accept a reasonable level of risk in decision-making when faced with unusual situations relating to customer calls and alerts.

Note:  ITS Data Center Operations operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Successful candidates will need flexibility to work overtime, weekends and some holidays.  Additionally, this position is considered critical and may be required to work onsite during the University's Emergency Reduction in Operations policy.

For more information about the department of ITS, please visit our website: http://www.its.umich.edu/

PRODUCTION SUPPORT (85%) 

As a Data Center Operations Support Specialist Intermediate for the ITS Infrastructure Service and Operations organization at the University of Michigan,  your position's key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform monitoring functions using a variety of toolsets to monitor networks, job schedules, and physical infrastructure with the ability to identify and address alerts to ensure timely escalation.
• Interact with network services, systems support, applications development and hardware vendors to restore service. 
• Escalate complex problems to specific support groups.
• Perform research to isolate and troubleshoot alarms and events by applying basic networking fundamentals.
• Receive inbound emails, phone calls from end-users and service request tickets. Evaluate problems and determine priority of responding.
• Provide Tier I resolutions, workarounds, and escalate problems to Tier II support.  Follow up with users to ensure problem resolution. 
• Support internal teams and projects.  Participate in system testing and knowledge management activities.
• Maintain proper handling and storage of media to insure integrity of data for Disaster Recovery needs which involves processing tapes. 
• Consult with vendors to report hardware failures. 
• Provide access to Data Centers utilizing established guidelines.
• Contribute, participate and share information and ideas with the team.  Develop and maintain positive, collaborative relationships, inside and outside of the workgroup, interacting in a friendly, open, and honest manner.  
• Monitor and provide trending and analysis of networks and equipment utilizing monitoring tools

SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS (10 %) 

• Build relationships by collaborating with team members, support groups to understand service improvement requests and opportunities.  
• Support and recommend service enhancement projects that involve quality improvements to monitoring and departmental processes.   
• Develop and edit technical support knowledge base documentation ensuring materials are accurate and comprehensive.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to document, research, review, and update knowledge based documentation
• Identify when established procedures are not working well and gaps in processes. 
• Look for opportunities to automate and create efficiencies in production support and make recommendations for improvement

DEVELOPMENT OF SELF AND OTHERS (5%) 

• Stay current with relevant advances in technologies. Responsible for maintaining and updating knowledge of IT policies and procedures, hardware, software and technical services.  This can include: on-the-job training, attending technical courses or conferences, reading, research and testing.  Develop and follow best practices and procedures and shares knowledge with team members. 
• Demonstrate skill development by actively participating in growth opportunities for continuous development and improvement and applying new skills/knowledge to the job as evident by the ability to efficiently and effectively perform assigned duties, resulting in meeting or exceeding customer expectations and performance metrics.
• Maintain an overall awareness of the organization's key IT services for which support is provided by joining IT collaborative groups, reading all correspondence of organizational initiatives, webcasts and publications
• Demonstrate effective communication skills when providing training and mentoring to less-experienced staff, resulting in staff and teams using and implementing the latest policies, procedures and best practices to accomplish tasks.