What are the responsibilities and job description for the Technical Services Support Specialist II - Technology & Communications, Information Systems Services position at Howard County Government?
Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.
Howard County Government
Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2026, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 165 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.
What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:
We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
- We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
- We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
- As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.
PC/Desktop support position responsible for configuration and support of computer hardware and software. Serves as the liaison for technology related issues. Works as a Service Desk Technician to provide first and second tier application support for applications used by the county employees. Prior experience supporting Cloud applications and on-premises managed applications. Understanding of Service Desk functions specific to handling IT related issues and the ability to troubleshoot issues. Experience with Incident, Change and Problem management. Microsoft AD, Exchange and Windows 10 using best practice to troubleshoot and resolve issues. Familiarity with desktop and network security including ability to monitor and resolve issues, as well as producing reports using database reporting tools.
STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:
$33.46 - $37.71/Hourly
$69,607 - $78,433/Annually
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Performs intermediate professional level technology and communication services work under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes administering data bases and developing data processing systems and computer programs for user departments; providing intermediate level computer programming, software maintenance and systems design; and writing, updating or revising, and documenting programs. Work also includes interacting with user department personnel; software vendors developing systems performance specifications; and estimating resource requirements based on functional specifications.
Technical Support & Desktop Services:
- Install and maintain network node desktop platforms.
- Provide desktop support, general software configuration, and PC maintenance.
- Perform remote troubleshooting using diagnostic techniques and guided questioning.
- Walk customers through the problem-solving process.
- Determine the best solution based on the issue and customer details.
- Direct unresolved issues to the next level of support.
- Ensure all internal IT Service Desk requests are actioned.
Active Directory and Account Administration:
- Create new user accounts and manage user rights.
- Create and update distribution, email, and security groups.
- Update group memberships and assign/edit users in the appropriate organizational unit (OU).
- Perform basic AD administration, including account setup and rights assignment.
Office 365 and Application Support:
- Maintain familiarity with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 365 Suite.
- Perform limited Office 365 administrative functions.
- Provide accurate information on IT products and services to clients.
Customer Service and Issue Tracking:
- Conduct problem analysis, resolution, and user issue tracking.
- Follow up and update customer status and information.
- Record events, issues, and resolutions in logs.
- Pass customer feedback or suggestions to internal teams.
Network Support and Documentation:
- Support general network configuration tasks.
- Communicate and coordinate network schedules, backups, and downtime with users.
- Prepare and maintain documentation of network configurations and cabling layouts.
- Evaluate LAN hardware/software requirements and make recommendations.
- Coordinate installation of hardware and software performed by others.
Operations, Coordination and Project Support:
- Provide a single point of contact for PC/LAN desktop needs.
- Coordinate with other support groups and assist with project management.
- Participate in weekly operations meetings.
Administrative Functions:
- Track file server outages and IT assets.
- Assist in training users and documenting procedures.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
There are no supervisory responsibilities associated with this position.Bachelor's Degree and one (1) year of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Bachelor's Degree from a four (4) year accredited college or university with a degree in Computer Science or Information Systems.
Microsoft MCP certification, MSCE, Desktop Support Technician, CompTIA A , MTA AND ITIL
Technical experience to a team of IT Engineers and support analysts.
Excellent oral/written communication and listening skills; Exceptional interpersonal skills including teamwork, facilitation, and consensus building.
Experience with Desktop and Application Virtualization technologies such as VMWare Workstation, View and VMware ThinApp or other similar tools and technologies.
Experience with Desktop Imaging, User Personalization, software architecture and network design principles.
Knowledge of Microsoft Operating Systems including Windows 10 and above Windows Server 2017 and working knowledge of Windows applications.
Microsoft MCP certification, MSCE, Desktop Support Technician, CompTIA A , MTA AND ITIL.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
The employee frequently is required to sit and use hands to handle.
The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:
The ability to communication effectively with the most sensitive and non-technical computer user.
Ability to establish a rapport with employees, interpret their questions and respond in a manner to help them gain the understanding and the ability to use the software.
The ability to write effective training materials in a timely manner to meet needs as they arise.
Ability to apply basic math and algebra.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid logical conclusions.
Ability to read computer software technical manuals and develop this information into training materials for the non-technical users.
Salary : $69,607 - $133,964