Job Description

The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is seeking a service-oriented IT Technologist to provide responsive technology support, device setup, procurement coordination, inventory management, event technology support, documentation, and technology-enabled process improvement.

This role is a good fit for someone who enjoys helping people, solving practical problems, improving processes, and supporting technology in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. The successful candidate is a responsive, service-oriented problem solver who enjoys helping others, communicates clearly with both technical and non-technical colleagues, brings practical solutions, manages competing priorities well, and follows issues through to resolution.

SWORPS supports a large, primarily remote workforce, along with onsite operations at the UT Conference Center. The IT Technologist works closely with SWORPS staff, the Budget, Finance and Operations team, the College of Social Work, OIT, vendors, and other University partners to identify needs, resolve issues, recommend improvements, and implement approved technology solutions.

This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

• Provide day-to-day technology support for SWORPS staff, including computers, laptops, peripherals, software, connectivity, access issues, device disruptions, endpoint management, and related user-support needs.
• Configure, enroll, deploy, and support new or replacement computers, laptops, printers, peripherals, and related equipment.
• Support device-level Microsoft Intune enrollment, configuration, troubleshooting, updates, and compliance follow-up in coordination with OIT and University technology partners.
• Coordinate IT procurement for SWORPS technology needs, including computers, laptops, monitors, printers, peripherals, software, cellular devices, hotspots, accessories, conference technology, and related equipment.
• Maintain accurate technology inventory records, including assigned users, locations, device status, replacement dates, warranty status, surplus status, and related documentation.
• Support SWORPS meetings, conferences, trainings, webinars, hybrid meetings, livestreams, and other events.
• Document support requests, troubleshooting steps, resolutions, recurring issues, user needs, and process gaps in approved tracking systems.
• Create and maintain procedures, job aids, checklists, knowledge articles, user guidance, inventory documentation, and device setup documentation.
• Support technology improvement projects that reduce manual work, improve access to accurate information, strengthen service tracking, and improve BFO/SWORPS operations.
• Process improvement: help develop or improve SharePoint sites, knowledge-management resources, ticketing/intake systems, reports, dashboards, workflows, forms, documentation, and service processes.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• Provides excellent customer service and communicates clearly, patiently, and professionally.
• Takes ownership of problems and follows through to resolution.
• Is collaborative, responsive, solution-oriented, and comfortable working across teams.
• Can manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Notices recurring issues and looks for ways to improve processes.
• Values documentation, accuracy, consistency, and clear communication.
• Can work independently while knowing when to ask questions or escalate issues.

Required Qualifications

• Education: A ssociate degree or two additional years of combined education, training and/or experience in the required areas below.

• Experience:
  • Two years of experience in a computer hardware, software, helpdesk, endpoint support, technology support, systems support, device-management, or related technical environment.
  • Two years of experience providing technology support to end users with varying levels of technical knowledge.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Knowledge of Windows and Mac hardware, operating systems, software installation, endpoint setup, peripheral support, and device troubleshooting.
  • Knowledge of basic network connectivity, printer connectivity, user access concepts, Microsoft Active Directory or similar identity-management tools, and Microsoft Intune or similar endpoint-management system.
  • Skill in troubleshooting hardware, software, access, peripheral, and user technology issues.
  • Skill in communicating technical information clearly to users with varying levels of technical knowledge.
  • Ability to work independently, take ownership of problems and projects, manage competing priorities, and follow issues through to resolution.
  • Ability to coordinate with OIT, vendors, central offices, BFO staff, and SWORPS staff to resolve issues and improve technology support.
  • Ability to develop and maintain documentation, procedures, checklists, knowledge articles, SharePoint pages, user guidance, and related technology resources.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:

  • 3–4 years of relevant IT experience

  • Three to four years of experience in a computer hardware, software, endpoint support, helpdesk, systems support, device-management, or technology operations environment.

  • One to two years of experience working in higher education, research, public service, nonprofit, government, or a complex distributed-workforce environment.

  • Experience supporting Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Microsoft Intune or other endpoint-management tools, ticketing systems, inventory systems, or knowledge-management tools.

  • Experience configuring, enrolling, deploying, and supporting computers, laptops, printers, peripherals, and related equipment.

  • Experience supporting technology purchasing, equipment lifecycle management, vendor coordination, warranty repair, surplus, or inventory processes.

  • Experience developing user-facing procedures, job aids, SharePoint pages, support documentation, reports, dashboards, or process-improvement tools.

  • Experience supporting event, meeting, webinar, livestream, or hybrid meeting technology.

  • Experience troubleshooting hardware, software, connectivity, peripheral, access, endpoint, or device issues.

  • Experience documenting technology issues, resolutions, equipment information, procedures, device information, or related support activity.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge of higher education, research, public service, nonprofit, or complex distributed-workforce technology support needs.

  • Knowledge of University technology policies, procurement practices, inventory requirements, information security expectations, and technology governance standards.

  • Skill in SharePoint, Microsoft 365, ticketing systems, inventory systems, reporting tools, dashboards, knowledge-management tools, endpoint-management tools, or workflow automation.

  • Ability to support meeting, webinar, livestream, hybrid meeting, and event technology.

  • Ability to evaluate technology needs and make recommendations that consider cost, service quality, security, sustainability, user experience, and operational impact.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Position requires in person reporting to UT Social Work offices in Knoxville, TN.There is the ability to work from home two days a week after training is completed.

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 09
• Anticipated hiring range: Midpoint to 75th percentile of the range
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

Applications will be reviewed as received and interviews can begin as soon as 7 days from posting.

Interested individuals should provide the following:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College/Department/Division

The Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) is an applied research center of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work (CSW).We are a dynamic and close-knit interdisciplinary team of individuals with a shared vision of thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all. We do that by building partnerships that leverage research, technology, and human connection to improve lives in Tennessee and beyond.

Over the past fifty years, SWORPS has worked with local nonprofits such as the United Way of Greater Knoxville, University of Tennessee departments and faculty researchers, state agencies such as the Tennessee Department of Human Services, and federal agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our annual portfolio consists of 25-40 sponsored projects spanning a wealth of different content areas, but one common thread -each project contributes one more building block for thriving communities with equitable outcomes for all.

Learn more about SWORPS and some of our programs and resources by visiting our webpage: https://www.sworps.tennessee.edu/