Applications Support Specialist in Park Ridge, Illinois at Marshall Investigative Group

Sphere is a licensed private investigative firm. The Applications Support Specialist is the right hand to the Director of IT, owning the day-to-day technology operations that keep staff productive. Reports directly to the Director of IT.

About the Role:

The Applications Support Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation and optimal performance of business applications within the organization. This position is responsible for providing technical support, troubleshooting issues, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to resolve application-related problems efficiently. The specialist will work closely with end-users to understand their needs, provide timely solutions, and enhance user satisfaction. Additionally, this role involves monitoring application performance, implementing updates, and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives. Ultimately, the Applications Support Specialist ensures that business applications remain reliable, secure, and aligned with organizational goals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Associate's degree or higher in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent combination of certifications and hands-on experience.
• Experience: 2+ years in an IT support, desktop support, or applications support role.
• Certifications: CompTIA A+ required. Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900) required or willingness to obtain within 90 days of hire.
• Hardware aptitude: Hands-on experience building and troubleshooting PCs at the component level. You should be able to spec a workstation for a specific use case — not just order what a vendor recommends.
• Software stack: Working familiarity with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, OneNote). TrackOps experience is a plus; we'll train if not.
• Disposition: Bright, curious, and quick to learn. Clear written communicator — you can write an SOP a non-technical investigator can actually follow. Self-starting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with IT service management (ITSM) tools and processes.
• Knowledge of cloud-based application environments and deployment models.
• Basic REST API structure knowledge

Responsibilities:

• Employee Software Support: Installation, account creation, and Tier 1 support for our current software stack — TrackOps, Microsoft 365 (including SharePoint and OneNote), Scribe, and Foxit.
• End-User Training, Documentation & Knowledge Base: Writing SOPs for how staff perform tasks in our systems; training staff on those systems; ensuring software is being used correctly and consistently.
• Hardware Deployment: Specifying and ordering computers and equipment matched to staff needs; coordinating with our external IT vendor on deployment; verifying that delivered machines arrive with the correct software installed and configured.
• Bug Logging: Documenting issues staff encounter with software or tools and submitting them to R&D for fixes and deployment.

Skills:

The Applications Support Specialist utilizes technical troubleshooting skills daily to diagnose and resolve application issues, ensuring minimal downtime and disruption. Communication skills are essential for effectively liaising between end-users and technical teams, translating complex technical information into understandable terms. Analytical skills help in monitoring application performance and identifying trends that may indicate underlying problems. Familiarity with scripting and automation tools enables the specialist to streamline repetitive tasks and improve support efficiency. Additionally, knowledge of ITSM practices supports structured incident management and continuous service improvement.

Marshall Investigative Group is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity within our company culture. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.