Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an MPS Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

An MPS Specialist is the cornerstone of our Managed Print Services delivery. You're not just fixing printers; you are a strategic partner to our clients, acting as the primary point of contact for the health, security, and efficiency of their entire print infrastructure. This role blends technical expertise with exceptional customer service and project coordination, ensuring that our clients' print environments are optimized for cost, productivity, and security. You will be responsible for the full lifecycle of the client's print fleet, from initial deployment and configuration to ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and strategic business reviews.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

IT Help Desk Technician
Field Service Technician
Junior Systems Administrator

Advancement To:

Senior MPS Specialist
MPS Team Lead / Manager
Solutions Architect (Print & Document Management)
IT Project Manager

Lateral Moves:

IT Operations Analyst
Client Success Manager
Technical Account Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Act as the primary technical point of contact and relationship manager for a dedicated portfolio of Managed Print Services (MPS) clients, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.
Proactively monitor the entire client print fleet using remote management software (e.g., Web Jetadmin, FM Audit) to identify potential issues, track usage, and manage alerts for service and supplies.
Coordinate and manage the end-to-end lifecycle of print devices, including deployment planning, installation, network configuration, and eventual decommissioning or replacement.
Conduct regular, in-depth strategic business reviews with key client stakeholders, presenting data-driven insights on usage trends, cost analysis, and recommendations for fleet optimization.
Provide advanced, tier-2/tier-3 technical support for complex hardware, software, and network-related printing issues, serving as an escalation point for the help desk.
Develop, implement, and enforce standardized print policies and security protocols across client environments to reduce waste, control costs, and protect sensitive information.
Manage automated supplies fulfillment, ensuring clients receive toner and other consumables in a timely manner to prevent operational downtime.
Dispatch and coordinate with third-party field service technicians for on-site repairs, tracking service call progress and ensuring adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Implement and support print management solutions such as PaperCut, Equitrac, or SafeCom, including user authentication (badging), secure print release, and chargeback accounting.
Perform detailed fleet analysis to identify underutilized or overutilized devices, making data-backed recommendations for device consolidation, relocation, or upgrades.
Maintain a precise and up-to-date inventory of all managed print assets, including device models, locations, IP addresses, and configuration details within an asset management system.
Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for client environments, including network diagrams, device configurations, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and user guides.
Train client end-users and key operators on new device features, print software functionality, and best practices to drive adoption and maximize their investment.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex network connectivity issues related to printers and multifunction devices, including IP conflicts, DNS problems, and firewall/port configurations.
Ensure all devices within the managed fleet are updated with the latest firmware and security patches to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Generate and analyze monthly, quarterly, and ad-hoc reports on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as device uptime, print volumes, color vs. mono usage, and cost-per-page.
Manage the configuration of device features such as Scan-to-Email, Scan-to-Folder, and digital faxing, ensuring they are functional and secure.
Lead small- to medium-sized projects related to print fleet refreshes, software rollouts, or office moves, ensuring minimal disruption to the client's business operations.

Secondary Functions

Support the sales and solutions architecture teams by providing technical data and insights during the pre-sales assessment phase.
Continuously evaluate new print technologies and industry best practices to drive innovation and enhance our MPS offerings.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of our service delivery processes and internal knowledge base.
Collaborate with internal teams, including logistics and billing, to ensure a seamless end-to-end client experience.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep technical knowledge of multifunction print devices and printer hardware from major OEMs (HP, Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, Lexmark).
Proficiency with remote fleet management and monitoring software (e.g., HP Web Jetadmin, Kofax Equitrac, PaperCut, FM Audit).
Strong understanding of network protocols and troubleshooting (TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, SMTP, SNMP).
Experience managing print queues and drivers within Windows Server environments.
Hands-on experience with print security best practices, including secure print release, data encryption, and device hardening.
Competency in using IT Service Management (ITSM) and ticketing systems like ServiceNow, ConnectWise, or Jira.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data manipulation, creating pivot tables, and generating reports.

Soft Skills

Exceptional customer service and client relationship management abilities, with a focus on being a trusted advisor.
Strong analytical and data-driven problem-solving skills to identify root causes and recommend effective solutions.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
Outstanding organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple clients and priorities simultaneously.
A proactive, adaptable, and self-motivated work ethic with a high degree of ownership and accountability.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate's Degree or equivalent professional certification (e.g., CompTIA A+, Network+).

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Information Technology
Computer Science
Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-5 years in an IT support, systems administration, or a dedicated print management role.

Preferred: Experience in a client-facing role managing a large and diverse fleet of 500+ multifunction devices is highly desirable.