Scientific Support Technician

ASG•Bethesda, MD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Scientific Support Technician provides specialized IT support for scientific research environments, addressing the needs of laboratory and clinical staff. The role supports enterprise Mac, Windows, and Linux systems, virtualization and networking infrastructure, audiovisual systems, and IT peripherals. The technician primarily works at Tiers 2 and 3, with opportunities for growth into leadership roles or Tier 4 work. The position is full-time and on-site in Bethesda, Maryland. The supported environment is nearly evenly divided between macOS and Windows, with some Linux, and serves approximately 1,200 customers across three main locations. Support hours are 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; a weekly rotating schedule includes limited after-hours on-call support for executive VIPs. The technician handles customer tickets and communications; inventories, documents, and secures scientific equipment; evaluates scientific requirements and implements solutions that balance scientific, functional, technical, and security needs; and assists scientists and vendors with deploying and maintaining scientific equipment and software. The role advises labs on equipment purchases and setups, coordinates infrastructure requirements, trains Desktop Technicians, collaborates with security, patching, release management, and network teams, and serves as a technical lead or subject matter expert on projects. It also configures and supports end-user devices and peripherals, troubleshoots and escalates technical issues, investigates complex problems and their root causes, and maintains knowledge base articles.

Requirements

At least 6 years of relevant, applicable professional experience.
Subject matter expertise in Mac, Windows, and Linux enterprise computing in an Active Directory domain environment.
Experience in clinical or scientific computing and end-user environments, including hands-on interaction with clinical or scientific devices.
Professional experience supporting Microsoft 360.
Strong customer service skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Experience providing VIP support.
A bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university; an Engineering or Applied Science discipline is preferred; OR an associate degree in an IT-related field from an accredited college or university, at least two current IT certifications from the specified list, and at least 2 years of relevant experience at an NIH institute or center.
Hold, or obtain within the first 9 months of hire, at least two certifications from the listed certification options: HDI Desktop Support Technician; CompTIA A+, Network+, Linux+, or Security+; Jamf Certified Tech; Apple Certified Associate - Mac Integration Basics (current or current -1 version); Apple Certified Support Professional (current or current -1 version); MTA; MCSA; MSCE; or ITIL v4 or higher Foundation Certificate.
Ability to obtain and maintain a public trust background investigation or clearance according to client requirements.
Required systems knowledge: macOS 26 or newer, Windows 11, Linux, iOS, and Active Directory.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting NIH or NIMH programs.
Programming and shell scripting skills.
Familiarity with networking hardware and software, including DHCP, subnetting, DNS, VLANs, wireless, and LAN.
Familiarity with VoIP, fax, multifunction copiers, large-format printers, and other common IT peripherals.
Professional experience providing audiovisual support.
Engineering or Applied Science degree discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

Use the IT ticket system to receive and track tickets, assign them for action, communicate with customers, ensure customer satisfaction, and close tickets.
Build relationships and communicate effectively with the scientific user community, technical staff, and the Scientific Information Office.
Inventory, document, and secure scientific equipment connected to computers or the network; learn and document the technical functions of scientific equipment and software.
Analyze scientific requirements and develop, propose, and implement solutions that balance scientific, functional, technical, and security needs.
Assist scientists and vendors in deploying, configuring, troubleshooting, upgrading, maintaining, and supporting scientific equipment and software.
Advise laboratories on scientific computing equipment purchases and setups.
Coordinate infrastructure and configuration requirements for new scientific equipment and software.
Train Desktop Technicians on support requirements and best practices for maintaining scientific equipment and software.
Collaborate with security, patching, and release management teams to maintain the functionality and security of scientific equipment and software; communicate customer requirements to project teams and serve as a technical lead or subject matter expert on projects.
Work with Network Operations to design and configure custom firewalls, VLANs, and network backup and storage solutions for laboratory-specific access requirements.
Configure, install, and support desktops, laptops, mobile devices, printers, monitors, and other peripherals.
Configure IT devices for secure operation, including installing security software and updates and applying other required configurations.
Triage hardware, software, audiovisual, network, and security issues and escalate them to appropriate teams.
Investigate complex issues, coordinate technical responses, identify trends, perform root-cause analysis, and generate reports.
Create, review, and flag knowledge base articles.
Perform other duties as assigned.