Technical Services Support Specialist I - Technology & Communications, Information Systems Services

Salary : $60,923.00 - $117,458.00 Annually

Location : Columbia, MD

Job Type : Full Time

Job Number : 25-00509

Department : Technology & Communication Services

Division : TCS - Communication Services Div.

Opening Date : 02 / 19 / 2025

Closing Date : 3 / 5 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern

POSITION SUMMARY / CLASS DESCRIPTION

Howard County :

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government :

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, best practices and sustainability. It is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2024, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 63 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) - the most awards in the state of Maryland, and the fifth highest in the nation, as compared to more than 3000 counties. NACo Achievement Awards are the premier national honor to recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policy making.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government :

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY :

Serves as the liaison for technology related issues. Works as a Service Desk Technician to provide first tier application support for applications used by the county employees. Prior experience supporting Cloud applications and on-premises managed applications. Understanding of Service Desk functions specific to handling IT related issues and the ability to troubleshoot issues.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE :

29.29 - $32.07 $60,923 - $66,706

CLASS DESCRIPTION :

Performs senior technical level information, technology and communication services work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work may include testing, updating, maintaining, and providing training on mainframe client servers and microcomputer software and hardware; responds to more complex helpdesk requests; managing and controlling the use of the computer-aided dispatch system; or managing the installation and maintenance of radio, telephone, data and related electronic equipment; or work may also include skilled illustration and graphic design; producing television programs and public service announcements; or coordinating public information program activities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Include the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

Associates degree and two (2) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES :

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT :

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear.

The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.

The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 10 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY :

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION :

TO APPLY : You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or World Education Services : International Credential Evaluation ().

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at . Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.

The following is a summary of the benefits available to Howard County employees who hold full-time benefit-eligible positions. Employees in positions covered by a bargaining agreement should consult their union contract for other specific benefits. Additional details are also available in the Employee Manual and in summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources or at

FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN : Under the County's flexible benefits plan called CountyFlex, employees may elect to enroll in medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, and healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts. Employee contributions to these benefits are made on a pre-tax basis. Information concerning enrollment options, plan rates and a benefits comparison chart are available in the Office of Human Resources.

GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE : Employees receive a group term life insurance benefit equal to 2 times their annual salary at no cost. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage is included. The County pays the entire cost for this benefit. Employees may purchase additional coverage under the CountyFlex benefits plan.

PAID LEAVE BENEFITS : Annual and Disability Leaves are accrued over 24 pay periods each year. Personal leave is credited on January 1st each year. Use of Annual, Disability and / or Personal Leave requires supervisory approval.

ANNUAL LEAVE : During the first 5 years of employment, employees accrue the equivalent of 13 days per year. From years 6 through 10, the accrual is the equivalent of 16 days per year. From years 11 through 20, the accrual is the equivalent of 19 days per year. From year 21 on, the accrual is the equivalent of 21 days per year. Annual leave may not be used during the first 6 months of employment. A maximum of 40 days may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.

DISABILITY LEAVE : Employees accrue the equivalent of 1 day per month (12 days per year). There is no maximum accrual. This leave may be used for the disabling illness / injury of the employee, spouse or minor child or for a serious medical condition approved under F.M.L.A. Absences of over 3 days must be substantiated by a physician's certificate.

PERSONAL LEAVE : Employees receive 6 personal leave days each calendar year to be taken during the calendar year. Employees hired after April 30th receive 4 days of personal leave that year; those hired after August 31st receive 2 days; and those hired after November 30th receive no personal leave for that year. Personal leave may not be carried over.

HOLIDAYS : Employees are paid for the following holidays : New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; President's Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day; Friday after Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day.

OTHER PAID LEAVE : Other paid leave will be granted for approved jury duty, military leave, bereavement leave and official leave. Unpaid leave will be granted in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act.

RETIREMENT : Howard County sponsors a defined benefit plan for its employees. participation in the plan is mandatory. Employees are required to make contributions to the plan, which are taken on a pre-tax basis. Contribution rates are dependent upon the plan in which the employee participates (general plan, or police and fire plan). The County contributes an additional percentage sufficient to ensure that each plan is adequately funded. Complete details are available in the summary plan descriptions which are available in the Office of Human Resources.Howard County Retirement Plan : Employees contribute 3% of salary to the plan. Sheriff Deputies hired after 7 / 1 / 2021 contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan. All eligible Corrections Employees must enroll in the Corrections Employees Enhanced Benefit and must contribute 8.5% of salary to the plan.Howard County Police and Fire Employees' Retirement Plan : Sworn police officers and career firefighters must participate in this plan. Police employees contribute 11.6% of salary and Fire employees contribute 7.7% of salary to the plan.

SOCIAL SECURITY : Participation is mandatory. Employees contribute at the current established rate.

457(b) DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN : Employees are eligible to participate in an IRS 457(b) deferred compensation program. This plan allows employees to defer a portion of their income on a pre-tax basis. Contributions are invested at the employee's direction on a tax deferred basis.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM : Employees experiencing problems that affect their personal lives and job performance may take advantage of confidential assessment and referral services.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE : Employees may apply for reimbursement for tuition costs after completion of 6 months of employment. Prior course approval is required. The maximum annual reimbursement is $2500 contingent upon County funding.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE : Employees who have worked for the county for at least twelve (12) months are eligible for twelve (12) weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the qualifying birth of a child, or the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care. Leave must be used within the 12 months following the birth or placement.

LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS : Employees who have completed 6 months of service are enrolled in the LTD plan. After 6 months of disability, plan may pay 60% of base monthly pay up to $2500 per month. The County pays the entire cost of this benefit.

DISABILITY LEAVE BANK : Employees have established a Disability Leave Bank to which employees may donate disability leave in order to be eligible to receive salary and benefit protection when they are absent due to a serious disabling illness or injury and have exhausted all accrued leave. Employees are eligible to join the Bank after having completed 1 year of employment. Administration of the Bank, including the review and approval of claims for grants of time, is handled in accordance with the Bank's Rules and Regulations which are available in the Office of Human Resources.

VOLUNTARY BENEFIT OPTIONS : Employees may elect to enroll in long term care insurance, critical illness insurance, short term disability income protection, and universal life insurance.

CREDIT UNION : Employees may participate in the Tower Federal Credit Union through payroll deductions. Loans are also available to qualified applicants.

Your application, which includes any associated supplemental questions, must be complete at the time of submission and must clearly articulate the required work experience relevant to the position for which you are applying. The submitted electronic document must outline accurate dates to include (month and year) in association with each work history entry. Vague descriptions of experience will not be considered. Please include all pertinent experience in your application to include, full or part time, volunteer, military, acting capacity, or any other such work history that is applicable to the position for which you wish to be considered. Descriptions of duties that state "see resume" will negatively impact your candidacy as resumes cannot be substituted in lieu of a completed application. Applicants will not be contacted for clarification or additional information.

Are you willing to accept a salary offer within the salary hiring range commensurate with applicable experience / qualifications? $60,923 - $66,706

Do you possess an Associates degree?

Do you possess two (2) or more years of progressive technical experience in a team of IT engineers and support analysts?

If you possess two (2) or more years of progressive technical experience in a team of IT Engineers and support analysts, please explain in detail where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience performing Active Directory Administration to include creating new user accounts, distribution / emails?

If you possess experience performing Active Directory Administration to include creating new user accounts, distribution / emails, please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience working with Microsoft Office and Windows 10 or above operating systems?

If you possess experience working with Microsoft Office and Windows 10 or above operating systems, please explain in detail where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess hands-on knowledge with PCs, laptops and printers?

If you possess hands-on knowledge with PCs, laptops and printers, please explain in detail where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

Do you possess experience conducting problem analysis, resolution and tracking of user problems including follow through escalation procedures?

If you possess experience conducting problem analysis, resolution and tracking of user problems including follow through escalation procedures , please explain where you acquired this experience include your employer, position title, dates of employment, and position responsibilities. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

How did you hear about this position?

If you indicated "Job Fair" or "Other" in the previous question, please indicate which job fair you attended and specifically how you became aware of this position. Otherwise, indicate "N / A" (Not Applicable).

Do you possess customer service experience and if so, please describe this experience. Be advised that "See Resume" is not an adequate response.

I understand I am responsible for maintaining the accuracy of my contact information, including my street address, my e-mail address, and my contact telephone numbers. My failure to maintain accurate contact information may result in my not receiving information regarding this job announcement and / or may result in my not being further considered for this employment opportunity. To update this information visit www.governmentjobs.com, click on the "career seekers" link, and follow the prompts.

I certify that the information submitted in this application is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that providing false, erroneous, and / or misleading information may result in elimination from the hiring process and termination of employment if hired.

Required Question

Salary : $60,923 - $66,706