Laboratory Schools: Helpdesk Support Technician I

Department

Lab School Technology

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Job Summary

The Helpdesk Support Technician is an entry-level technical support position responsible for performing Level 1 and 2 help desk tasks to keep our school running smoothly. The Helpdesk Support Technician will be the first line of support for 2,000 plus Mac OS devices, iPads, Chromebooks, a variety of common peripheral devices including printers and multifunction devices, and audiovisual systems. S/he also contributes expertise to the Information Systems team by participating in project planning efforts and implementing technical/audiovisual support projects as assigned. As a member of the school community, the Helpdesk Support Technician will also engage in activities throughout the school to assist with events, daily operations and special projects.

Responsibilities

• Performs technical support tasks, including: desktop support for students, teachers and staff; support for multi-function printers and copiers; identity support for school systems; interfacing with University systems that Lab employees access; operating system updates and patching; device prep; and mobile device management.

• Enters help desk tickets into Zendesk from the phone, email, or in-person contacts.

• Provides Level I and Level II technical support services for school computers and peripheral devices as directed by senior support staff, including routine and non-routine troubleshooting services; assists senior support staff with enterprise-level software upgrades, disk imaging, and product testing; helps maintain hardware and software inventory records; organizes and manages support server resources; instructs users in hardware and software basics when resolving trouble tickets; creates online documentation of tech support team practices/procedures and user training materials; prepares obsolete equipment for recycling.

• Provides Level I technical support services for mobile and permanent audiovisual installations school-wide: cleans projector filters and replaces bulbs; troubleshoots connection problems with projectors, document cameras, interactive whiteboards, and other display and playback devices; assists senior staff in evaluating emerging technologies; works with support staff to ensure adequate onsite parts in