Senior Laboratory Support Specialist

Position Summary

The Senior Laboratory Support Specialist is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the information technology laboratory facilities including the overall planning, servicing, repairing, purchasing, and designing. This role provides technical assistance to students, faculty, the Academic Program Manager, and the Chair in all matters concerning the laboratories and the infrastructure. The incumbent will assist other technical support staff with the setup and maintenance of the other laboratory equipment used by the School.

Responsibilities also include maintaining records and controlling capital equipment and operating supplies within the overall School of IT Administration & Security (SITAS/ ITAS ) security laboratory budget.

The incumbent will also hire, train, and supervise student lab assistants.

The position may require travel or rotation between campuses.

Responsibilities

Operations Support:

Proactively manages ITAS network, including systems, OS, hardware, and services within acceptable limits.

Provides server and equipment support.

Supports virtualization software and maintains data storage units.

Handles system backup, recovery, application, and system support.

Maintains and optimizes LAN network; sets up and configures LAN switches and firewalls.

Monitors network traffic, generates detailed reports, and troubleshoots communication issues.

Researches and recommends software and hardware solutions for ITAS labs and servers.

Assists with infrastructure planning and growth.

Develops documentation, including network diagrams and inventory with lifecycle plans.

Manages security, including system passwords and access rights on ITAS network appliances.

Faculty and Student Support

Collaborates with faculty to design and modify lab functionality.

Sets up lab environments and prepares virtual machines for labs, projects, and assessments.

Answers student questions about lab assignments and course material to reinforce faculty instruction.

Maintains technical information for lab activities.

Manages access to vendor-specific training materials, ensuring compliance with ITAS and ITS policies and cost approvals.

Budget and purchase monitoring

Collaborates with faculty, other members of the support staff, and the Chair ( Or designate) to determine the required ITAS laboratory equipment.

Contacts and arranges with suppliers to have teaching systems and/or capital equipment demonstrated and evaluated; make recommendations for purchases and/or partnerships

Initiates purchase requisitions for acquisition of capital equipment and consumable supplies.

Liaises with the purchasing office, accounts payable, and shipping/receiving to follow up on the status of these goods and services for payment purposes and to track operational budgets.

Controls operating supplies and maintenance budgets. Maintaining records on consumable supplies and capital equipment expenditures.

Technology Development

Investigates and researches the use of the latest technological developments and innovations in the IT security industry.

Liaises with manufacturers and/or suppliers to locate and acquire information on these technology trends.

Train ITAS technical support members for coverage and actively participate in providing mutual support.

Qualifications

Education

Minimum three (3) year Diploma/Degree in Computer Systems Technology; Computer Science; Computer Engineering Technology IT Security or related field. If in another field, please state how it relates.

Cisco or Aruba and/or Network+ certification is required

Other certifications including CISA, CISSP, CEH or Security+ is an asset.

WHMIS, Ladder Safety training, First Aid & CPR in progress or in good standing

Experience

Minimum eight (8) years of progressive experience in an IT administrative role-networking/infrastructure environment

IT experience in a post-secondary lab environment is an asset

Skills

Strong ability to lead team of resources on a project.

Strong interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, with experience coaching diverse stakeholders.

Expertise in handling complex technology assignments and adapting software support methods to changing environments.

Proficient in IT security issue management, tracking, and analyzing complex software problems.

Advanced skills in operating and manipulating systems software, creating/modifying programs/scripts, and performing systems management functions.

Excellent organizational, time management, and problem-solving abilities, with a strong understanding of computer hardware, peripherals, and software applications.

Capability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, travel between campuses if needed, and provide standby support as required.

Note:

A skills assessment test will be administered during the recruitment process.

A combination of relevant experience and education may be considered as equivalent to the above requirements in the event that there are no internal applicants that meet the qualifications as posted. Equivalency will be assessed by the talent acquisition team.