Job description level 3/Technical Support Engineer (level 3)

• JOB TITLE: Technical Support Engineer
• DEPARTMENT: Global Client Support Centre (GCSC) Technical Services
• REPORTING TO: Support Manager
• LOCATION: Toronto
• DATE: May 2006

Purpose:

The Global Client Support Centre is responsible for timely and professional client interaction, primarily troubleshooting through to resolution for the services we provide. The department operates in a time-critical environment 24/7/365 providing high levels of technical proficiency and problem management necessary for MessageLabs to ensure standards for client experience. The Technical Support Engineer will be responsible for managing three critical areas:

3rd-Line Client Technical Support and 3rd-Line Infrastructure support. This encapsulates both application and network support across our Global multi-platform infrastructure

Collaboration with the Development teams, Infrastructure Deployment Engineers and other technical resources necessary within a project capacity to assist with the integration of new MessageLabs services and features ensuring that solutions are performing and supportable.

To identify areas for improvement within the architecture of the MessageLabs infrastructure and providing the NOC with structured technical training as part of a continual program to reduce escalations.

Responsibilities:

Responsible for the systems administration of Linux, Solaris, Windows servers, routers, load balancers & switches, web servers, proxies, caches and filers

Resolving technical issues escalated by Support Analysts concerning MessageLabs’ service in a professional manner and to agreed timeframes ensuring all work is carried out to agreed priorities and deadlines

Participating in the planning and deployment of new customer delivery projects & providing technical consultancy to project teams & operations

Pro-actively investigating solutions which will maximize the performance of MessageLabs infrastructure, making recommendations to the Engineering Team Leader and liaising with developers where necessary

Delivering on the job and formal training to the Support Analysts in order to minimize the number of issues that require escalation to the Engineering Team. Where appropriate, to hand over tasks to the Support Analysts ensuring all processes & procedures are adequately documented and handed over

Providing remote out of hours support via an on call Rota, escalating Service events to Management when appropriate

Resolving network and hardware issues within MessageLabs co-location facilities replacing/provisioning devices through site visits where necessary

Identifying solution defects in architecture, application, network and implementation and engineering work around whilst raising these defects with the appropriate areas of the business to drive resolution

Requirements:

• Educated to A level or equivalent in an IT related subject
• Minimum five years experience within a networking or server environment
• Admin experience of Linux, Windows, IIS, filers and proxies
• Exposure to Cisco switches, routers, load balancers and Compaq Proliant hardware
• Experience with Active Directory and LDAP, preferably in multi-platform environments.
• Linux/Unix server admin experience (preferably RedHat)
• Extensive knowledge of internet protocols (SMTP, HTTP, FTP)
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP
• Extensive knowledge of DNS (BIND, tinyDNS)
• Proven ability to work under pressure
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience of technical documentation writing
• Experience of scripting
• Administration of Mail Systems
• Good Perl and Shell scripting skills

Desirable

• Admin experience of the following MTAs: Qmail, Sendmail, Exchange, Notes
• CCNA qualified
• Checkpoint Experience
• Linux Certification
• Previous experience of working an on-call rota
• Previous experience of working with anti-virus & anti-spam software

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• SCA Satisfaction Survey
• First call resolution measurements
• Ticket queue targets
• Timely escalation
• Completeness of call details (problem/diagnostics/solution)
• Time to answer
• The ability to handle problem resolution/crisis management
• Problem isolation performance