The Requirements

To meet the basic qualifications for this role you must have:

• 2 years of Level 1 Help Desk experience Quick question for you - click here
• Legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship

To be a strong fit for the Technology Coordinator / IT Support opportunity, you will have:

• An associate’s (two-year) degree in Computer Science or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 4+ years of Level 1 and 2 Help Desk experience preferred  Quick question for you - click here
• Demonstrated success troubleshooting PC related problems in a Windows XP environment
• Strong technical knowledge of computers, networks, systems & the Internet including the ability to:
  • Answer basic troubleshooting questions for desktop computers / laptops
  • Support and maintain a LAN/Server
  • Install system changes
  • Provide sign-on maintenance/assistance
  • Set-up and maintain networked computers
  • Order network office computers and track maintenance agreements
• Basic understanding of printers, telecommunications/phone systems, video conferencing and office equipment preferred Quick question for you - click here
• Experience working with vendors preferred

In addition to your technical skills, success will require the following core competencies and characteristics:

• Excellent interpersonal skills to work with users and vendors and leverage diplomacy in obtaining information and cooperation to solve technical problems/issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• The ability to balance multiple priorities; strong demand management skills
• A proactive, forward thinker with a go-getter personality and a strong sense of urgency

In addition to supporting the Network office in Boston, you will support a district office located in Woburn. You will be seated in Boston and travel to Woburn approximately twice per month. As our growth continues, another district office could be added, in which case you'd take on responsibility for that office too. Because you will be supporting only two locations initially, travel could be lighter. In time, you can expect travel to be 10%-20%, including visits between offices and initial and quarterly training with the technology team at our Corporate Offices in Milwaukee. Quick question for you - click here

The Role

Boston Office & Culture
Ours is a newer network office with engaged, inclusive leadership at the helm. We are undergoing positive change and there is a lot of energy in the office. We're also proactively growing and bringing on new Financial Representatives and staff, meaning you'll be setting up systems and spending a good deal of your time getting people started.

Prompted by our new leadership, the office is undergoing a bit of a cultural shift. We are working to create an inclusive environment where all levels of Financial Representatives, FR staff and office staff interact, collaborate and work effectively together, rather than generally working within their group silos. You will help create the warm, family-oriented environment we're actively building through the support you deliver.

We have a nice mix of newer, mid-career and legacy employees (FRs and staff), some of whom embrace technology while others need a strong and supportive tech team (trainer and IT support) to promote the value of technology adoption. To be successful, you'll need to earn credibility and consistently demonstrate the value of the program. Pictured right: Aaron Aaron Miller, Managing Partner, Boston.

Role Details
Across two offices (Boston and Woburn), you will support approximately 40 Financial Representatives (FRs) selling our products, and 60 total staff members supporting clients and the FRs. With rapid growth underway, you can expect that number to increase in short order. 

As Technology Coordinator, you will act as an IT support resource and be responsible for providing both Level 1 and 2 operational productivity assistance to internal customers. Your high-reaching mission will be to build professional relationships and credibility that lead users to continue to adopt technology, see it as an invaluable tool to their success, and view you as the "go-to" expert who will support their technology needs. You will focus on hardware primarily (computers, network) and partner with the local Technology Productivity Consultant / Trainer (TPC) who will train and support the staff on a wide variety of software. Additionally, you will provide 100% technology support across your assigned network of offices and across technologies, including all office equipment beyond computers (e.g. telephones, printers and more). 

Specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Providing Level 1 and 2 support, as needed; Level 3 issues will be escalated to a Senior Technician in Milwaukee
• Managing proprietary software changes and the introduction of new and highly complex technologies
• Full desktop support including:
  • Diagnosing desktop and support systems issues
  • Reimaging computers
  • Password assistance
  • Screen shares
  • Error codes
  • Updates
  • Etc.
• The resolution of all Field Link computer associated problems
• Supporting the Network Support Division (NSD) management by collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and recording highly technical and diverse data required for both problem identification and effective maintenance of the Field’s computer system   
• Leveraging a ticketing system to manage workflow
• Working extensively with vendors; tracking service agreements
• Maintaining appropriate inventory to get new users up and running in short order

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Why Join Us?

Be the go-to expert and impact success
This is an opportunity to earn credibility and serve as the go-to expert for hardware. Technology is crucial to the success of the offices and individual contributors you'll serve, meaning keeping everything up-to-date and running smoothly will directly reflect your success in the role.

Autonomy & support
As long as you are supporting the team and keeping the technology updated and moving, you will enjoy a good deal of autonomy in how you manage your responsibilities. You'll have room to demonstrate your skill and excel in your role. Of course when you need support it is available. Resources include the local TPC, Level 3 escalation partner, and the larger corporate tech team.

Career growth
While you could be happy and challenged in this role for years to come, if you want to continue to advance your career with Northwestern Mutual, there are opportunities for proven performers. From this role, you might decide to focus on software and move into a TPC/Trainer role. Or, if you've got your eye set on management, you might step up to a regional role and take direct responsibility for a number of Technology Coordinators. There are ample opportunities to advance your career, especially if you're willing to relocate.

Outstanding training
Naturally, you'll come in with strong technology skills and learning aptitude, but we'll ensure you have the technology training and tools you need to succeed. You will train in Milwaukee, but you'll also have the opportunity to work extensively with a Level 3 Technician who has a wealth of information.

Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary and bonus incentive opportunity, we offer a comprehensive slate of benefits including insurances, paid time off and more.

Corporate connection
You’ll travel to our corporate offices for training initially and in the future. With 5,000 employees at our home office in Milwaukee and a second campus in Franklin, WI, Northwestern Mutual is truly a community within a community. You’ll learn in a vibrant and innovative atmosphere where employees are challenged, camaraderie and a sense of team are strong, and you can build your skills and knowledge as you stimulate your mind and make important internal connections.

A company that cares
We create meaningful employment opportunities and invest in our people. We strengthen local businesses and economies. We give back, help out, and make a difference for families and children -- thousands of whom have benefited from our national philanthropic program to fight childhood cancer. And each year, our employees and local offices donate time, talent and financial support to causes they’re passionate about. Consider some of our recent corporate commitments:

• The Northwestern Mutual Foundation has given nearly $170 million to communities across the nation during the past decade.
• Northwestern Mutual has given more than $9 million to support urban education in Milwaukee during the past five years.
• Our employees volunteer more than 30,000 hours each year to community organizations.

Locally, we support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Boston Hospital's Children's Cancer programs, Homeless Children's programs and more. You will have ample opportunity to participate, should you wish.

The power of diversity
We believe that a diverse and inclusive work environment attracts and engages the best talent—people with unique ideas, points of view, and passions. We foster a culture of inclusion where everyone can be their best, and we are committed to hiring a talented and diverse workforce. At Northwestern Mutual we take a holistic approach to both raise our brand awareness and recruit new talent for corporate and national sales opportunities at diversity events across the country. We reach tens of thousands of professionals and students through our affiliations with:

• ALPFA
• National Association of Black Accountants (NABA)
• National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA)
• National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)

Keys to Success

Naturally, you’ll need to dedicate yourself to knowledge gain and become expert in all of the technology you will support. However, to be successful in the role of Technology Coordinator / IT Support, you will also need outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to earn credibility and establish rapport. At times you'll need a bit of a thick skin and the empathy to understand what it's like in your customers' shoes. For example, a Financial Representative might be on an appointment and struggling with technology. It will be up to you to fix things quickly and get him/her moving again. 

Because you will serve in a position that is a dual resource (corporate and local), you’ll build relationships on both fronts. You will perform your daily tasks in Boston and Woburn, and your goals will be centered on those offices, but you’ll also build partnerships and create resources on the wider technology team within the corporate office, especially with your Level 3 counterpart. You'll know you're hitting the mark when, because of your efforts, there is a strong reduction in calls to the Corporate Tech team. 

 

About Northwestern Mutual

As achieving financial security becomes more complex for more people, a few simple truths are becoming even more powerful: Relationships are built on trust. Our lives and businesses matter. And we're much stronger together than we are apart. These beliefs launched our company nearly 160 years ago. Today they're hardwired into our DNA and are just some of the reasons why people turn to Northwestern Mutual to help secure their futures.

At Northwestern Mutual, financial security is built on the lasting relationships our financial advisors establish with their clients. Our advisors get to know their clients' hopes and dreams so they can help them make life's financial decisions with confidence. Working with some of the best-trained financial professionals in the business*, clients benefit from a distinctive planning approach that includes protecting what they already have and high-quality products that perform for the long term.

Doing what's right, taking a long-term view and sharing our success with clients sets up apart. In the past 10 years -- including the Great Recession -- we've paid clients more than $47 billion in dividends. In 2016, we expect to pay a record $5.6 billion in total dividends, including industry-leading dividends on life and disability insurance.**

*Training Magazine's annual "Training Top 125" list, January/February 2015 issue.
**Northwestern Mutual analysis of dividends based on historical data. The dividend scale and the underlying interest rates are reviewed annually and are subject to change. Future dividends are not guaranteed, although Northwestern Mutual has paid a dividend every year since 1872.

Pictured: Boston, MA skyline.