IT Support Specialist

NorthWest Research Associates (NWRA; www.nwra.com) is a 70-person earth and space scientific research group, owned and operated by its scientists with three offices in the Western US. The person hired into this position will be based in the Seattle, WA office, working primarily in-person. The position would be part of a company-wide IT Team to support the IT infrastructure. This is a full-time position, but applicants wishing to work 75% time are also welcome to apply. Travel may be required to the other two NWRA offices, located in Boulder, CO and Monterey, CA. The successful applicant should be eager to wear multiple hats as they will perform a wide variety of duties.  

The successful candidate will most immediately provide technical IT assistance to users located in all three offices as well as remote workers, troubleshoot problems with computer hardware and software, and collaborate with the company IT Team on network health and security, and can grow into additional IT tasks, including scripting. 

NWRA offers a competitive salary and generous benefits package, with medical, dental, life, long-term disability and long-term care insurance, 401(k) matching with profit-sharing contributions, and 7 weeks of earned personal and holiday leave per year. Compensation is competitive with similar university positions. .  The salary range for this position as IT Support Specialist is $60-70K. Factors such as academic credentials, relevant experience, skills, and location will influence the actual salary offered to the incumbent. 

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated professional with strong analytical and interpersonal skills who wants to grow and learn new technology, and who likes variety in the job. This position reports to the Manager of Business Information Systems & Cybersecurity.

The applicant review process will begin in late March/early April.

US citizenship required.

NWRA is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer for minorities, women, veterans and disabled individuals. 

Detailed Job Duties Shared by the IT Team 

• Apply knowledge of computer hardware, software, and networking to identify, investigate, and resolve issues. 

• Collaborate to resolve “Help Desk” issues regarding network connectivity, VPN, printing, user login, smart cards, encryption, software packages, VOIP phones, and other hardware, software, and network issues as encountered. 
• Guide users through diagnostic and troubleshooting steps to fix problems via email, phone, teleconference, and in person. 
• Develop and maintain accurate reports of equipment and/or software malfunctions. 
• Develop solutions to help ensure secure environments are maintained for all computer equipment, data files, supplies, etc. 
• Install, configure, and maintain computer operating systems and software, network devices (e.g. switches and access points), network printers, VOIP phones, etc. 

• Write scripts to automate tasks. 
• Update documentation with notes to resolve common issues, IT procedures, configuration guides, etc. 
• Server-rack maintenance including Ethernet cabling, power cycling machines, monitoring temperatures, swapping hard disks, etc. 
• Monitor the status of systems and notify users of present or planned network downtime. 
• Schedule and perform routine software updates and system backups. 

• Arrange service by software or hardware vendors to repair or replace products. 
• Keep track of supplies and complete purchase orders. 
• Communicate with end-users, IT team, staff, management, etc. via email, teleconference, chat, and phone. 

Required Skills/Abilities  

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail. 
• Ability to organize, prioritize, self-motivate, and work independently. 
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Basic understanding of scripting languages, such as Python, Power Shell, bash. 
• Familiarity with multiple computing platforms including workstations, servers, mobile and cloud technologies.

• Familiarity with networking hardware and protocols. 

Preferred Skills 

• Experience automating routine tasks with Python or Bash
• Experience supporting multi-platform operating environments, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and Synology NAS devices 
• Server room equipment and maintenance experience 

Education and Experience 

• This position requires at least a 2-year degree with at least 2 years of job experience. 
• Bachelor’s degree, with major in computer science, network engineering, or information technology, without job experience is acceptable 
• Minimum 1-year experience supporting a small to medium sized business
• Industry certifications are a bonus 

Physical Requirements  

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times. 

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000