*This is a full-time, hybrid position. During your 6-month probationary period, you will be required to work on-site for at least 3 days per week at Merit's office location in Ann Arbor, MI. Following, working on-site will be required for a minimum of 2 days per week.

Come join Merit Network, Inc. The nation's premier Research and Education Network, providing technology services to Michigan's public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare and other Michigan non-profit organizations!

This entry-level position is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to get a head start in their IT or Information Security career in a flexible, growth-focused organization. You will get hands-on experience with modern technologies and develop your troubleshooting, investigation, customer support, and communication skills while working directly with passionate professionals. As an IT Support Associate you'll assist in triaging support requests, identifying hardware and software issues and their solutions, providing training and assistance to staff, and supporting team, department, and organizational goals. Join our experienced, inclusive team and be a part of the future of technology in Michigan and beyond!

Reporting to the IT Manager, you will aid the Information Technology Team with providing large-scale, high-volume infrastructure and end-user services in support of Network, Security, and Community services for the higher education and public sector community. Some of those services include Broadband Internet Service, GIS & Data Analysis, the Routing Assets Database (RADb), and Network Research. 

To learn more about Merit Network, please visit our website: https://www.merit.edu/ 

Have questions about the role or want to learn more before applying? 

Join our informal, open-forum Zoom sessions to connect with the hiring team! Drop in at any time during the hour and stay as long as you'd like - whether you have specific questions or just want to listen in. 

Wednesday, November 12 | 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM EST | Click here to join Wednesday's Zoom Meeting

Essential functions for this position are followed by an (E).

As the IT Support Associate, this position?s key responsibilities include:

Operational Support Activity (60%):

• Work with our other Desktop Support staff, the IT Team, and the Technology Services Department to prioritize, schedule, and perform tasks and respond to requests (E)
• Provide professional and timely remote and in-person support to 100+ staff in a hybrid work environment. Provide troubleshooting, repairs, upgrades, and replacement for staff workstations and applications in a largely Windows 11 environment with a small number of MacBooks. (E)
• Perform equipment and stock inventory to ensure all equipment is properly assigned and accounted for, and that adequate spare equipment is available for staff needs (E)
• Perform user onboarding / offboarding and training (E) 
• Assist with setting up meetings, to include providing temporary equipment for presentations, configuring A/V equipment, providing user training and support, and troubleshooting issues during meetings
• Evaluate, install, configure, test, debug, and document commercial and open source software. (E) 
• Participate in the rotating IT on-call support for production systems/applications, including problem investigation, escalation, resolution, and communication with our Merit Support Center (MSC). 

IT Planning & Processes (30%):

• Support the IT Team in communicating, documenting, testing, and deploying new applications, services, and procedures
• Work independently and with other groups within the organization to develop and implement migration and upgrade plans for workstations and applications; to include project plans, task lists, timelines, deployment plans, and rollback procedures. (E)  
• Work independently and with other groups within the organization to support the roll out of new products, services, and operational tools. (E)  
• Monitor news and vendor sites for software upgrades and vulnerability reports and respond accordingly.  Monitor and maintain the overall health and readiness of our end user infrastructure 

Miscellaneous (10%):

• Remain current on new IT infrastructure and enterprise technologies
• Independent R&D to inform the organization's future technology decisions and anticipate needs
• Participate in professional development activities to continually improve skills and knowledge in the areas of IT services and member support. 
• Other responsibilities as needed

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of you for this job.  Responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Supervisory Responsibility

You will have no supervisory responsibilities, however at times, you will direct the work of others within the scope of project management activities. 

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. You will routinely use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, cloud-based systems, and AV/teleconferencing software & equipment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee (with or without accommodations) to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Employees must frequently work at computer stations, answer telephone calls, emails, and/or other forms of customer/client communication. Employees may on occasion be required to move items up to 50 lbs, or more with additional assistance.

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience
• Foundational knowledge of and practical experience with Microsoft systems and software (demonstrated via coursework, certification, or equivalent practical experience)
• Strong commitment to customer service and proven ability to troubleshoot technical issues with a patient, professional, and clear communication style
• Basic understanding of networking concepts (e.g., TCP/IP) sufficient for troubleshooting client connectivity issues
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Experience developing and presenting technical documentation (e.g., training materials) to audiences with varying technical backgrounds
• Exposure to common ticketing systems such as Jira Service Management
• Basic troubleshooting experience with Apple macOS and related applications
• Experience with endpoint security applications and practices  

This is a full-time, hybrid position. Though the typical work schedule is 8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday for most staff, your work schedule will be determined with your supervisor and may change if necessary.

During your 6-month probationary period, you will be required to work on-site for at least 3 days per week at Merit's office location:

880 Technology Dr., Suite B 
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Following, working on-site will continue to be a minimum of 3 days per week, Tuesday-Thursday with hours to be determined in partnership with your supervisor. In addition, ad-hoc on-site meetings and events may be needed with adequate notice provided. 

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or remote work modes are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

There may be some occasional work required outside of the established schedule, which may include evenings, weekends and holidays.  

Travel

Some travel within and outside of Michigan will be required.

Starting salary range is $40,000 - $50,000, depending on experience and credentials. 

Enjoy comprehensive benefits that support your health, well-being, and future, including:

• Full access to medical and dental insurance for you and your eligible dependents
• Generous 2:1 retirement matching to help you plan for your long-term goals
• Paid vacation, sick time, holidays, and additional paid time off to support work-life balance
• Access to a variety of well-being programs, resources, and campus perks
• Professional development opportunities and educational assistance to further your career
• And more discover the complete benefits package at careers.umich.edu/benefits 

If you have any other questions regarding this role, please contact hr@merit.edu.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.