Help Desk Lead

Help Desk Lead

Department: Information Technology
Position Type: Full-time (35 hrs./week)
Location: Essex, Ontario (Hybrid)
Posting #: COE-12-25
Opening Date: February 25, 2025
Closing Date: March 5, 2025

Role Snapshot (Our Elevator Pitch!)

Are you a detail-oriented IT professional with a passion for problem-solving and team collaboration? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where efficiency and customer service are key? Join the County of Essex as a Help Desk Lead, where you’ll play a critical role in ensuring the seamless operation of IT support services, assisting with advanced technical troubleshooting, and leading process improvements to enhance efficiency and service quality.

Why Work With Us?

The County, as we like to call ourselves, is an upper-tier municipal government organization, providing programs and services to approximately 193,000 residents within the Essex County region and some shared services to approximately 422,000 within the Windsor-Essex region.

We operate in Canada’s warmest and southernmost County, surrounded on three sides by water and blessed with unrivalled opportunities for boating, fishing, cycling, golfing and other recreational pursuits. One of Ontario’s best-kept secrets, the County offers an affordable mix of urban and rural living with easy access to world-class amenities and schools. We are located next to the urban center of Windsor and just minutes from downtown Detroit. With comprehensive benefits, professional development opportunities, and a culture built on respect and inclusivity, we are proud to support our people in achieving their goals.

About the Team

As the Help Desk Lead, you will be a key member of our Information Technology team, working closely with the Manager, Information Technology to coordinate the daily operations of the Help Desk. You’ll collaborate with a team of skilled IT professionals committed to delivering top-tier technical support and optimizing IT services.

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will be responsible for:

1. Task Coordination and Oversight
   • Assign and prioritize tasks within the Help Desk team to ensure timely resolution of IT support requests in alignment with service level agreements (SLAs)
   • Monitor the ticketing system to track issue progress, escalate concerns, and ensure efficient resolution
   • Act as the primary point of contact for updates on ongoing tasks, projects, and system issues, providing regular reports to management
   • Ensure assigned tasks align with departmental goals and organizational priorities
2. Advanced Technical Support
   • Provide expert troubleshooting for escalated hardware, software, network, audio-visual, and collaboration platform issues
   • Support Help Desk Analysts by offering guidance on complex or unresolved technical challenges
   • Own technical issues through to resolution, ensuring comprehensive documentation and clear communication with stakeholders
3. Team Support and Knowledge Sharing
   • Assist Help Desk Analysts in developing technical problem-solving skills and expanding their IT knowledge base
   • Document recurring issues, resolutions, and best practices to promote team-wide knowledge-sharing
   • Promote adherence to IT policies, procedures, and security best practices
4. Communication and Liaison
   • Serve as the liaison between the Help Desk team and IT management, providing updates, feedback, and reports on performance metrics
   • Communicate system changes, updates, and known issues to internal teams and key stakeholders
   • Collaborate with other IT teams and departments as required for troubleshooting or project support
5. System Monitoring and Reporting
   • Oversee ticketing system activity to identify trends and proactively address recurring IT challenges
   • Provide performance reports, tracking ticket resolution times and identifying opportunities for service improvements
   • Monitor IT systems to detect and respond to potential technical issues proactively
6. Continuous Improvement and Process Enhancement
   • Assist management in identifying and implementing IT service process improvements
   • Contribute to the adoption of tools and workflows that enhance Help Desk efficiency and service delivery
   • Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to support ongoing improvements

What You Bring

Education and Commitment to Growth:

• 2-year college diploma in Networking, Application Development, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline
• CompTIA A+ Certification

Experience and Expertise:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in IT end-user support or technical troubleshooting roles
• Experience in task coordination, team leadership, or mentoring is considered an asset

Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and prioritize tasks in a team-oriented environment
• Strong troubleshooting expertise in hardware, software, networks, and collaboration tools
• Knowledge of ITSM frameworks such as ITIL, ITSM, or COBIT is a strong asset
• Familiarity with municipal government applications is preferred
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to handle complex technical issues
• Strong documentation skills, ensuring detailed records of resolutions and procedures
• Effective verbal and written communication to convey technical information to non-technical users
• Ability to analyze trends, generate reports, and contribute to process improvements
• High attention to detail with the ability to prioritize and manage workload under pressure
• Strong customer service orientation with a focus on delivering timely issue resolution
• Experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

Other Requirements:

• Must possess and maintain a valid Class “G” Ontario driver’s license and have access to a personal vehicle for work-related travel within Windsor and/or the County of Essex
• Must provide a Ministry of Transportation Driver Abstract (Uncertified)
• Must provide a Police Information Check (PIC) document

What We Are Offering

As a CUPE 2974.1 position, this role is on Band 11 with a starting hourly rate of $35.71 (effective April 1, 2025). The benefit package is second to none and the defined benefit plan of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (O.M.E.R.S) is a pension system sought by many.

The Application Journey

Your journey starts here. Submit your application online at the Career Opportunities section of our website at www.countyofessex.ca by March 6, 2025. If selected, you will be contacted by our HR team to participate in our hiring process.

We believe in a thoughtful and transparent hiring process designed to identify the best candidate for the role while allowing you to learn about us. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Application Submission

   Interested applicants must submit their resume and cover letter through our online application portal at www.countyofessex.ca by March 6, 2025.

2. Initial Screening

   Our hiring team will review applications to shortlist candidates whose skills, qualifications, and experience closely match the role’s requirements.

3. Phone Interview

   Shortlisted candidates will participate in a 15-minute phone interview to discuss their background, interest in the role, and alignment with our organizational culture.

4. Comprehensive Interview Panel

   Selected candidates will participate in a structured interview with representatives from IT and HR to assess:

   • Leadership skills and experience in task coordination
   • Technical problem-solving abilities
   • Communication skills and customer service orientation
   • Familiarity with ITSM frameworks and municipal IT operations
5. Offer and Onboarding

   If selected, you’ll receive a formal offer outlining the terms of employment. Upon acceptance, our onboarding team will work with you to ensure a smooth transition, including introductions to your team, access to tools and systems, and a comprehensive overview of your first 90 days.

The County of Essex embraces diversity and inclusion in our workforce and workplace. We are committed to building inclusive teams and an equitable environment for people to be themselves. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate needs under human rights legislation throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please let us know of any accommodations through hr@countyofessex.ca. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially. This information can be made available in alternate formats upon request.

Personal information is collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for employment opportunities only.