IT and Security Support Specialist

Position Purpose:

Working directly with the Vice President of Information Security, this role will serve as the first line of response for technical support and security operations. This role is designed for a highly motivated recent graduate looking to gain hands-on experience by working closely alongside our IT Systems Administrator and Information Security Lead. You will not be working in a silo; instead, you will be part of a collaborative team environment that encourages mentorship and cross-training. The successful candidate will maintain daily IT operations, assist with user management, and help enforce security protocols.

Essential Functions:

• Act as the primary point of contact for resolving user hardware, software, and network connectivity issues, escalating complex problems to the Systems Administrator or InfoSec Lead as needed.
• Handle user provisioning, modification, and de-provisioning by creating accounts, managing permissions, and ensuring proper access controls are applied.
• Assist the Information Security Lead in monitoring systems for security alerts, performing basic triage on potential security incidents, and ensuring endpoint protection tools are active and updated on all user machines.
• Collaborate with the IT Systems Administrator to perform routine maintenance tasks including system patching, hardware deployment, asset inventory tracking, and software updates.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Support end users with software and email issues.
• Support on-premise Active Directory and cloud Entra environment.
• Stay up-to-date on information technology trends and security standards.

Education and Training

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Information Security, or Computer Science.

Minimum Qualifications

• Prior internship experience in an IT support, helpdesk, or cybersecurity role, with one year of professional experience in a similar role considered a strong plus.
• Familiarity with directory services and identity management environments such as Active Directory or Entra ID/Azure.
• Understanding of networking concepts, firewalls, web proxies, SIEM, email, and vulnerability management concepts.
• Understanding of patch management with the ability to deploy patches in a timely manner while understanding business impact.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Knowledge of the current IT threat landscape and emerging trends.

Physical Demands

• Lift up to 50 lbs.

Environmental Conditions

• 5 days a week onsite in Schaumburg, IL.

Behavioral Traits

• Advanced oral and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work with all levels of users and management within an organization.