IT Shop Manager (Hardware & Lab Operations)

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, UT

3d•$75,000•Onsite

About The Position

The IT Shop Manager (Hardware & Lab Operations) manages the department’s IT hardware operations function and is a hands-on technical contributor for IT shop services across various instructional and research environments. The role performs and oversees day-to-day physical IT work in technical spaces, including hardware receiving and staging, rack installation, network cabling (including pulls and terminations), and safe power distribution and documentation for servers, network equipment, and lab research and teaching systems. The position supports a wide variety of lab configurations and research needs, requiring strong troubleshooting skills, sound judgment, and comfort working with both established and emerging technologies. The role also supports physical space readiness and coordinates moves and changeovers, supervising student workers and mentoring staff on shop standards, safety practices, labeling, and documentation. Work may range from routine lifecycle tasks to supporting unique research lab requirements, and the role is expected to adapt quickly while maintaining safety and documentation standards. The position supports the department’s printing environment by assisting with day-to-day printer and copier operations, coordinating maintenance, and performing troubleshooting and repair. It also supports the physical lifecycle of department equipment by assisting with tagging, location verification, minor troubleshooting and hardware repairs (e.g., component replacement), vendor repair logistics, and surplus coordination, in partnership with operations leadership, systems/network staff, and student workers.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in IT logistics, datacenter/lab support, low-voltage/network cabling, print services support, AV operations, or similar hands-on operational support environments.
Demonstrated experience handling IT hardware safely, including workstations and servers, with experience in staging, moving, and basic installation support.
Demonstrated experience performing network cable pulls and terminations, including labeling, testing/verification, and documentation.
Experience providing first-line support for printers/copiers, including consumables replacement, basic troubleshooting, and coordinating repairs or service calls.
Experience supervising, training, or directing student workers or junior staff in a technical or operational environment.
Ability to follow defined standards for labeling, documentation, and physical configuration work.
Comfort with physical work, including moving equipment, lifting, using carts, and working in racks and wiring closets, while following safe material-handling practices.
Strong customer service skills and the ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, students, vendors, and campus partners.
Basic competency with tracking work using tools such as ticketing systems, spreadsheets, or work order systems.
Valid Texas Class C driver’s license (or ability to obtain/maintain one as required) and ability to be authorized under University driving requirements to operate department vehicles and UT carts as needed.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting facilities operations or minor building support tasks in a technical environment.
Experience supporting server rooms, IDFs/MDFs, teaching labs, or research lab environments.
Familiarity with rack standards, including rails, PDUs, cable management, patch panels, labeling conventions, and basic network port verification practices.
Experience coordinating surplus/disposal processes.
Experience directing or coordinating student workers in support of operational tasks.
Basic familiarity with ESD-safe handling practices and hardware documentation.
Familiarity with University of Texas at Austin processes and partners (e.g., Surplus Property, Facilities/zone shops, and common service request workflows) or similar large campus/institutional environments.

Responsibilities

IT Hardware Installation, Cabling, and Power Receive, unpack, stage, and move IT equipment, including desktops, monitors, network gear, and servers; maintain orderly staging areas and safe handling practices. Assist with rack-and-stack tasks, including installing rails, racking equipment, labeling, and maintaining rack organization. Perform network cabling work in server rooms, wiring closets, and lab/teaching spaces, including cable pulls, routing, terminations, testing/verification, and accurate documentation of ports, drops, and changes made. Balance and document power distribution for IT equipment across available circuits/PDUs, including maintaining load distribution records as changes are made. Work alongside student workers to stage equipment, prepare labels, assist with cabling preparation, and maintain standardized kits and supplies for recurring installs.
Print Services and IT Shop Operations Provide printer and copier support for departmental printers and shared multifunction devices, including first-line troubleshooting, consumables replacement, service-call coordination, and support for relocations/redeployments. Maintain IT shop tools, supplies, carts, and consumables, including patch cables, rack hardware, printer supplies, and labeling materials; keep work areas safe and organized. Maintain standardized shop kits, spare parts, and common supplies needed for installations, printer support, and routine shop work. Work alongside student workers to support printer supply management, staging, and routine shop organization.
Shop Operations, Space Readiness, and Day-to-Day Support Serve as the primary hands-on shop resource for space readiness across offices, labs, classrooms, and common areas (setups, staging, resets, and readiness checks). Perform and coordinate minor building support tasks within scope (signage, light troubleshooting of non-IT room issues, and minor repairs/adjustments such as replacing small hardware, tightening/aligning fixtures, and basic furniture/door hardware adjustments within scope). Assemble and install shelving and furniture, and provide appropriate mounting for items such as shelves, whiteboards, pictures, awards, and similar fixtures, when work does not require central facilities/trades support. Maintain shared operational supplies and shop inventory (carts, basic tools, consumables) and keep work areas organized and safe. Direct and coordinate student workers assisting with room resets, furniture/shelving assembly and mounting tasks, staging furniture/equipment, moving supplies, and maintaining shop areas and carts.
Moves, Transitions, and Lab/Room Changeovers Support onboarding/offboarding and internal moves from a facilities standpoint: workspace readiness, furniture moves, equipment staging, and coordination with IT for endpoint placement and cabling needs. Assist with lab and office changeovers and room refreshes, including staging IT equipment, printers, and peripherals and coordinating timelines with stakeholders. Support periodic reconfiguration work (e.g., moving teaching lab systems, coordinating workstation layouts, and staging replacements). Coordinate student workers to support physical moves, equipment staging, packing/unpacking, and post-move readiness checks, following documented procedures.
Event Logistics and Room Support Provide physical setup support for seminars, recruiting events, classes, and special events (tables, chairs, staging, signage, and basic physical AV setup coordination). Maintain and manage event support kits and equipment (carts, adapters, mic stands, podium accessories, etc.) and ensure items are ready and returned after use. Coordinate with relevant IT/AV staff for complex technical event needs; provide the physical/logistical layer to reduce day-of friction. Work alongside student workers to prepare rooms, stage and retrieve event kits, and perform post-event breakdown and reset tasks.
Inventory & Asset Lifecycle Logistics Apply and maintain physical asset tags on School equipment according to established standards; replace missing or damaged tags. Assist with basic location verification and “find” requests by performing spot checks and coordinating equipment searches with student workers. Perform basic triage, component swaps, and light repair on common end-user and lab equipment (e.g., RAM/SSD replacement, re-seating components, and peripheral troubleshooting) in coordination with endpoint staff; prepare equipment for redeployment or further service. Manage vendor repair workflows for covered equipment, including diagnosis preparation, RMA/shipping preparation, status tracking, return receipt, and staging equipment for redeployment. Stage equipment for deployment, moves, room refreshes, and transitions; coordinate pickup and delivery logistics. Coordinate with University Surplus for equipment staging and pickup; ensure items are prepared for surplus processing per procedure, maintain accurate records of surplus activity, and provide status updates to operations leadership. Coordinate student workers to conduct spot checks, assist with tagging efforts, support equipment searches, and help stage equipment for repair/redeployment using established checklists and tracking tools.
Other related duties as assigned.

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