Technical Operations Specialist

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded at the University of Michigan Medical School, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is among the most innovative and rapidly-growing school-based mental health solutions in the country. After a decade in the academic setting, TRAILS spun out from the University in 2022 and launched as an independent organization with approximately 35 staff. Within a year, our staff size had more than doubled. Today, our growing team is working toward the TRAILS mission of transforming the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students. 

To date, TRAILS has brought essential skills and resources to more than 14,000 teachers, administrators, and school mental health professionals. Our best-in-class program materials are built specifically for the school setting, and our unique training model is driven by research from the field of implementation science. Our website and library of materials are utilized by educators and clinicians across the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. While our impact today is greatest in our home state of Michigan, TRAILS is expanding nationally with strong support from education and health sector leaders, public offices, and state policymakers. 

As we work to respond to massive demand for TRAILS programming from schools and districts throughout the United States, our team is guided by a core commitment to equity: The TRAILS growth strategy identifies Title I designated schools as our broadest target population, and we aim specifically to impact students who experience high risk for poor mental health outcomes and disproportionate barriers to quality care. As we grow our team, we seek candidates who share our commitment to equity in health and healthcare access, who practice cultural humility, and who thrive in and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

THE ROLE

TRAILS is seeking an experienced, motivated, and organized individual to serve a key role in supporting all aspects of  the technology operations of the organization. This is a key role to the Operations Team that requires a versatile and highly technically proficient individual with superior organizational skills and a team-first approach. The successful candidate will contribute to the TRAILS mission through hardware and software user support, file storage management, process improvement initiatives, application administration, and more. 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Hardware Management and Support (25%)

• Serve as primary point-of-contact for hardware-related questions from TRAILS team members and triage where to direct them, as appropriate

• Manage laptop purchase & lease agreements with suppliers and plan for hardware lifecycle management

• Work with the TRAILS Operations Coordinator on the hardware component of the onboarding and offboarding processes. 

• Maintain relationships with Apple and Dell representatives for questions and troubleshooting
  

Internal Technology Support (25%)

• Provide daily support to the organization’s Google Workspace

• Create and maintain useful documentation, such as FAQs and user guides

• Respond to TRAILS Tech Support Slack Channel inquiries

  • Diagnose, troubleshoot, and follow up with team members, as appropriate

  • Document and record issue resolutions

  • Triage to determine issues that should be directed elsewhere, such as TRAILS’ external IT support partner

• Set up and monitor TRAILS user accounts for all applications in collaboration with an external IT partner

• Conduct TRAILS Technology overview sessions with newly hired team members

• Facilitate user license management and plan for lifecycle management of software 

• Coordinate changes in hardware and software infrastructure with TRAILS’ external IT partner

• Assist TRAILS team members with set-up of password management application

Application Administration (25%)

• Manage application user groups and permissions

• Configure business processes within applications

• Coordinate application upgrades and testing

• Manage application security groups

• Assist with application integrations

• Follow internal and broader technology best practices to communicate changes and minimize end user disruptions

Secure File Management (15%)

• Maintain a secure, user-friendly online file and data management process and create associated documentation for TRAILS team member reference 

• Serve as primary point of contact for team member questions about file storage processes

• Collaborate in the development of secure file management policies

• Collaborate with the TRAILS Evaluation Team on data security procedures for partner survey data

General Team Responsibilities (10%)

• Attend team and all-staff meetings, participate in workgroups, as well as other relevant TRAILS meetings

• Provide general back-up support to the IT Director and other members of the Operations teams as circumstances dictate

THE PERSON 

Our experience suggests that the following types of professional experiences lend themselves to this work:

• 3+ years of experience in a technical support role

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• A proven teamwork and customer service orientation

• Demonstrated versatility, flexibility, and willingness to take initiative

Our experience suggests that the following types of skills lend themselves well to this work:

• Broad and deep technical proficiency and knowledge in both hardware and software

• Demonstrated proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Windows and OSX operating systems

• Experience with enterprise application administration, including configuring software to meet business process needs

• Keen attention to detail and follow-through

• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively prioritize work

• A strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and also function collaboratively in a team environment

• Exceptional organizational and task management skills, especially in a dynamic and growing work environment with competing demands

EDUCATION

Our experience suggests the following certifications and degree(s) lend themselves well to this work:

• Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in an Information Technology-related field

• Applicable experience and competencies may be considered in lieu of formal education

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $81,000 to 90,000 annually. 

TRAILS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision as well as a 403B with a safe harbor match and short and long term disability. We offer a generous holiday and paid time off package. 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 

Addressing inequities in access to evidence-based mental health care is intrinsic to the TRAILS mission. The intentionality behind this approach is woven into everything we do at TRAILS, resulting in a staff-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all facets of our program. If this commitment is something to which you could positively contribute, we encourage you to apply, particularly if your voice represents a historically excluded perspective. 

TRAILS, a project of Tides Center, is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS & NOTES

• Our job descriptions reflect TRAILS’ assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time. 

• We can only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.

• Please note that all TRAILS employees are required to undergo a background check as performed by our fiscal sponsor, Tides Center. Findings do not automatically exclude candidates from the hiring process, but will be taken into consideration.