Senior Technical Support Specialist
📍 Job Overview
- Job Title: Senior Technical Support Specialist
- Company: City of Philadelphia
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Job Type: On-site, Full-time
- Category: IT Support & Helpdesk
- Date Posted: June 26, 2025
- Experience Level: Intermediate (2-5 years)
- Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Role Summary
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📝 Enhancement Note: This role involves advanced technical support and troubleshooting, requiring strong problem-solving skills and expertise in various technologies.
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Serve as a point of escalation for complex technical issues, providing expert-level support to customers.
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Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality customer support and resolve recurring issues.
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Mentor and train junior support staff, contributing to the continuous improvement of support processes.
💻 Primary Responsibilities
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📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities focus on advanced troubleshooting, customer interaction, and knowledge management, emphasizing the candidate's technical expertise and communication skills.
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Advanced Troubleshooting: Provide expert-level support to customers experiencing complex technical issues, including software, hardware, and networking problems.
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Customer Interaction: Communicate directly with customers via phone, email, or chat to understand their technical problems, provide solutions, and ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.
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Escalation Management: Act as a point of escalation for technical issues that require a higher level of expertise and work closely with other departments to resolve issues.
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Issue Resolution: Collaborate with central OIT teams to identify and resolve recurring issues, contribute to bug fixes, and suggest product improvements.
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Documentation and Knowledge Management: Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, technical issues, and resolutions. Update internal knowledge base and create detailed documentation for common problems and solutions.
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Training and Mentorship: Mentor and train junior support staff, providing guidance on troubleshooting techniques, customer interaction, and system knowledge.
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Process Improvement: Contribute to the continuous improvement of support processes, tools, and workflows to increase team efficiency and improve customer service.
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Product Feedback: Gather customer feedback on product functionality and suggest areas for improvement to the product development team.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- High School Diploma, GED, or other equivalents.
Experience:
- Minimum 3-year experience in a Help Desk environment.
Required Skills:
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Principles of quality assurance, performance monitoring, and customer focus.
- Principles of equality and ITIL Service Management.
Preferred Skills:
- Relevant certifications such as MCSE, CCNP, VCAP, CCNA, or A+ certified.
📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements
📝 Enhancement Note: As this role focuses on technical support and troubleshooting, a portfolio is not explicitly required. However, demonstrating problem-solving skills and customer support experience through past projects or case studies can be beneficial.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $55,000 - $67,000 per year
- Starting salary determined based on experience and qualifications.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
- Wellness program offering eligibility into the discounted medical plan.
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
- Generous retirement savings options.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness program eligibility.
- Free commute on SEPTA (Starting September 1, 2023).
- Tuition discounts and scholarships through partnerships with local colleges and universities.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
- Industry: Government
- Company Size: Large (over 30,000 employees)
- Founded: The City of Philadelphia was founded in 1682.
Team Structure:
- The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) is the central IT agency for the City of Philadelphia, headed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO).
- OIT oversees all major information and communications technology initiatives for the City of Philadelphia, increasing the effectiveness of the information technology infrastructure.
- The team consists of various departments and agencies, collaborating to provide advanced, optimized, and responsive technology services to the City's businesses, residents, and visitors.
Development Methodology:
- The City of Philadelphia values innovation, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work.
- OIT follows ITIL Service Management principles to ensure data security, continuity, and accountable, efficient, and effective government across every city department, board, commission, and agency.
Company Website: https://www.phila.gov/
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
- Web Technology Career Level: Intermediate (2-5 years)
- Reporting Structure: The Senior Technical Support Specialist reports directly to the Support Team Lead or Manager within the Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT).
- Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on the quality of customer support provided by the City of Philadelphia, ensuring that residents and businesses receive efficient and effective technical assistance.
Growth Opportunities:
- Growth Opportunity 1: With experience and strong performance, candidates can advance to a Team Lead or Manager role within the support team or explore other opportunities within the Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT).
- Growth Opportunity 2: The City of Philadelphia offers various training and development programs, enabling employees to expand their skillsets and take on new challenges.
- Growth Opportunity 3: As the City of Philadelphia continues to grow and innovate, there may be opportunities to contribute to emerging technology projects and initiatives.
🌐 Work Environment
- Office Type: The City of Philadelphia has multiple office locations, with the primary office for this role at 1401 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
- Office Location(s): The City of Philadelphia has numerous offices and facilities throughout the city, with the primary office for this role located in Center City.
- Workspace Context:
- The City of Philadelphia offers a vibrant and dynamic work environment, with opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
- Support team members work in an open office setting, fostering teamwork and knowledge sharing.
- The office provides access to necessary tools and resources for effective technical support and troubleshooting.
Work Schedule:
- The City of Philadelphia operates on a standard business hours schedule, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- The Senior Technical Support Specialist role may require occasional evening or weekend work to address critical customer issues or system maintenance.
📄 Application & Technical Interview Process
- Interview Process:
- Phone or video screening to assess communication skills and technical proficiency.
- In-depth technical interview focusing on troubleshooting skills, customer support experience, and problem-solving abilities.
- Final interview with the Support Team Lead or Manager to discuss fit within the team and the Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT).
- Portfolio Review Tips:
- As this role focuses on technical support and troubleshooting, a portfolio is not explicitly required. However, candidates can demonstrate their problem-solving skills and customer support experience through past projects or case studies.
- Technical Challenge Preparation:
- Familiarize yourself with common technical support and troubleshooting scenarios.
- Brush up on your customer support skills and communication techniques.
- Research the City of Philadelphia's technology infrastructure and Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) to showcase your understanding of the organization's technology needs.
🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure
- As this role focuses on technical support and troubleshooting, there is no specific technology stack required. However, candidates should have experience with various technologies, including:
- Operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux
- Software: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, customer relationship management (CRM) software
- Hardware: Desktops, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and other peripheral devices
- Networking: Local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), wireless networks, and VPNs
- Troubleshooting tools: Remote desktop software, diagnostic tools, and system monitoring tools
👥 Team Culture & Values
- Web Development Values:
- The City of Philadelphia values innovation, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work.
- The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) follows ITIL Service Management principles to ensure data security, continuity, and accountable, efficient, and effective government across every city department, board, commission, and agency.
- Collaboration Style:
- The City of Philadelphia encourages cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing among its various departments and agencies.
- The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) fosters a collaborative environment, with team members working together to provide advanced, optimized, and responsive technology services to the City's businesses, residents, and visitors.
📈 Challenges & Growth Opportunities
- Technical Challenges:
- Addressing complex technical issues and providing expert-level support to customers.
- Resolving recurring issues and contributing to bug fixes and product improvements.
- Staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices in technical support and troubleshooting.
- Learning & Development Opportunities:
- The City of Philadelphia offers various training and development programs, enabling employees to expand their skillsets and take on new challenges.
- Attend industry conferences, workshops, and webinars to stay current with emerging technologies and best practices in technical support and troubleshooting.
💡 Interview Preparation
- Technical Questions:
- Describe a complex technical issue you've resolved in the past and the steps you took to diagnose and fix the problem.
- How do you approach customer interactions when dealing with frustrated or upset customers?
- Can you walk us through your process for documenting and managing technical issues and resolutions?
- Company & Culture Questions:
- Why are you interested in working for the City of Philadelphia, and specifically in the Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT)?
- How do you see yourself contributing to the City of Philadelphia's mission and the Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT)'s goals?
- How do you approach working collaboratively with other departments and agencies within the City of Philadelphia?
📌 Application Steps To apply for this Senior Technical Support Specialist position:
- Submit your application through the provided link.
- Prepare a cover letter clarifying your interest and qualifications for the role.
- Tailor your resume to highlight your relevant experience and skills in technical support and troubleshooting.
- Familiarize yourself with the City of Philadelphia's technology infrastructure and Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) to showcase your understanding of the organization's technology needs.
- Prepare for the phone or video screening, in-depth technical interview, and final interview with the Support Team Lead or Manager.
📝 Enhancement Note: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.
Application Requirements
Candidates must have a High School Diploma or equivalent and one or more relevant certifications. A minimum of 3 years of experience in a Help Desk environment is required.