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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for IT Support Engineer

💰 $50,000 - $85,000

Information TechnologySupportHelpdeskSystems Administration

🎯 Role Definition

The IT Support Engineer provides technical first- and second-line support for employees and internal stakeholders across Windows, macOS, mobile and hybrid cloud environments. This role combines hands-on troubleshooting with end-user communication, ticket lifecycle management, device lifecycle and imaging, identity and access administration (Active Directory/Azure AD), and collaboration with infrastructure, network and application teams to resolve incidents, implement improvements, and maintain IT service levels.

This is a high-visibility, customer-facing role ideal for candidates who enjoy diagnosing complex issues, automating repetitive tasks, documenting processes, and contributing to a secure, reliable, and scalable workplace IT environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Helpdesk Technician / Service Desk Analyst
  • Desktop Support Technician
  • Technical Support Specialist

Advancement To:

  • Systems Administrator
  • Network Engineer
  • IT Manager / Service Desk Manager
  • Cloud Support Engineer
  • Security Analyst / Endpoint Security Engineer

Lateral Moves:

  • Application Support Analyst
  • Service Desk Team Lead
  • IT Project Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Provide first- and second-line technical support via phone, email, chat, and ticketing system for internal users and remote employees, resolving incidents related to desktops, laptops, printers, peripherals, and mobile devices while maintaining service-level agreements (SLAs).
  • Troubleshoot, diagnose, and remediate hardware and software issues across Windows 10/11, Windows Server, macOS, and common Linux distributions, including OS configuration, driver management, application compatibility, and system updates.
  • Administer user identity and access in Active Directory and Azure AD: provision and deprovision accounts, manage group memberships, handle password resets and multifactor authentication (MFA) support, and troubleshoot Group Policy and AD replication issues.
  • Configure, support and troubleshoot Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace services (Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint), resolving mail-flow, synchronization, permissions and client configuration problems.
  • Deploy, image, and maintain endpoints using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM), Intune (MEM), JAMF, or other MDM/endpoint management tools; ensure consistent standard builds and automated provisioning.
  • Install, configure and maintain endpoint security protections including antivirus, EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response), disk encryption (BitLocker, FileVault), and secure baseline configurations in line with organizational security policies.
  • Manage remote access and virtualization tools — VPN solutions (Cisco AnyConnect, Palo Alto GlobalProtect), RDP, VDI platforms (VMware Horizon, Citrix) — to support remote workforce productivity and performance troubleshooting.
  • Maintain inventory, asset lifecycle and procurement tracking for hardware and software assets; coordinate warranty repairs, equipment refreshes, secure device disposal, and asset tagging.
  • Monitor and triage alerts from network and infrastructure monitoring systems (Nagios, Zabbix, SolarWinds, Microsoft SCOM) and escalate to appropriate teams while following incident management and escalation procedures.
  • Create and maintain clear, actionable documentation, runbooks and knowledge-base articles to speed resolution times and enable self-service where appropriate.
  • Configure and support printing infrastructures (print servers, network printers, drivers, scan-to-email) and resolve print spooler and driver conflicts across multi-platform environments.
  • Provide day-to-day support for file share access, permissions troubleshooting, and collaborate with storage/backup teams on data restoration and retention requests.
  • Participate in patch and change management processes — schedule/pre-approve maintenance windows, perform verification checks, and update stakeholders and documentation post-change.
  • Deliver onboarding and offboarding support by provisioning user accounts, hardware and application access, enforcing secure data transfer and following data retention policies during departures.
  • Support line-of-business application troubleshooting by gathering logs, reproducing issues, coordinating with third-party vendors and assisting with acceptance testing of patches or upgrades.
  • Administer and support Mobile Device Management (MDM) for corporate and BYOD devices, including policy enforcement, enrollment, remote wipe, and app distribution.
  • Conduct regular backups verification and assist with user-level restore requests or coordinate escalations to backup administrators and disaster recovery teams.
  • Provide on-site support for scheduled rollouts, major incidents and urgent escalations; participate in on-call rotations as required to support critical business functions outside standard hours.
  • Analyze recurring incidents and ticket trends to identify root causes, propose permanent fixes, and implement automation or process improvements to reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR).
  • Coordinate with vendors for procurement, escalations, licensing renewals, and warranty claims; manage service requests and ensure SLAs are met for vendor-delivered work.
  • Assist with pilot implementations, user acceptance testing (UAT) for new tools or services, gather user feedback, and develop training materials or end-user communication to support adoption.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc IT and reporting requests (asset reports, license audits, access reviews) and assist teams with exploratory troubleshooting and technical investigations.
  • Contribute to the IT roadmap and operational strategy by providing feedback on recurring pain points, tooling gaps, and opportunities for automation and consolidation.
  • Collaborate with business units, HR, security and application owners to translate user requirements into robust technical solutions and prioritized projects.
  • Participate in agile ceremonies and sprint planning for cross-functional IT projects, providing practical operational input and acceptance criteria for supportability.
  • Assist in the creation and delivery of end-user training sessions, onboarding guides, FAQs and self-service portals to improve user experience and reduce ticket volumes.
  • Support compliance-related activities: access recertifications, audit preparation, and implementation of security controls required by internal policy or external standards.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Windows 10/11 and Windows Server administration (image deployment, patching, GPO troubleshooting).
  • Active Directory and Azure AD user and group management, single-sign-on (SSO) basics.
  • Microsoft 365 administration: Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint configuration and troubleshooting.
  • Endpoint management and imaging tools: Microsoft SCCM, Intune (MEM), JAMF or equivalent MDM solutions.
  • Endpoint security tooling: Antivirus solutions, EDR platforms, disk encryption (BitLocker, FileVault), vulnerability/patch management.
  • Networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, subnetting, VLANs, and basic switch/router troubleshooting.
  • Remote access and virtualization technologies: VPNs (AnyConnect, GlobalProtect), RDP, VMware, Citrix, VDI troubleshooting.
  • Ticketing and ITSM platforms knowledge: ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk, Zendesk or similar with incident, problem and change workflows.
  • Scripting and automation basics: PowerShell, Bash, or simple automation tools to accelerate routine tasks.
  • Hardware diagnostics and repair: laptop/desktop components, peripherals, printers, and basic server hardware familiarity.
  • Backup and recovery fundamentals and working with backup tools for user-level restores and verification.
  • Knowledge of ITIL fundamentals, incident management, and change management processes.

Soft Skills

  • Strong customer service mindset with clear, empathetic communication and ability to translate technical issues for non-technical users.
  • Analytical problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with attention to root-cause identification.
  • Time management and prioritization under competing requests and SLA-driven environments.
  • Collaboration and teamwork — ability to coordinate across infrastructure, security and application teams.
  • Meticulous documentation skills and habit of creating clear runbooks and knowledge base content.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies, cloud services, and security practices quickly.
  • Professionalism in high-pressure situations and ability to manage on-call duties or after-hours escalations.
  • Initiative to identify process improvements and automate repetitive tasks for higher operational efficiency.
  • Strong verbal and written communication for status reporting, stakeholder updates, and user training.
  • Customer empathy, patience, and a proactive approach to preventing recurring issues.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or equivalent technical diploma OR equivalent work experience in a support role.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology / Systems
  • Network Administration / Engineering
  • Cybersecurity
  • Information Systems Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of hands-on IT support, desktop support, or systems administration in an enterprise or medium-sized business environment.

Preferred:

  • 2–4+ years supporting enterprise endpoints, Active Directory/Azure AD and Microsoft 365.
  • Experience with SCCM/Intune, EDR solutions, and ticketing/ITSM processes.
  • Certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate, or ITIL Foundation are advantageous.
  • Prior exposure to cloud services (Azure, AWS), VDI platforms, and mobile device management is highly desirable.
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