Senior IT Support & Systems Specialist

Current • Bellingham, WA

3d • $35 - $40 • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior IT Support & Systems Specialist is an experienced, hands-on technology professional who serves as the primary backup to both the Systems Administrator and the Service Desk Manager. This role combines advanced Level 2/3 technical support with meaningful systems administration and network responsibilities, and takes a lead role in evaluating, rolling out, and driving adoption of new tools and technology across the firm. First and foremost, this is a hands-on technical role: the focus is user support, network and systems maintenance and design, and application maintenance and technology adoption. This person may participate in and support technology projects and may take on light project-coordination tasks as needed, but this is not a project management position and does not carry ownership of vendor relationships or formal project delivery. The ideal candidate can step in and independently sustain day-to-day service desk operations or core systems administration tasks when the Service Desk Supervisor or Systems Administrator is unavailable, helping free up IT leadership's time to focus on strategic priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• 4-6+ years of progressive experience in IT support, systems administration, network administration, or a related role.
• Demonstrated experience providing Level 2/3 technical support.
• Demonstrated experience with hands-on systems or network administration tasks.
• Experience working with or alongside an IT Managed Service Provider strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of systems and network administration, including hardware, software, networks, and cloud environments.
• Experience with Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID/Active Directory, and Microsoft Intune.
• Knowledge of TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, switches, routers, firewalls, and related networking technologies.
• Experience with Windows Server and Windows workstation environments.
• Experience with system monitoring, patch management, backup, and recovery processes.
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity principles and system/network security.
• Strong client-service orientation and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple technical responsibilities, escalations, and priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, initiative, and follow-through.
• Comfortable mentoring less experienced technicians and acting as a technical resource for the team.
• Availability for occasional after-hours or on-call support as business needs require.
• Ability to support planned maintenance, implementations, or system changes outside normal business hours when necessary.
• Ability to lift and transport computers and related equipment as required

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with virtualization technologies such as AVD, VMware, or Hyper-V is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting and automation, particularly PowerShell, preferred.
• Microsoft Azure or Microsoft 365 certifications
• CompTIA Network+ or Security+
• Cisco CCNA

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior escalation point for Level 1 and Level 2 technicians on complex hardware, software, network, and application issues.
• Provide dependable backup coverage for the Service Desk Manager, including day-to-day oversight of ticket queues, prioritization, and escalation during absences or overflow periods.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to service desk technicians; assist with onboarding and training of new support staff.
• Maintain ownership of complex or escalated issues through resolution, coordinating with the Systems Administrator, other IT staff, and outside technology partners as needed.
• Identify recurring support issues and recommend technical or process improvements to the service desk.
• Provide backup front-line ticket coverage as needed to maintain service levels.
• Serve as the primary backup to the Systems Administrator, capable of independently performing core systems administration tasks during absences or overflow periods.
• Administer and support servers, workstations, networks, printers, routers, switches, firewalls, and cloud services.
• Support network maintenance, design, and troubleshooting, including LAN/WAN, TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, and connectivity/performance issues.
• Administer and support Microsoft 365, Azure, Entra ID/Active Directory, Intune, and related cloud and infrastructure platforms.
• Monitor system and network performance and security; assist with system reviews, audits, and remediation of identified issues.
• Support backup, business continuity, and disaster recovery processes.
• Maintain and improve technical documentation, system configurations, and standard operating procedures for the systems environment.
• Own day-to-day maintenance and support of the firm's core business applications, including patching, updates, and issue resolution.
• Lead the evaluation, testing, and rollout of new tools, applications, and system upgrades in partnership with IT leadership.
• Drive user adoption of new technology through training, documentation, and hands-on support during and after rollouts.
• Continuously build and share expertise on new features, tools, and technologies relevant to the firm.
• Identify opportunities to retire, consolidate, or improve tools and processes to reduce complexity and support burden.
• Participate in technology projects as a hands-on technical resource, contributing to testing, implementation, and post-implementation support.
• Help document action items, decisions, and next steps for assigned technical tasks within larger initiatives.
• Support process improvement initiatives for the service desk and systems administration functions.
• This role provides project support and light coordination as needed; it is not accountable for formal project management, project ownership, or vendor management, which remain the responsibility of IT leadership and dedicated project resources.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance (with options for fully paid employee only coverage for health and dental)
• Company-Paid Life and Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Ancillary Benefits such as supplemental life insurance, critical illness, and accident insurance
• Classic Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan with employer contributions
• Opportunities for professional growth, learning, and development including access to Becker and LinkedIn Learning

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior