IT Support Specialist

Job Title: IT Support Specialist

Team: Information Technology

Location: Hybrid in Chicago (IL)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.  

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

To learn more, take a look at Braven’s Jobs.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an IT Support Specialist who will keep our day-to-day IT support queue running smoothly. As a member of the IT team, you will be the first point of contact for Braven staff experiencing hardware, software, or account issues, making sure tickets are triaged and resolved quickly so the rest of the organization can stay focused on serving our Fellows.

This role is on the IT team and reports directly to the Head of Workplace Technology & Operations.

What You’ll Do

Helpdesk & Ticket Queue Management  (60%)

• Serve as first point of contact for IT support requests submitted through our ticketing platform (Jira Service Management)
• Triage, prioritize, and resolve tickets in a timely manner, escalating complex issues to the IT Systems Engineer or Systems Architect as needed
• Set up, configure, and deploy hardware (laptops, monitors, peripherals) for new hires and existing staff
• Support employee onboarding and offboarding from an IT equipment and access perspective

End-User Support & Training (25%)

• Provide friendly, patient day-to-day technical support to staff on hardware, software, and common applications (e.g., Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack)
• Create and maintain simple how-to guides and FAQs for common issues
• Help staff get comfortable with new tools and features as they're rolled out

IT Asset Management (15%)

• Track and maintain inventory of IT hardware and equipment
• Support basic device management tasks using our MDM tool
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements

• Associate's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years of IT support/helpdesk experience (relevant internship or coursework experience considered)

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of macOS and common productivity software
• Familiarity with identity and access tools such as Okta
• Familiarity with Google Workspace basics
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical issues to non-technical staff
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Comfort learning new tools and systems quickly
• Exemplification of Braven’s core values.
• Experience that has informed your belief in Braven’s mission and has prepared you to work with, or for, Braven’s student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Chicago (IL) 3 days per week
• Travel 3-4 times a year

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth $47,000-$58,700. This is based on a 50-hour work week at an hourly rate. This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.  

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: 

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Please note that Braven is firm in its compensation philosophy; therefore, only candidates who believe our total rewards package aligns with what they are looking for in their next opportunity are encouraged to apply. 

Location

We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of our Chicago hub. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.  We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.