Careers

General Summary: 

Reporting to the Director of IT Managed Services, The Mobile Labs Specialist is responsible for providing computer lab access to clients through four separate services which make up the focus of this position. The incumbent serves as a service owner for the Mobile Labs service providing laptop and ipad carts, the CloudPC services providing virtual and remote access to university computers, the Chromebook Loaner Program providing Chromebook laptops to students, and also plays an important part in the team maintaining the university’s traditional computer labs.

The goal of the IT Managed Services team is to provide various technology services to the university community. The goal of the Mobile Labs Specialist is to provide expertise and leadership in these four important services within the group’s overall offerings.

Examples of Duties: 

• Provide consultation, implementation, and support services across four main computer lab services which make up the focus of this position. The four services are: traditional computer labs, mobile computer labs, virtual computer lab services, and the Chromebook Computer Loaner program.
• Perform troubleshooting and support for the technologies which power the incumbent's four main services. Keep the service's devices updated and upgraded to ensure operation efficiency.
• Meet with faculty and students to evaluate their needs for teaching and learning using the services.
• Develop and document procedures and policies related to the administration of the services.
• Lead colleagues and student employees to grow their ability to assist with the offering of the services.
• Manage a periodic Computer Lifecycle Management program to keep the devices needed by the services updated and capable of meeting user's needs.
• Coordinate hardware repairs needed on devices within the services individually or through collaboration with the IT Desktop Support group or vendors.
• In collaboration with IT Communication staff, communicate about the service offerings to clients through creation of signs and flyers, maintenance of the team’s section of the IT department website, and the writing of broadcast emails.
• Identify problem trends affecting the service's clients and work with appropriate teams to determine and execute improvements to resolve future issues, including improvements on the technical or business practice side of a topic (if something isn't working well), or on the client training and communication side of a topic (if it's working but clients just don't understand something).
• Look for advancements and improvements to the services through new technologies and innovations, for more efficient and more functional services in the future.
• Use a service management system to manage client work requests and interactions. Acknowledge unassigned tickets and contact users. Update assigned tickets with actions taken and a description of the issue’s solutions when solved to keep users and colleagues informed on progress.
• Use an asset management system to manage inventory and tracking duties on computers serviced by the department, including intake of new computers into the inventory, management of existing entries, metrics, and reporting.
• Use endpoint management systems to manage technical administrative duties on computers serviced by the department, including image deployment, patching, inventory management, metrics management, and testing.
• As a Mobile Labs Specialist, additional duties are required to reflect the incumbent’s involvement with this advanced technology service.
  • Oversight of the Mobile Labs service, consisting of several mobile carts each containing a number of laptops or ipads, which can be delivered to classrooms across campus to convert any standard classroom into an ad hoc computer lab.
  • Perform all configuration of devices to contain the applications and functionality needed by clients, using mobile device management systems and endpoint management systems to perform technical work in an automated manner across all devices at once.
  • Oversee the scheduling, preparation, and delivery of the Mobile Labs carts working individually or through the supervision of colleagues and student employees.
  • Provide assistance and leadership in other related initiatives within IT, as well as related programs being run by other departments, especially academic departments
• As the coordinator for the Chromebook Loaner Programs, additional duties are required to reflect the incumbent’s involvement with this advanced technology service.
  • Oversight of the Chromebook Loaner Programs providing short-term and long-term loans of Chromebook laptops to students.
  • Collaborate with staff from the Healey Library to manage the offering of this service, including distribution of hardware, tracking of inventory, and collection of returned computers.
  • Perform all configuration of devices to contain the applications and functionality needed by clients, using the Chrome Enterprise portal to perform technical work in an automated manner across all devices at once.
• Perform minor physical work such as moving computers, monitors, mobile carts or large printers across campus, as needed
• Work individually and as a team to create effective Knowledge Base articles for common issues experienced by the team's clients, ensuring content is organized, up-to-date, accessible, and has a consistent level of quality and style.
• Assist the team’s leadership in projects to improve processes performed by the team with a focus on driving greater automation and efficiency. Participate as needed in project committees and planning groups to ensure effective service from the team and the IT department as a whole.
• Assist the team’s leadership in identifying problem trends affecting the team’s clients and work with appropriate groups to determine and execute improvements to resolve future issues, including improvements on the technical or business practice side of a topic (if something isn't working right), or on the client training and communication side of a topic (if it's working but users just don't understand it).
• Communicate regularly with the team’s leadership, and other IT leadership when appropriate, to keep them informed on activities, accomplishments, problems, and future efforts. Maintain an up-to-date tracking repository of tasks, activities, projects, and metrics, and provide status reports, presentations, and graphical reporting aids showing incumbent’s and the team’s activities and capabilities.
• The incumbent must maintain a high level of professional development and awareness of current industry best practices and future trends related to the fields needed to perform their duties described here, for today and the future, with a goal of always providing top-level services to the UMass Boston community.
• Infrequently provide Tier 1 level user support in assistance to the IT Service Desk during times of unusual need when asked by the incumbent's supervisor and consistent with ability and availability.
• When schedule, interest, and ability allow, and in partnership with the AVC of Client Services and the IT Technology Training Specialist, plan and present occasional periodic training presentations and workshops to the UMass Boston community in the areas of the incumbent's expertise and interest, relating to the skills used in this position.
• Supports the University’s initiatives of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

• Five or more years of experience are required in a field relevant to this position such as managing large groups of computers. A bachelor's degree related to this field is required. An additional four years of work experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree requirement.
• AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification are required. One additional year of work experience with Microsoft Azure may be substituted for the certification.
• Demonstrable strong technical and troubleshooting skills across hardware, operating systems, software, and networking is required.
• Extensive experience with commonly used PC-operating systems, including Windows and Mac operating systems required.
• Experience with developing, implementing, and deploying mobile and virtual computing solutions and in managing operations Windows, Mac, and iOS labs in an educational setting required.
• Experience with the ChromeOS, Chromebook hardware, and with Chrome Enterprise Portal is required.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop, and virtual computing concepts is required.
• Experience participating in group projects or collaborations.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems, common applications and utilities, and excellent troubleshooting skills with them is required.
• Experience maintaining, updating, and patching computers, especially done using endpoint management systems and mobile device management systems is required.
• Proficiency in understanding basic networking and related troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of security risks, copyright violations and other inappropriate or unlawful computing practices.
• Ability to lift at least 20 pounds is required.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends, as necessary required.
• Strong interpersonal skills which facilitate positive working relationships with both co-workers and end users.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, for personal interaction with end users, written reports, documentation, and call ticket tracking.
• Strong ability to provide high-quality customer service to people at all levels in a university setting.
• Strong organizational skills to keep multiple active projects running while preserving a strong attention to detail on individual tasks.
• For all experience listed above, that experience having been performed in an academic setting is preferable.

Application Instructions: 

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date. 

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting.  All other candidates will be considered after that period. 

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link: 

Grade: 31            

Salary Ranges

This is an exempt union position.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.