IT Service Desk Specialist

Location: On-Site in Toronto

 Job Type: Full Time - Perm

Hours: Mon-Fri, 40 hours/week

• All our roles are currently remote.
• Office equipment supplied!
• Comprehensive benefits package. We want our employees to stay healthy!
• Monthly wellness activities to support your mental and physical health
• Home Improvement Credit: All employees receive a yearly credit to use toward a service from HomeStars
• December Closure: Our whole team takes a break in the last week of December, every year
• Personal Days: 5 extra days off per year, on top of vacation and sick days
• Beautiful brick & beam office in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, including a rec room with lounge, ping pong, darts, and foosball

• As a Service Desk Specialist at HomeStars, you'll be our go-to expert for resolving technical issues and ensuring our IT systems run smoothly. Your role involves providing user support, creating documentation, and establishing support standards. You'll need strong problem-solving and communication skills, adaptability, and a customer-focused mindset to excel in this dynamic environment.
• This role is required to be in the Toronto office on a full-time basis, Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, to ensure that we provide the highest level of support to HomeStars and its employees.

• Standards and Processes: Create and maintain HomeStars' standards and processes shaping the foundation for our Technical Support team.
• User Support Specialist: Provide responsive and effective support to our growing team of over 250 members, assisting with account creations, account resets, and resolving laptop and technology-related issues.
• Resource Facilitator: Offer support for both vendor products and internal tooling, ensuring that our colleagues have the resources they need to excel.
• Proactive Issue Resolution: Identify recurring technical issues and work on long-term solutions to minimize their occurrence, ultimately enhancing system reliability.
• End-User Training: Conduct training sessions or create educational materials to empower end-users with the knowledge and skills needed to address common technical challenges independently.
• Hardware and Software Inventory Management: Maintain accurate records of hardware and software assets, including tracking, procurement, and retirement of equipment.
• Collaboration with Vendors: Liaise with third-party vendors and service providers to escalate and resolve complex technical issues and ensure efficient vendor communication.
• Security Awareness: Stay up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity threats and educate end-users about best data security and privacy practices.
• Documentation Maintenance: Continuously update and improve user help documentation, ensuring it remains current and relevant to support end-users effectively.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitor system performance and proactively identify potential bottlenecks or issues, taking corrective actions as necessary.
• Collaboration with Development and SRE Teams: Work closely with the Development and SRE teams to assist in infrastructure and network-related tasks, contributing to a cohesive IT environment.
• Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from end-users regarding their experiences with technical support and use this input to drive improvements in service quality.
• Emergency Response: Be available for on-call support or assist in addressing critical technical incidents outside of regular working hours when needed.

• More than 3 years of user support experience and a three-year degree in a computer-related field: Demonstrated experience in providing technical support or relevant educational background to ensure a strong foundation in user assistance.
• Proficiency in supporting and troubleshooting technical issues with non-technical end-users: Ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical team members and assist them in resolving issues.
• Familiarity with ticketing systems like JIRA or similar platforms: Experience with ticketing systems to efficiently manage and prioritize support requests.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills: The capability to analyze issues, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills: Clear and concise communication, both written and verbal, is essential for providing top-notch user support and creating documentation.
• Customer-oriented mindset: A commitment to delivering exceptional service and ensuring end-users' needs and satisfaction are met.
• Adaptability and a willingness to learn: The ability to quickly adapt to new technologies, processes, and tools as the IT landscape evolves.
• Flexibility to work from the office (downtown Toronto) (100% of the time): Willingness to work in the office as needed to meet business requirements and support the teams effectively.
• Working experience with administration of Google Workspace, Atlassian suite (Jira, Confluence), Slack workspaces, Zoom, Laptop and asset inventory management, Patch management system for workstations.

• Experience with git or other Source Code Management (SCM) tools: Familiarity with version control systems to assist with technical tasks and collaborate with developers effectively.
• Proficiency in writing technical documentation: Ability to create clear and comprehensive technical documentation to enhance user understanding and self-service capabilities.
• Basic knowledge of cloud computing platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS): Understanding of cloud services to support internal tooling and user onboarding processes.
• Certifications in relevant IT disciplines: Any relevant certifications, such as CompTIA A , ITIL, or Microsoft certifications, that demonstrate expertise in IT support and best practices.
• Scripting or coding skills (e.g., PowerShell, Python): Basic scripting or coding abilities to automate tasks and improve efficiency in technical support.

About HomeStars

HomeStars is Canada’s leading platform connecting homeowners with qualified service professionals for their home improvement needs. Every month, over half a million homeowners visit HomeStars to research and select the best-rated professionals nearby. Check out homestars.com to learn more!

HomeStars Core Values

Our Core Values are woven into everything we do. They guide how we behave, how we act, and what we will aspire to be. They underpin the culture of HomeStars and act as drivers for impact, personal growth, and collective performance.

Customer Obsessed: When our customers thrive, we thrive. We put their needs first.

Think Big: We think without limits. We believe in the possible.

Embrace Candor: We speak up, listen, and challenge respectfully.

Act Like an Owner: We’re invested, we own our outcomes.

Bias for Action: We take action to accelerate our success. Speed matters.

We’re Stronger Together: Our differences empower us, and our will to win unites us.

HomeStars has recently been recognized as:

Great Place to Work® Certified™

Best Workplaces in Inclusion 2023

Best Workplaces in Technology 2023

Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness 2023

Best Workplace™ with Most Trusted Executive Teams 2023

Best Workplaces™ Managed by Women 2023

Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures 2023

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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