Tier 2 IT Support Specialist

The Senior IT Helpdesk Technician (Tier 2 Support Specialist) is responsible for providing advanced technical support and serving as a key escalation point for Tier 1 Helpdesk Technicians.

Key Responsibilities

1. Advanced Technical Support & Escalations

• Act as a primary technical escalation point for Tier 1 Helpdesk Technicians.
  
• Diagnose and resolve complex Windows, hardware, software, peripheral, application, and network-related incidents.
  
• Troubleshoot issues that cannot be resolved through standard Tier 1 procedures.
  
• Perform root-cause analysis (RCA) on recurring or high-impact technical incidents.
  
• Identify permanent corrective actions rather than relying on temporary workarounds.
  
• Diagnose and support speci alised endpoint and business applications.
  
• Support remote and onsite users across corporate environments.
  
• Escalate incidents to Systems, Network, Security, vendors, or other specialist teams when required.
  
• Validate that appropriate troubleshooting has been completed before incidents are escalated further.
  

2. Systems Administration & Identity Management

• Perform Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID administration.
  
• Provision, modify, disable, and troubleshoot user accounts and access.
  
• Manage security groups, distribution groups, organisational units, and role-based permissions.
  
• Apply and troubleshoot Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
  
• Support Microsoft 365 services and user access.
  
• Troubleshoot authentication, MFA, account lockout, permissions, and identity-related issues.
  
• Maintain elevated administrative permissions responsibly and in accordance with security policies.
  
• Assist with user onboarding, transfers, access changes, and offboarding activities.
  

3. Endpoint & Application Management

• Configure, deploy, troubleshoot, and maintain Windows 10/11 workstations and laptops.
  
• Support macOS endpoints where required.
  
• Install, configure, package, and troubleshoot approved business applications.
  
• Diagnose hardware failures involving desktops, laptops, monitors, headsets, peripherals, and other endpoint equipment.
  
• Assist with operating system deployments, software upgrades, patches, and configuration changes.
  
• Test and stage new endpoint hardware and software before wider deployment.
  
• Assist with standardisation of workstation builds and configurations.
  
• Support remote administration and endpoint management tools.
  

4. Network & Connectivity Support

• Troubleshoot TCP/IP connectivity and network configuration issues.
  
• Diagnose DHCP, DNS, gateway, routing, and connectivity problems.
  
• Troubleshoot VLAN assignment and endpoint network access issues.
  
• Support VPN and secure remote-access troubleshooting.
  
• Perform network connectivity testing and assist with isolating LAN, WAN, ISP, Wi-Fi, and endpoint-related faults.
  
• Work with Network Engineers or Network Specialists when incidents require deeper infrastructure investigation.
  
• Coordinate with ISPs and telecommunications providers where required.
  

5. Incident & SLA Management

• Monitor and manage escalated Tier 2 ticket queues.
  
• Ensure incidents and service requests are handled according to agreed SLAs.
  
• Prioritise incidents according to business impact, urgency, and severity.
  
• Take ownership of escalated incidents through to resolution or appropriate technical escalation.
  
• Maintain accurate ticket notes, troubleshooting records, timestamps, actions, and resolution details.
  
• Identify recurring incidents and recommend Problem Management investigations.
  
• Assist with major incidents and service outages where required.
  
• Provide clear technical and operational updates during high-impact incidents.
  
• Ensure resolved incidents contain sufficient information for future troubleshooting and reporting.
  

6. Vendor & Third-Party Coordination

• Engage with second-line vendor support where internal troubleshooting has been exhausted.
  
• Coordinate support cases with ISPs, OEM hardware suppliers, software vendors, and other technology providers.
  
• Provide vendors with appropriate diagnostic information, logs, screenshots, and troubleshooting evidence.
  
• Track vendor incidents through to resolution.
  
• Coordinate warranty replacements and hardware repairs where required.
  

7. Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Create and maintain technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
  
• Develop troubleshooting guides, technical runbooks, and knowledge base articles.
  
• Document known errors, recurring incidents, workarounds, and permanent resolutions.
  
• Ensure technical documentation remains accurate and current.
  
• Convert frequently escalated issues into documented Tier 1 procedures where appropriate.
  
• Contribute to continuous improvement of the Service Desk knowledge base.
  

8. Tier 1 Mentoring & Technical Leadership

• Mentor and coach Tier 1 Helpdesk Technicians.
  
• Assist junior technicians in developing structured troubleshooting methodologies.
  
• Provide guidance on escalation criteria and incident prioritisation.
  
• Review ticket quality and provide feedback where troubleshooting or documentation is insufficient.
  
• Share technical knowledge with the broader IT team.
  
• Support the development of Tier 1 technicians toward more advanced technical responsibilities.
  
• Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, documentation, and continuous improvement.
  

9. IT Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to automate repetitive IT support activities.
  
• Assist with PowerShell scripts and other operational automation.
  
• Participate in testing and deployment of new technologies.
  
• Assist with IT infrastructure and endpoint projects.
  
• Recommend improvements to IT support processes and technical standards.
  
• Participate in change implementation and post-change validation.
  
• Assist with capacity, asset, and configuration management activities where required.
  

Requirements

Education

• Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, or equivalent qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
  

Relevant professional certifications may be considered alongside practical experience.

Preferred Certifications

One or more of the following would be advantageous:

• CompTIA A+
  
• CompTIA Network+
  
• CompTIA Security+
  
• Microsoft Certified: Endpoint Administrator (MD-102)
  
• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
  
• Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900)
  
• ITIL Foundation
  
• Relevant Microsoft 365 or Azure certifications
  
• CCNA or equivalent networking certification
  

Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years of professional IT support experience.
  
• At least 1–2 years in a Tier 2, Senior Helpdesk, Desktop Support, or equivalent technical support role.
  
• Demonstrable experience resolving incidents beyond standard first-line troubleshooting.
  
• Experience working within a structured Service Desk or ITSM environment.
  
• Experience working against defined SLAs and escalation procedures.
  
• Experience supporting users in a corporate or enterprise environment.
  

Experience within a 24/7, BPO, contact center, managed services, or high-availability environment would be advantageous.

Technical Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong practical knowledge of:

• Windows 10 and Windows 11
  
• macOS support
  
• Active Directory
  
• Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD
  
• Microsoft 365
  
• Group Policy
  
• User and access administration
  
• Multi-factor authentication
  
• TCP/IP networking
  
• DHCP and DNS
  
• VLANs
  
• VPNs and remote-access technologies
  
• Endpoint hardware troubleshooting
  
• Application installation and troubleshooting
  
• Remote administration tools
  
• ITSM/helpdesk platforms
  
• Endpoint security fundamentals
  
• PowerShell fundamentals
  
• Technical logging and diagnostics
  
• Root-cause analysis
  

Exposure to virtual desktop technologies such as Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), or VMware Horizon would be advantageous.

Behavioral Competencies

Analytical Problem Solving

Able to systematically diagnose complex technical problems, distinguish symptoms from underlying causes, and develop sustainable solutions.

Ownership & Accountability

Takes responsibility for escalated incidents and drives them toward resolution rather than simply transferring tickets between teams.

Communication

Communicates technical information clearly to users, junior technicians, management, vendors, and specialist technical teams.

Technical Documentation

Produces concise, accurate, and reusable technical documentation.

Mentorship

Supports the development of junior technicians through coaching, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback.

Customer Service

Maintains professionalism and urgency while supporting users experiencing technical disruption.

Prioritisation

Able to manage multiple incidents simultaneously while considering SLA, severity, operational impact, and business priorities.

Security Awareness

Understands the responsibility associated with privileged access and follows security, access-control, and change-management procedures.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance may be measured against:

• Tier 2 SLA achievement
  
• Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)
  
• Escalated ticket resolution rate
  
• First-touch resolution of Tier 2 incidents
  
• Ticket backlog and ageing
  
• Repeat incident reduction
  
• Quality and completeness of ticket documentation
  
• Root-cause analysis quality
  
• Knowledge base and SOP contributions
  
• Successful Tier 1 knowledge transfer
  
• Customer/user satisfaction
  
• Change success rate
  
• Compliance with security and access-management procedures