IT Support Lead

This position reports to the IT Manager within the ALMA Computing Department (ADC) and is responsible for planning and overseeing the IT support services to ALMA daily operations providing direct supervision to the IT Support team as well as participating as an active technical member of the group. The position also provides first level diagnostic and troubleshooting for the IT infrastructure and Cybersecurity and collaborates on computing projects.

The position provides leadership for the support of computing systems operations, as well as cyber-security implementation aspects and coordinates all activities of the IT Support team, aiming for the efficient use of available resources and sustainable operation. This position will collaborate with the IT Specialists team to deliver exceptional support to customer. This role is expected to lead by example, organize work, build reports, handle escalations, and help with ad hoc projects, and training.

The IT Support Team is responsible for operating the IT Helpdesk, providing end-user support, acting as remote hands-on for data center operations, installations, and collaborating on computing projects. They handle administrative operational tasks such as account creation and decommissioning, log monitoring and inventory management. In addition, they manage several Mobile Device Management systems for Windows OS, MacOS, and Ubuntu. At the OSF, support staff serve as the first level of on-call response to critical operational issues outside of working hours and senior level of support for the systems under their domain. They perform initial diagnosis and prioritization, and report issues for escalation to the IT specialist group for operational and cybersecurity incidents. The team consists of IT Support staff at OSF, working in shifts, and IT Support staff at SCO.

The person in this position works in close coordination with specialists located in Chile and overseas and provides in-depth technical expertise for both tactical and operational initiatives. This role ensures systems performance and service level requirements are met. This role oversees the administration of the entire Microsoft Windows platform ensuring that best practices and security policies are met.

The position interfaces directly with ALMA users, managers, supervisors, as well as other IT Support representatives from the executives (when required).

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Perform as an IT Support technician within the group.

· Supervise and support IT Support technicians in daily operations, ensuring staff development and safety.

· Manage the Microsoft Windows operating system platform, including, laptops & Servers patching, Domain Controllers, Active Directory and policies administration

· Manage the Azure, Microsoft M365 and ENTRAID platform

· Manage the Mobile Device Management systems for: Windows OS (Intunes), MacOS (Jamf) and Ubuntu (Canonical) platforms to ensure that security policies are met.

· Manage the EDR solution for laptops and servers to ensure that security policies are met.

· Manage the Inventory system.

· Manage the centralized backup solution for M365 services (Acronis)

· Manage the Camera Surveillance systems (OSF, AOS, SCO)

· Coordinate logistics and shift schedules for IT support staff at multiple sites to ensure seamless operations.

· Supervise technical support staff including hiring, performance evaluations, and managing conflicts

· Supervise and provide direct feedback to the technical support staff, including recruitment, performance evaluations, and conflict resolution.

· Maintain and monitor team SLAs, workflows, and performance metrics to guarantee service level requirements are met. Propose preventive measures to reduce customer faults and issues.

· Enforce cybersecurity policies and assist in implementing security measures to protect data and systems.

· Assist in procurement of IT equipment and material reception.

· Provide proactive customer service, managing first-line technical support and user service requests.

· Support group's response to cybersecurity incidents and develop IT security policies

· Collaborate with Computing staff to ensure effective integration of services and infrastructure.

· Monitor and maintain IT infrastructure and Datacenters, ensuring performance requirements are met and documenting operational procedures.

· Assist with budget preparation, equipment procurement, and strategic planning for IT infrastructure.

· Perform OnCall services

· Other tasks requested by Manager

Requirements

Minimum Requirement (must have):

· A bachelor's degree in information technology, networking, software engineering, computer sciences or five years of equivalent experience

· A minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in providing users with IT support in industrial or academic environments with mixed operative systems.

· Proven knowledge and experience in administering and troubleshooting operating systems

· A minimum 5 years of relevant work experience with fault tracking, preventive maintenance or similar systems

· Advanced Experience on Microsoft Windows Server,

· Deep knowledge on Microsoft M365, including Defender, Intunes and ENTRAID

· Experience working in shifts.

· Experience in Procurement processes (quoting, purchase orders, etc.)

· Experience in Logistics (coordination of material transport, inventory)

· Able to produce periodic written reports in English.

· English: Medium. Able to read and apply technical information in English and write reports.

· Spanish: Fluent

Desirable Requirements (an asset if present):

· Experience on leading an IT Support Group

· knowledge and experience in Linux Operating System

· Familiarity with ITIL or similar IT management frameworks

· Certifications on Microsoft Windows Server technology

· Experience in IT infrastructure (Servers, networking equipment, Backup systems, Storage, etc.).

· Familiarity with IT systems and services: network connectivity, AD, DNS, DHCP, LDAP, etc.

· Experience in Confluence and JIRA administration

· Experience in capacity planning, performance optimization, and ensuring high availability.

· English: Advanced level. Able to read and apply technical information in English and write reports and make presentations fluently.

Competencies:

· Documentation and Communication: Strong documentation skills are important to maintain accurate computing infrastructure diagrams, configuration files, and network documentation. Proven skills in developing documentation for end users and application administrators.

· Effective communication and interpersonal skills to ensure productive cross-functional teams' collaborations, conveying technical information to non-technical stakeholders, and provide clear instructions and support to end users.

· Capacity to work independently or with little direct supervision

· Capability to handle stressful situations

· Good time management and ability to prioritize multiple tasks.

· Strong ethical values and a commitment to confidentiality.

· Able to work closely coordinated with geographically distributed and multicultural, cross-functional teams. Good self-learning skills and ability to write clear and concise analysis reports.

· Highly motivated and proactive team player, with good communication and interpersonal skills.

WORKING CONDITIONS

· Work is performed in Santiago Central Office (SCO) with regular visits to the Operations Support Facility facilities (OSF) (2900m elevation) and the Array Operations Site (5000m elevation). Physical health compatible with high altitude conditions. A successful High Altitude Medical Exam is a necessary condition of employment.

· Willingness to travel overseas for both short and extended periods for meetings, training, etc. will be required.

· Willingness to perform OnCall services

· Work is mainly performed in an office environment, and with eventual visits to a research or development environment, both indoors and outdoors.

· Candidate shall have Chilean working permits at the moment of application

· Candidate to any of ALMA vacancies are asked to reflect on their affinity with ALMA values and advised they may be asked about them if called for interview.

Deadline for applications:
Friday, January 16th at 12:00 pm Chile time.

Joint ALMA Observatory Values:

At the joint ALMA Observatory, we believe that our core values model our behavior in our workplace. Our core values are:

1. Excellence

2. Respect and Diversity

3. Collaboration

4. Care

Este aviso se publica dentro del marco de la Ley N° 21.015, que incentiva la inclusión de personas con discapacidad al mundo laboral.

This notice is published within the framework of Law No , which encourages the inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of work.