Desktop Support Engineer II / IT Specialist in Macon, Georgia at American Pride Bank

American Pride Bank was founded in 2007 by first-generation Americans and entrepreneurs to ensure everyone has fair access to financial products and services needed to achieve their American Dream. Our mission is to build a diverse-owned bank that serves ambitious, underestimated people and places, creating pathways for generational wealth, growing local economies, and reducing economic disparities. We are more than a bank; we are trusted partners who ensure every customer and business owner can achieve their American Dream. We take pride in seeing our communities prosper and knowing we played a part in that success. Our niche is serving small business owners, providing dignity in banking, and making people feel seen and valued. Through it all, we offer responsive, flexible, and tailored banking services that allow our customers to make money, build wealth, and secure a long-term legacy of financial well-being.

About the role

The Desktop Support Engineer II / IT Specialist is the first point of contact for employees who need technical help, resolving Tier 1 and Tier 2 issues quickly and escalating advanced problems to the right third-party provider or internal team. The role covers user access and account management, network and VPN connectivity, and end-user hardware and software support. This is a hybrid role for Middle Georgia, Tampa, FL, or Sarasota, FL.

What you'll do

Tier 1 Help Desk Support

• Serve as the first point of contact for employees by phone, email, chat, walk-up, and ticketing portal.
• Log, categorize, prioritize, and track every request in the ticketing system (e.g., Happy Fox, ServiceNow, Jira Service Management).
• Diagnose and resolve common issues such as slow performance, application errors, printer faults, peripheral problems, and email or calendar sync.
• Provide remote support using tools such as Microsoft Teams, TeamViewer, Quick Assist, or ConnectWise.
• Escalate unresolved or complex incidents to the appropriate third-party provider or internal team with clear notes and steps already taken, and follow up until closure.
• Meet service level agreements (SLAs) for response and resolution times.

Access and Account Management

• Create, modify, disable, and delete user accounts in Active Directory / Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) according to onboarding and offboarding procedures.
• Reset passwords, unlock accounts, and verify user identity before granting access.
• Assign and remove access to shared drives, security groups, distribution lists, applications, and licenses (e.g., Microsoft 365).
• Support multi-factor authentication (MFA) enrollment and troubleshooting, and single sign-on (SSO) issues.
• Process access requests following least-privilege principles and approval workflows, and maintain an audit trail.
• Assist with periodic access reviews and compliance requests.

Networking and Connectivity

• Troubleshoot wired and wireless connectivity problems on user devices and in the office.
• Diagnose issues involving IP addressing, DHCP, DNS, and basic routing using tools such as ping, tracert, nslookup, and ipconfig.
• Check the status of switches, access points, patch panels, and network ports, and coordinate with the network team on faults.
• Support network printers, VoIP phones, and other networked peripherals.
• Document network issues and escalate suspected outages or infrastructure faults.

VPN and Remote Access

• Install, configure, and troubleshoot VPN clients (e.g., Cisco AnyConnect, GlobalProtect, FortiClient, or the company-standard solution) on Windows and macOS devices.
• Resolve VPN issues such as failed authentication, certificate errors, split-tunneling problems, and dropped connections.
• Support remote and hybrid employees with secure access to internal resources, virtual desktops, and cloud applications.
• Coordinate with the network and security teams on VPN profile changes, access policies, and incidents.

Hardware, Software, and Endpoint Management

• Set up, configure, deploy, and image laptops, desktops, monitors, docking stations, and mobile devices.
• Install, update, and troubleshoot operating systems (Windows, macOS) and business applications.
• Manage endpoints with tools such as Microsoft Intune, SCCM/Configuration Manager, or Jamf, including patching and software deployment.
• Handle hardware diagnostics, repairs, warranty claims, and vendor coordination.
• Maintain IT asset inventory, including tracking of assignments, returns, and disposals.
• Confirm that endpoint security tools (antivirus/EDR, disk encryption) are installed and working.

Documentation and Continuous Improvement

• Write and update knowledge base articles, how-to guides, and standard operating procedures.
• Identify recurring issues and recommend fixes or user training to reduce ticket volume.
• Support IT projects such as OS upgrades, office moves, and new system rollouts.
• Follow company security, data protection, and change management policies.

Branch Office Support

• Provide remote and, when needed, on-site support to branch office staff, treating their requests with the same priority and SLAs as headquarters.
• Coordinate with branch managers and local contacts on equipment needs, onboarding and offboarding, office moves, and scheduled maintenance.
• Troubleshoot branch-specific issues such as site-to-site VPN or WAN connectivity, local network equipment, printers, and phone systems.
• Work with remote hands, local contractors, and couriers to ship, install, and replace hardware at branch locations.
• Keep branch asset inventories, network diagrams, and site documentation current.
• Apply standard images, security configurations, and patching consistently across all branch endpoints.

Third-Party Technology Service Providers and Issue Remediation

• Act as the day-to-day contact for third-party vendors and managed service providers (e.g., ISPs, telecom carriers, managed network or security providers, hardware vendors, and software support teams).
• Open, track, and escalate vendor support cases and warranty claims, holding providers accountable to agreed SLAs and following up until resolution.
• Provide vendors with accurate diagnostic details, logs, and business impact to speed up troubleshooting.
• Coordinate vendor access to company systems and sites, following security, approval, and change management procedures.
• Verify that vendor fixes work and confirm resolution with the affected users before closing tickets.
• Perform root cause analysis on recurring or high-impact incidents, remediate the underlying issues, and document the corrective actions and lessons learned.
• Report vendor performance issues and recurring problems to IT management, and recommend improvements or changes in provider arrangements where warranted.

Technology Architecture Involvement

• Contribute frontline user and endpoint perspective to architecture discussions on networks, identity and access, endpoint platforms, and cloud services.
• Help evaluate, pilot, and document new tools, standards, and configurations before wider rollout.
• Follow approved architecture standards, baseline images, and naming and configuration conventions so that deployments stay consistent and supportable.
• Flag design gaps, single points of failure, and recurring pain points found through support work, and recommend improvements.
• Support technology refreshes, migrations, and integrations, including testing and user communication.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

• Support the organization's business continuity (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR) plans by keeping runbooks, contact lists, and recovery procedures accurate.
• Take part in backup verification, failover tests, and DR exercises, and document the results and any issues found.
• Restore service quickly during outages by following incident response procedures, including re-imaging devices, restoring user data, and setting up temporary or alternate access (such as VPN or loaner equipment).
• Maintain readiness for remote work and branch office continuity, including spare equipment and alternate connectivity options.
• Communicate status to affected users and IT leadership during major incidents, and contribute to post-incident reviews.

Separation of Duties and Governance

• Understand and collaborate with the Information Security and apply separation of duties: the person who requests, approves, implements, and reviews a change or access grant should not be the same person where policy requires otherwise.
• Perform only the access and administrative tasks within the role's assigned authority, and route privileged or out-of-scope requests to the appropriate approver or team.
• Follow documented approval workflows for access changes, new accounts, administrative rights, and system changes, and never bypass them, even for urgent or senior requests.
• Use individual named accounts and least-privilege access, keep administrative credentials separate from day-to-day accounts, and never share credentials.
• Keep complete, accurate ticket records so that access decisions and changes can be audited.
• Support internal and external audits and compliance requests, and report suspected policy violations or conflicts of interest.

Escalation and Handoff

• Resolve Tier 1 and Tier 2 issues in-house; escalate advanced remediation (such as network infrastructure faults, server or cloud platform issues, and complex software or security problems) to the responsible third-party provider.
• Know which provider owns each system, service, and site, how to contact them, and what their support hours and SLAs are.
• Before escalating, confirm the issue, gather logs and screenshots, record the steps already tried, and state the business impact and priority.
• Open the vendor case, record the case number in the internal ticket, and stay the point of contact for the user until the issue is resolved.
• Escalate to IT management when a provider misses an SLA, an outage affects many users, or a security or business continuity risk is involved.
• Use the Tier 3 / provider handoff to learn from each fix, and add the resolution to the knowledge base so similar issues can be handled in-house next time.

Qualifications

Experience and Education

• 2 to 4 years of experience in a help desk or desktop support role, including Tier 2 troubleshooting and working with outside service providers.
• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Technical Skills

• Windows 10/11 and macOS support, including installation, configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID user and group administration.
• Microsoft 365 administration basics (Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, licensing).
• Networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, Wi-Fi, and common network troubleshooting tools.
• Experience supporting VPN clients and remote-access solutions.
• Familiarity with MFA and SSO tools (e.g., Microsoft Authenticator, Okta, Duo).
• Experience with a ticketing / ITSM platform and remote support tools.
• Working knowledge of printers, peripherals, mobile devices, and common business applications.
• Basic understanding of cybersecurity practices, including phishing awareness, patching, and endpoint protection.

Architecture, Continuity, and Governance Knowledge

• Understanding of IT architecture concepts, including how identity, network, endpoint, and cloud layers fit together.
• Familiarity with business continuity and disaster recovery concepts such as backups, RTO/RPO, failover, and incident response.
• Working knowledge of separation of duties, least privilege, change management, and approval workflows.
• Awareness of common compliance and security frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, as relevant to the organization).

• CompTIA A+, Network+, or Security+
• Microsoft certifications such as MS-900 or SC-900
• ITIL 4 Foundation or HDI Support Center Analyst
• Experience with Intune, Jamf, or SCCM for endpoint management
• Experience in a regulated environment (e.g., healthcare, finance) with compliance requirements

• Customer service: Patient, courteous, and able to explain technical concepts to non-technical users.
• Problem solving: Methodical troubleshooting, with the judgment to know when to escalate.
• Communication: Clear written and verbal communication, including accurate ticket notes and documentation.
• Time management: Able to prioritize competing requests and meet SLAs in a fast-paced environment.
• Reliability and integrity: Handles sensitive account and access information with discretion.
• Teamwork: Works well with other IT teams, vendors, and business stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Willing to learn new tools and technologies and to take on new responsibilities.