MSC Analyst

Come join a team of passionate and hard-working individuals at a non-profit serving Michigan’s public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare and other Michigan non-profit organizations! This position will be an integral part of the Merit Support Center team providing Network and IT services and support to Merit’s Members, Customers, internal staff and the Merit Community.

To view the full job description and to apply for this position, go to: http://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/155783/merit_support_center_analyst

The Merit Support Center (MSC) provides 24/7 365-day first level pre-sale and post-sale support for all Merit services including network connectivity, cloud services, and other services as well as administrative support to Merit Members and Customers. The MSC is a combined environment of Network Operations and support for services that Merit delivers over the network. As such, the MSC Analysts must have a strong technical background in networking and customer support.

MSC Analysts work under the supervision of the Merit Support Center Manager. MSC Analysts track and ensure timely and appropriate resolution of a large range of problems, calling for help to escalate problems technically or administratively, as appropriate.  Areas that the MSC Analyst need to handle reliably include: networking components (routers, switches, fiber or leased circuits, power equipment), IT infrastructure including servers and applications, and other Merit services.

While the MSC Analyst must be able to work independently, they are also part of a collaborative team that works together to solve issues both small and large. MSC Analysts are part of the Technology Operations team which includes Merit’s IT and Network Engineering departments. This relationship offers the unique opportunity to learn and grow in an environment with the help of resources from the various departments.

Responsibilities*

Essential Functions for this position are followed by an (E).

Approximately 80% of a MSC Analyst’s time and duties are needed to -

·        Deliver a highly customer focused service to Merit Members, external and internal Customers and Merit Partners -- to exceed their expectations both in technical resolution and customer service. Be able to see issues from the customer’s perspective and assess the urgency of requests and respond accordingly.  (E)

·        Efficiently monitor multiple alarm systems, responding to alerts in a timely and effective manner. Perform moderately complex testing, analysis, and repair of Merit services.  (E)

·        Be efficient in these technology areas: IT and network configurations, DNS administration, fiber and circuit infrastructure and documentation, and monitoring tool applications. (E)

·        Be able to solve problems at different levels, often multitasking to solve moderate level and some complex problems and be able to handle several problems at one time.  (E)

·        Identify complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. (E)

·        Be able to communicate clearly and concisely as appropriate to differing audiences.  (E)

·        Create service tickets and maintain up-to-date "next step" analysis for those tickets.  Service ticket updates and all communication should be quality updates which are concise and complete. Ensure that service issues are triaged, worked, and escalated effectively with Merit internal teams, Merit Customers, Members and Service Providers to resolve service issues with minimal customer impact in accordance with established processes and procedures.  (E)

·        Ensure timely and frequent communication to both customers and internal teams to ensure availability issues are understood and on target for resolution.  (E)

·        Efficiently work both as an individual and in a team setting; taking over problems-in-progress at the beginning of a shift, and leaving problems in an effective state at the end of a shift.  Work as a team to create a positive, collaborative, professional, and hard-working environment.  Be able to develop and maintain positive and cooperative relationships, inside and outside of workgroup, interacting in a friendly, open, and honest manner. (E)

·        Have regular attendance and timeliness to designated work hours. (E)

Approximately 20% of a MSC Analyst’s time and duties are needed to -

·        Be able to utilize analytical and communication skills in the development and modification of written procedures, processes, and technical support knowledge base, resulting in content tailored to the level and type of audience for support and issue resolution.

·        Embrace and drive change by adopting practices to improve work processes, enhance Customer and staff satisfaction and ensure excellence in daily work.  Generate new ideas to improve MSC process, procedures and toolsets that lead better efficiency and effectiveness of the MSC and Merit overall.  Develop and follow best practices and procedures and share knowledge with team members and mentors staff.

·        Participate in professional development activities and work to continually improve the Analyst's own knowledge and skills in the areas of customer service, network, fiber and IT infrastructure and services.

·        Teach, train, and mentor other Analysts to improve MSC knowledge and capabilities.

* Please note that this job posting is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or others may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Required Qualifications*

·        Bachelor’s degree in an IT, networking or related field and/or equivalent combination of education, certification and experience.

·        Three years with strong customer service background and demonstrated organizational skills. 

·        Intermediate knowledge and experience in the following networking areas:

o  Troubleshooting - Traceroute, pings, iperf/personar, packet sniffers, and looking glass servers.

o  Internet Addressing, administration, and troubleshooting (IPv4 & IPv6).

o  Understanding of basic networking TCP/IP. ARP Tables, SSL, SSH

o  Familiarity with the “Command Line Interface (CLI)” for Windows, Linux, Cisco IOS, and Juniper JUNOS.

·        Knowledge and experience in at least three of these main areas of network and IT technologies and service administration: 

o  DNS administration and troubleshooting

o  Fiber Infrastructure

o  Dynamic and Static IP routing protocols including BGP, OSPF.

o  Administration of Virtual Server & Desktop environments

o  Security operations including general threat analysis, firewall management

o  Subnetting, ACLs, and NATing

o  Interface Configurations - Turning up and routing interfaces (CISCO, Juniper)

·        Network-based service monitoring and management tool experience with focus on troubleshooting and service issue resolution.

·        Demonstrated communication ability in writing skills (e.g., reflecting sensitivity to tone, audience, and organizational politics).  Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.

·        Demonstrated excellence at maintaining strong working relationships with multiple customers, organizations, vendors, management, and peers.

·        Experience continually improving an organization's capability, effectiveness, and reputation.

·        Ability to interact with technical and non-technical customers in a positive and supportive manner regardless of circumstances.

·        Knowledge of host-based services and some understanding of Unix and/or Windows.
Proficient with Microsoft Excel and Word. Proficient at using email, shared calendaring, and other collaborative applications.

·        Must be self-motivated and work well within a team environment and also have the ability to work independently.

·        Ability to manage multiple issues in a fast-paced environment.

·        Be a continuous learner.  Have the ability to learn and enjoy learning new things.

·        Candidate should have experience and ability to work fixed schedules outside of normal business hours, to work holidays and a changing schedule.

Desired Qualifications*

·        Knowledge of network services such as:

o  Voice over IP technologies

o  Internet Routing Registries

o  MPLS, and VLANS

·        Computer Programming or Scripting experience.

·        Experience with 24x7 environment relating to service support policies and procedures.

·        Knowledge and experience with outside and inside plant fiber optic infrastructure.

·        ITILv3 Foundations Certification. 
Experience working with higher education, K-12 educational institutions, libraries, research institutions and other public sector non-profit organizations a plus.

Work Schedule

The set work schedule will be Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, 8pm - 6am.

Underfill Statement

This position is being posted at the intermediate level, but we will consider filling it at the Associate level depending on the qualifications, experience, and education of the preferred candidates.

Additional Information

Merit Network offers excellent benefits and wellness opportunities. This position receives 12 days of vacation per year, paid sick leave with provisions for extended benefits, opportunities for professional development, and retirement options with 2-for-1 matching that include TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments. Please visit https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness for full benefits information.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position, work schedule will be determined by supervisor and may change if necessary. There may be some occasional work required outside of established schedule, which may include weekends and holidays. The set work schedule will be Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, 8pm - 6am.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this job, please contact: merithr@merit.edu

If you need assistance completing this application, please call (734) 615-2000, option 1