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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for IT Generalist

💰 $50,000 - $95,000

ITInformation TechnologySystems AdministrationHelp Desk

🎯 Role Definition

An IT Generalist is a hands-on technical professional responsible for maintaining and improving the company’s IT environment across endpoints, servers, networks, cloud services, and user-facing support. This role combines day-to-day help desk and systems administration duties with project execution, vendor coordination, security practices, and documentation to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable IT operations for small to medium enterprises or distributed teams.

Key focus areas: user support and onboarding, Windows/macOS/Linux administration, Active Directory/Azure AD, endpoint and patch management, MDM, backups and disaster recovery, basic network troubleshooting (VPN, routing, firewalls), cloud/SaaS administration, asset and license management, and participating in IT policy and compliance initiatives.

Keywords: IT Generalist, systems administrator, help desk, endpoint management, Active Directory, Azure AD, Office 365, MDM, VPN, cybersecurity, patch management, cloud administration, asset management, ITIL.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Help Desk Technician or Desktop Support Specialist providing tier-1/2 support.
  • Junior Systems Administrator or IT Support Analyst with hands-on systems experience.
  • Technical Support Engineer from MSPs or internal IT shops.

Advancement To:

  • Senior Systems Administrator / Senior IT Generalist
  • IT Manager / IT Operations Manager
  • Infrastructure Engineer or Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
  • IT Security Analyst / Security Engineer (with security specialization)

Lateral Moves:

  • Network Administrator or Network Engineer
  • Cloud Engineer / DevOps Engineer
  • Endpoint/Workplace Services Engineer (Intune/Jamf specialist)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Provide daily end-user support (in-person and remote) for Windows, macOS, and mobile devices, resolving hardware, software, printing, email, and access issues while documenting resolutions and escalating complex incidents to senior staff when necessary.
  • Administer Active Directory and Azure AD accounts: create, modify, and disable user accounts, manage group memberships, configure role-based access, and ensure secure password and authentication policies including MFA and SSO integrations.
  • Deploy, configure, and maintain endpoint management solutions (e.g., Microsoft Intune, JAMF) to enforce security policies, application delivery, encryption, and remote wipe capabilities across laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.
  • Manage software deployment and patch management processes: build and maintain deployment packages, schedule and verify patch cycles for Windows and third-party applications, and remediate compliance exceptions.
  • Configure and maintain virtualized infrastructure components (VMware, Hyper-V) including provisioning virtual machines, monitoring resource utilization, performing snapshots and template management, and coordinating capacity planning.
  • Oversee backup and disaster recovery solutions — design, test, and validate backup jobs, restore procedures, runbook updates, and participate in periodic DR tabletop exercises to minimize data loss and downtime.
  • Monitor networks and systems using RMM and NMS tools (e.g., SolarWinds, Datadog, PRTG), analyze alerts, perform root cause investigation, and remediate performance, connectivity, or service degradation issues.
  • Configure and troubleshoot WAN/LAN components including routers, switches, wireless access points, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, and firewall policies to ensure secure and resilient connectivity for office and remote users.
  • Install, configure, and support SaaS platforms (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom) including license management, tenant administration, mail flow, security settings, and integrations with internal systems.
  • Implement and maintain endpoint security controls such as EDR/antivirus, disk encryption (BitLocker/FileVault), patch validation, and security baseline configurations in coordination with security policies and compliance frameworks.
  • Maintain and reconcile IT asset inventory and license records — procure hardware/software, manage lifecycle (procurement, imaging, deployment, reclamation), and ensure compliance with vendor agreements and budgets.
  • Create and maintain technical documentation, runbooks, and standard operating procedures for on-boarding/off-boarding, routine administrative tasks, incident escalations, and project handovers to improve team knowledge and reduce mean time to repair.
  • Support identity and access management initiatives including provisioning workflows, role-based access controls (RBAC), SAML/SSO integrations, provisioning automation, and periodic access reviews for compliance and least-privilege enforcement.
  • Provide Tier 2 incident response support: triage security incidents, perform containment and remediation actions (account lockouts, credential resets, device isolation), and coordinate with security teams or external vendors when required.
  • Lead or participate in small-to-medium IT projects such as office moves, network upgrades, MDM rollouts, system migrations (email, file shares), and hardware refreshes — manage project tasks, schedules, communications, and post-implementation reviews.
  • Build and maintain basic automation and administrative scripts (PowerShell, Bash) to streamline repetitive tasks such as account provisioning, log collection, configuration drift detection, and reporting.
  • Liaise with vendors and managed service providers for hardware repairs, software support, licensing renewals, and third-party escalations, negotiating SLAs and tracking resolution performance.
  • Conduct end-user training sessions, create how-to guides, and provide onboarding orientation to educate employees on IT policies, security best practices, and tool usage.
  • Perform regular audits and health checks for servers, endpoints, network devices, and cloud services to identify vulnerabilities, configuration drift, or unsupported systems and propose remediation plans.
  • Maintain and operate printing services, telephony systems (VoIP), conference room AV, and other workplace technologies ensuring minimal downtime and proper configuration for hybrid work environments.
  • Manage service desk ticket queue and SLAs: prioritize incoming requests, document troubleshooting steps, ensure thorough ticket closure notes, and produce operational metrics and trend reports for leadership review.
  • Participate in policy development and compliance initiatives (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2) by implementing technical controls, assisting with evidence collection for audits, and remediating findings in collaboration with compliance teams.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc scripting and data extraction requests to provide basic operational metrics, inventory reports, and system usage analytics to IT leadership.
  • Contribute to the organization’s IT strategy and roadmap by evaluating new tools, preparing cost-benefit analyses, and piloting proof-of-concepts for cloud, security, and productivity solutions.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional business units to translate operational requirements into technical specifications for integrations, automations, and service improvements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies for IT improvement projects, provide technical estimates, and help prioritize backlog items based on risk and business value.
  • Assist HR and Security with onboarding/offboarding processes including asset issuance, account provisioning, policy acknowledgements, and access revocation in a timely and auditable manner.
  • Provide weekend or after-hours on-call support as part of a rotating schedule to address critical incidents, outages, or time-sensitive deployments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Active Directory and Azure AD administration (user lifecycle, group policy, conditional access, MFA, SSO).
  • Endpoint management platforms: Microsoft Intune, JAMF, SCCM/MDT or equivalent tools for imaging and patching.
  • Operating systems: strong working knowledge of Windows 10/11 and Windows Server; experience with macOS and basic Linux (Ubuntu/CentOS).
  • Networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, VPN (IPsec/OpenVPN), basic routing, and firewall rule configuration (e.g., Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, Fortinet).
  • Virtualization and hypervisors: VMware vSphere and/or Microsoft Hyper-V administration.
  • Cloud platform and SaaS administration: Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS basics (IAM, EC2, S3), tenant administration and security posture.
  • Backup and recovery technologies: Veeam, Commvault, Azure Backup, or similar, plus familiarity with DR testing.
  • Endpoint security and EDR tools: CrowdStrike, Carbon Black, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, or similar.
  • Scripting and automation: PowerShell, Bash, or Python for administrative automation and reporting.
  • Ticketing and ITSM tools: ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, Zendesk, or Connectwise; experience with SLA management and reporting.
  • Mobile device management (MDM) and BYOD policies: Intune, JAMF Pro, or mobile security configurations.
  • Hardware and peripherals support: PC/Mac troubleshooting, laptop imaging, printer server administration, and AV system basics.
  • Identity and access management concepts: RBAC, SSO, SAML, OAuth, provisioning automation.
  • Monitoring and observability tools: SolarWinds, Datadog, Nagios, or similar for alerting and performance reporting.
  • Knowledge of compliance frameworks and security controls: ITIL fundamentals, SOC 2, HIPAA basics, GDPR awareness.

(At least 10 technical skills listed above; tailor to organization tech stack during recruitment.)

Soft Skills

  • Strong verbal and written communication — able to translate technical issues into clear, non-technical language for stakeholders and users.
  • Customer-first mindset with patience and empathy when supporting end users across different technical proficiencies.
  • Problem-solving and analytical thinking — methodical troubleshooting and ability to drive incidents to resolution under time pressure.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to manage concurrent tickets, projects, and on-call responsibilities.
  • Collaboration and teamwork — working effectively with engineers, security, HR, finance, and external vendors.
  • Initiative and continuous learning — staying current with new technologies, security threats, and best practices.
  • Attention to detail for documentation, change control, and configuration management.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-changing environments, including remote/hybrid workplaces and tight timelines.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field OR equivalent professional experience (typically 2+ years).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Cybersecurity, or related discipline is preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology / Information Systems
  • Cybersecurity
  • Network Engineering
  • Business Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2 to 5 years of hands-on IT support or systems administration experience for mid-level IT Generalist roles. Entry-level may require 0–2 years; senior roles typically require 5+ years.

Preferred:

  • 3–7 years with demonstrated experience across endpoints, AD/Azure AD, networking, MDM, backups, virtualization, and cloud SaaS administration.
  • Certifications beneficial: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator, Microsoft 365 Certified, Microsoft Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator, CCNA, VMware VCP, ITIL Foundation.
  • Experience in regulated industries (healthcare, finance) or multi-site/distributed environments a plus.
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