Help Desk Supervisor, (B275525-1), 209, Support Services

Under the direction of the Support Services Division Manager, the Help Desk Supervisor manages the Help Desk's staff and operations. This includes prioritizing and assigning tasks, managing tickets, ensuring service level agreements are met, and coordinating cross-division efforts to resolve end-user requests. The supervisor conducts performance evaluations and trainings, maintains a safe working environment, an participates in hiring, termination and disciplinary recommendations. The supervisor also creates and maintains a climate of continuous improvement by proactively identifying opportunities for service improvements and internal efficiencies and regularly generates productivity and performance reports to support process improvements. The Help desk supervisor must assist Help desk staff with inbound phone calls during peak periods or major incidents when call volume is high and may participate in an on-call rotation as needed. This position requires strong technical expertise, proven leadership ability, and a strong customer-service orientation.ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

• Manages the daily activities and directs the work help desk staff, which includes conducting performance evaluations, participating in hiring, termination, and disciplinary recommendation, and developing team members through ongoing coaching and training.
• Monitor's the City's Help Desk work-order system to prioritize and assign tasks to Help Desk staff or other Information Services Divisions, requests support escalation when necessary, and ensures that service level targets are met.
• Improves Information Technology first-level support processes (i.e., ticketing, escalation paths, documentation, and management of the workorder system) by monitoring user feedback and service trends and generates Help Desk productivity and volume reports to analyze issue trends and identify process improvement opportunities including the development of standard operating procedures. This work promotes a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement. 
• Ensures that the Help Desk provides exceptional customer service by serving as the key point of contact between the support team and other Information Services Divisions and/or City Departments staff, maintaining effective working relationships with customers with a focus on customer satisfaction and business continuity.
• Participates in special projects as assigned which includes attending project meetings to discuss timelines, milestones, priorities, and budget matters.
• Coordinates with hardware, software, and service vendors on procurement, licensing renewals, and contract or support issues affecting Help Desk Operations. 
• Administers the department's Help Desk ticketing platform, including configuring user permissions and workflow queues, and applies incident problem, and change management practices to resolve issues and prevent recurring outages.
• Assists with inbound phone calls and emails at the Help Desk during peak periods or major incidents and participates in the on-call rotation as needed.

COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF JOB DUTIES

Knowledge of: 

• Knowledge of supervisory principles, including performance management and progressive discipline
• Knowledge of applicable City personnel policies, procedures, and civil service rules.
• Knowledge of Information Technology service and ticketing management systems and workflows.
• Knowledge of service level agreements and escalation procedures.
• Knowledge of Information Technology service management and process improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of the organizations structure and service offerings.
• Knowledge of basic project management skills (timelines, milestones, and deliverables).
• Knowledge of departmental budget processes.
• Knowledge of Help Desk/ITSM ticketing platform administration, including user permissions and workflow configuration.
• Knowledge of incident, problem, and change management practices. 

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to make sound, independent decisions regarding staffing, discipline, and daily work assignments.
• Ability to display strong leadership skills and the ability to coach, mentor, and develop staff.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to quickly triage and resolve or escalate incoming issues.
• Ability to perform effectively under pressure during high call volume.
• Ability to communicate clearly both technical and non-technical staff.
• Ability to willingly participate in an on-call rotation. 
• Ability to prioritize and triage competing service requests under time pressure.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a cross-functional team setting.
• Ability to pay attention to details in system configuration and access management.
• Ability to balance project work with day-to-day supervisory duties.
• Ability to implement and enforce change-control procedures to minimize service disruption.
• Ability to display professionalism and tact when representing the Help Desk to other departments.
• Ability to display excellent customer service and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to make sound judgment in reallocating staff and resources as workload shifts.
• Ability to pay attention to detail and accuracy in reporting with strong written communication skills to summarize findings for management.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to maintain good planning and organizational skills.
• Ability to take and follow directions from supervisor.
• Ability to give directions to and gain compliance from assigned staff.
• Ability to perform strenuous work and routine work.
• Ability to maintain a valid Texas Driver License and a good driving record.
• Ability to project a positive and professional image of the City of Laredo.
• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing in the English language and orally in the Spanish language.
• Ability to comply with all City of Laredo's policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain good health and physical condition sufficient to permit the full performance of the duties of this position.
• Skilled with interpersonal and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Skilled in analytical abilities to identify recurring issues, service trends, and improvement opportunities from data.
• Skilled in data analysis reviews, reporting skills including proficiency with spreadsheet and ticketing-system reporting tools.
• Skilled with strong technical writing to develop clear documentation, standard operating procedures, and management reports.
• Skilled with conflict-resolution and de-escalation abilities.
• Skilled with strong organizational and time-management capabilities.
• Skilled with strong technical troubleshooting skills across hardware, software, and network issues.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical Effort Requirements

Position will have the following exposures

• Office or similar indoor environment, relatively free from unpleasant environmental conditions or hazards.
• Occasional exposure to unpleasant environmental conditions and/or hazards. Occasional outside work.
• Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Exerting up to 35 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly having to move objects.

Work Environment Locations

Position will require the employee to work in the following types of work environments
 
 Never

• Construction site
• Confined space 

Seldom

• Street environment (near moving traffic)
• Warehouse environment

Sometimes

Exposures

Position will require the employee to be exposed to the following environmental elements

Never

• Communicable diseases
• Moving mechanical parts
• Fumes or airborne particles
• Toxic or caustic chemicals or substances
• Loud noises (85+ decibels such as heavy trucks, jack hammers, construction)

Seldom

Sometimes

Travel 

Position will require the employee to travel

Never:

• International travel

Sometimes:

• Local travel
• Regional travel
• National travel

Required Education and Experience:

• Associate's Degree from an accredited* college or university or sixty (60) college hours
• At least three (3) years of experience in technical help desk or information technology support environment, including experience leading, training, or coordinating the work of others.

Foreign Education: 

• Applicants who have completed education outside of the United States must submit a foreign credential evaluation completed by a professional credential evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). The evaluation must verify the U.S. equivalency of the degree and identify the comparable U.S. degree level. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and submitting the required evaluation documentation.

Note:The City of Laredo is not responsible for any fees associated with obtaining a foreign credential evaluation or educational equivalency documentation.Required Licenses or Certifications: 

• Valid Texas Driver License. If applicant holds an out-of-state license, a State of Texas Driver License must be obtained within 6 months of employment.

Preferred Licenses or Certifications:

• CompTIA A+/Network+ Certification 
• Vendor or Help Desk Certification
• ITIL Certification

As part of the minimum requirements for all positions with the City of Laredo, a thorough background check and certified school transcripts will be required from all applicants who are offered employment.


Effective February 24, 1997, all selected applicants are required to undergo a drug and alcohol test prior to employment.


Effective January 7, 2008, all persons in safety-sensitive functions/positions, as per City of Laredo Drug and Alcohol Policy definition, shall be subject to random drug and alcohol testing.


A person with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation related to a selection process is requested to contact the Human Resources Department at (956) 791-7480 two days prior to the scheduled interview and/or test if applicable.


City of Laredo is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Pro Disabled and Veteran Employer. We welcome differences in the form of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, geography, socioeconomic status, age, politics, religion, philosophy, sexual orientation, or gender identity. All applicants who share this goal are encouraged to apply. Must be able to function in a principle-based organization that has a culture built on character and core values.