Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for IT Support Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The IT Support Specialist is a frontline technical professional responsible for diagnosing, resolving and documenting user-facing hardware, software and network issues. This role provides timely, empathetic and high-quality support across multiple channels (phone, email, chat, remote sessions and in-person), enforces IT standards and contributes to continuous improvement of IT operations. Core responsibilities include incident management, desktop and device lifecycle management, access provisioning, and collaboration with system and network teams to maintain service availability and security compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Help Desk Technician / Level 1 Support
Desktop Support Technician
Technical Support Representative

Advancement To:

Senior IT Support Specialist / Level 2 Support
Systems Administrator / Systems Engineer
IT Team Lead or Support Manager
IT Operations Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Network Technician / Network Support Engineer
IT Security Analyst / SOC Analyst
Cloud Support Specialist / DevOps Support

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Serve as the first point of contact for end users by logging, triaging and resolving technical incidents and service requests in the ticketing system (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira, Zendesk), ensuring accurate categorization, prioritization and SLA adherence.
Troubleshoot and resolve hardware issues for desktops, laptops and peripherals (printers, scanners, docking stations) including component diagnostics, hardware replacement and coordination of warranty repairs with vendors.
Provide comprehensive software support including installation, configuration, upgrade and troubleshooting of operating systems (Windows 10/11, Windows Server, macOS), Microsoft 365, line-of-business applications and standard productivity tools.
Administer user accounts, group memberships and access controls in Active Directory, Azure AD and other IAM platforms; perform password resets, account unlocks, provisioning and deprovisioning with security and audit controls.
Deliver secure remote support using remote access tools (TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Microsoft Remote Desktop, Intune Remote Help) to resolve issues for distributed and hybrid workforces efficiently.
Troubleshoot and resolve network connectivity issues for wired and wireless connections, including VPN, DNS, DHCP and common routing problems in collaboration with network engineering teams.
Deploy, update and manage endpoint protection solutions (antivirus/EDR), ensure patch management and coordinate OS and application patch cycles to reduce security exposure.
Perform imaging and provisioning of new devices using SCCM, Microsoft Intune (Autopilot), JAMF or other endpoint management tools to standardize configurations and speed onboarding.
Maintain and track IT assets through lifecycle management processes: procurement coordination, inventory updates, tagging, depreciation tracking and secure disposal.
Create and maintain clear technical documentation, runbooks and knowledge base articles for common incidents, standard operating procedures and onboarding guides to improve first-call resolution.
Escalate complex issues to Level 2/3 support, vendors or engineering teams while providing complete issue context, logs and reproduction steps to accelerate resolution.
Conduct user-focused training sessions and one-on-one coaching on standard applications, security best practices (phishing awareness, MFA usage) and remote collaboration tools.
Monitor daily system alerts and dashboards for endpoints and core services, responding to incidents or escalating to appropriate teams to maintain uptime and performance.
Enforce endpoint and user security policies including multi-factor authentication enforcement, encryption, secure configuration baselines and compliance checks for corporate and BYOD devices.
Configure and support collaboration hardware and software (VoIP phones, video conferencing systems, Teams/Zoom rooms) to ensure reliable meetings and communication across locations.
Assist with backup verification and recovery procedures for user data and critical local systems, collaborating with backup administrators to meet RTO/RPO targets.
Manage print services including driver deployment, printer mapping, toner inventory and troubleshooting across networked and cloud-managed print platforms.
Participate in change management by testing and deploying minor infrastructure and desktop changes, performing rollback plans and documenting outcomes to minimize user impact.
Support incident post-mortems by contributing technical summaries, timelines and corrective actions to prevent recurrence and improve operational processes.
Coordinate with procurement and vendors for hardware and software purchases, warranty claims and service contracts to ensure cost-effective and timely replacements.
Maintain customer satisfaction metrics by following up on resolved tickets, collecting feedback and driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance user experience.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis related to ticket trends, asset utilization and user impact to identify areas for operational improvement.
Contribute to the organization's IT strategy and roadmap by providing frontline insight into recurring issues, user needs and technology adoption barriers.
Collaborate with business units to translate user needs into technical requirements, participate in pilot programs for new tools and provide end-user feedback.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within IT projects to support deployments, user acceptance testing (UAT) and phased rollouts.
Assist in documenting security incidents and participating in remediation activities together with IT security teams to maintain compliance with internal and regulatory controls.
Aid in small infrastructure projects such as office moves, hardware refresh cycles and meeting room upgrades by executing technical tasks and coordinating logistics.
Help maintain the IT knowledge base and training catalog with searchable, SEO-friendly articles to improve self-service adoption and reduce support volume.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient troubleshooting of Windows (10/11) and macOS operating systems including imaging, group policy management and user profile recovery.
Experience with Active Directory, Azure AD, user provisioning, group policy (GPO) and authentication workflows.
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 administration (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams) and common productivity tools.
Hands-on experience with ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk, Zendesk) and ITSM processes (incident, request, change, problem management).
Endpoint management and deployment experience using Microsoft Intune, SCCM, JAMF or similar MDM/UEM platforms.
Familiarity with networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPN, Wi‑Fi troubleshooting) and basic network device configuration.
Experience with remote support tools (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Remote Desktop, LogMeIn) and secure remote access solutions.
Knowledge of cybersecurity basics: antivirus/EDR tools, MFA, encryption, phishing mitigation and security patching best practices.
Competence in hardware diagnostics, replacement procedures and working with manufacturer warranty processes.
Backup and recovery basics for user data, including using corporate backup solutions and validating restores.
Ability to use diagnostic tools and collect logs (event viewer, syslog, network traces) to support escalations.
Experience with VOIP/UC systems and conferencing hardware setup or troubleshooting (preferred).
Familiarity with scripting (PowerShell, Bash) for automation of repetitive tasks is a plus.
Basic familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS) and SaaS application support (Salesforce, Workday) is advantageous.

Soft Skills

Strong customer service orientation with the ability to communicate technical issues clearly to non-technical users.
Excellent problem-solving skills and an analytical mindset to diagnose issues end-to-end.
Effective verbal and written communication, including producing clear knowledge base articles and ticket notes.
Good time management and the ability to prioritize competing requests while meeting SLAs.
Patience, empathy and a service-first attitude when supporting frustrated or high-stress users.
Team player who collaborates across IT teams and with business stakeholders to drive resolutions.
Attention to detail for accurate documentation, asset tagging and change records.
Adaptability and a continuous learning mindset to keep up with new technologies and security practices.
Strong troubleshooting discipline and the ability to follow processes while contributing improvement ideas.
Professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive data and privileged access.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or GED; vocational/technical certifications or associate degree in a technical field recommended.

Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Management Information Systems or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Computer Science
Information Technology
Network Administration
Cybersecurity
Management Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1–5 years of hands-on IT support, help desk or desktop support experience in a small-to-medium or enterprise environment.

Preferred:
3+ years supporting Windows and macOS endpoints, demonstrated experience with Active Directory and Microsoft 365 administration, familiarity with ticketing/ITSM platforms (ServiceNow, Jira), endpoint management tools (Intune, SCCM, JAMF), and experience working in hybrid/remote support models. Certifications such as CompTIA A+/Network+/Security+, Microsoft 365 Certified, or Apple Certified Support Professional are a plus.