State of Maryland

An Information Technology (IT) Technical Support Specialist Trainee is the entry level of work maintaining and modifying operating systems for multipurpose, multi‑tasking computers. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from an IT Technical Support Specialist Supervisor or other data processing administrator. Employees may be required to work on evenings, weekends and holidays and may be subject to call‑in.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the classification specification.

The IT Technical Support Specialist Trainee, IT Technical Support Specialist I and IT Technical Support Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The IT Technical Support Specialist Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The IT Technical Support Specialist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The IT Technical Support Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to install, test, debug and maintain new and revised operating system software or data communication software;

Learns to develop programs, procedures and standards for interfaces between software applications programs, the user processes, the communication subsystems and the computer operating system;

Learns to document and maintain operating system or data communication system procedures and revisions and inform data processing personnel as necessary;

Learns to secure the central processing unit, peripherals and stored data from unauthorized access and disturbance or destruction of data or operating capability through system security software and recovery procedures;

Learns to prepare disaster recovery plans and perform backup procedures to facilitate recovery of stored data and data processing operations;

Learns to plan and participate in the conduct of long and short range studies for determining the feasibility of converting to or modifying existing data processing systems including the operating system capacity requirements;

Learns to coordinate with vendor representatives in the installation or testing phases of new hardware or system software;

Learns to resolve issues related to operating systems procedures with operations staff, other data processing personnel and systems users;

Learns to program supplemental service routines and utility programs using third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages;

Learns to monitor computer system performance and utilization, modify operating system parameters and make adjustments to disk space allocations to fine tune system performance according to established performance standards for system response times;

Studies technical literature and attends workshops, seminars and training classes to keep abreast of the latest developments in data processing technology;

May learn to make recommendations for modifications to applications programming to enhance system performance and utilization;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of computer programming;

Knowledge of third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages;

Knowledge of the functions and capabilities of multipurpose, multi tasking computer systems and related data communications systems;

Ability to learn the principles and practices of maintaining and modifying operating systems for multipurpose, multi tasking computers;

Ability to learn machine and assembler languages;

Ability to learn to install, modify and maintain operating system software and data communication software;

Ability to learn to document new and revised operating system or data communication system procedures and standards;

Ability to learn to use diagnostic and performance tools and other software products to maintain established data processing standards;

Ability to learn to apply inductive and deductive reasoning to reach logical solutions to technical support problems;

Ability to communicate effectively and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with systems users, vendors, computer operations personnel and IT Programmer Analysts.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Eighteen months of experience converting data from project specifications by writing program code using third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages or designing, developing and maintaining communication networks for multipurpose, multi-tasking computers.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute experience operating multi-purpose, multi-tasking computer systems; or scheduling, controlling input and output or maintaining a tape library to process data on multipurpose, multi-tasking computer systems; or evaluating, implementing and maintaining microcomputer hardware and software; or converting data from project specifications by developing program code using third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute fifteen credit hours from an accredited college or university in systems analysis and applications programming using third generation or other generally accepted computer programming languages for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in the Computer Systems Operations classifications or Computer Systems Operations specialty codes in the Information Technology field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.