POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Telecommunications Specialist
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1325
GRADE 35
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Coordinator, Telecommunications
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Telecommunications Specialist is responsible for administration and maintenance of the University's voice system and voice mail system, related software patches, security updates, and system updates, end-user training, overseeing departmental cellular services, and for providing specifications for RFPs relevant to the implementation and configuration of the voice systems. This position administers translations on the University’s Avaya PBX media servers, processes adds, moves, and changes on stations and related voice equipment, and keeps tele management records current.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor's degree is required; a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Telecommunications, Computer Information Systems, or Electronics is preferred. Experience in a position with substantially similar responsibilities, in both level of complexity and size of the telecommunication operation, to this position is preferred. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.
Experience: At least three years of experience administering a telecommunication system is required; experience at an institution of higher education is preferred. Demonstrated experience in troubleshooting and supporting technical systems and procedures is required. Experience working with cellular services, data network, and wireless communications is preferred. Experience with Avaya media and voice messaging systems is preferred.
Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills are required, including the ability to contribute both as an individual, as a team member, and as a team leader are required. Administrative skills are required; organizational and project management skills are required. The ability to prioritize workloads in an environment of frequent interruptions, multiple deadlines, and changing priorities is required. Outstanding customer service skills and the ability to train personnel with different levels of technical ability is required. The ability to work with minimal supervision and exercise good judgment and follow-through is required. Accuracy and reliability are required. A demonstrated understanding of carrier-based communications, provisioning, and protocols in both public switched and private telecommunications networks is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. An understanding of voice over internet protocols (VoIP) and other related emerging voice technologies, standards, and applications is preferred. An understanding of compression techniques, storage techniques, and operational methodologies is preferred.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Installs, maintains, and administers the University’s major telecommunications
and their associated software by evaluating systems, overseeing, participating in,
and performing installations and upgrades, programming systems, establishing users/passwords,
trunks, call routes, system parameters, feature access codes, partitions, vectoring,
call centers, and authorization codes for processing moves, adds, and changes, troubleshooting,
generating back-ups, providing customer service and training, and monitoring call
center and trunk traffic.
3. Administers an effective long-distance telephone service for the University community, monitoring usage, billing for services rendered, and ensuring charges are paid.
4. Tracks and maintains an accurate record of all University owned phone numbers (billing telephone numbers), including ported numbers.
5. Processes, tracks, maintains, and ensures accurate records for Google Voice accounts and fax cloud accounts.
6. Administers commercial cellular services and equipment for the University by determining the best-contracted plan available for the needs of the department, monitoring and tracking usage of each account, reviewing, processing, and correcting cellular invoices in compliance with University policies regarding cell phones and related cellular service.7. Assures an operable and accurate E911 system by working with the Coordinator of Telecommunications and the Director of Telecommunications and Communications Infrastructure, to oversee and establish procedures for maintaining E911 basic, VoIP, and remote worker information for all campuses and locations that utilize the University’s phone switch, using software to interface with the appropriate PSAP database(s), and incorporate live data from the data network into the E911 database(s) as to the physical location of the VoIP phones.
8. Uses technical skills to automate the sharing of common data between diverse systems, such as importing data to and from the phone system, data network, E911 system, and tele management system.
9. Retrieves and updates work orders and trouble tickets from Pinnacle, the telecommunications work order system, for the purpose of completing moves, adds, and changes; and to ensures accurate and timely billing, locations/facilities information, jack IDs, user information, and related information for quality data integrity.
10. Assures accurate tracking and allocation of telecommunication services by creating and managing historical files for call records. Maintains the polling device, record conversion, and call costing information. Installs, maintains, and administers server-based applications (telephone system, voicemail system, electronic fax system, et cetera) and security, including user groups, passwords, and domain user (“BearPass”) access to web applications and maintains client applications on workstations.
11. Actively participates with team development of telecommunication systems and services through vendor communications, performing system evaluations, assessing cost effectiveness, determining technical requirements, and collaboratively developing RFPs.
12. Contributes to strategic planning by maintaining an awareness of new products, remaining current with emerging technologies, and monitoring federal, state, and local regulatory issues.
13. Supports the department by facilitating the installation and troubleshooting of telecommunication circuits such as T1, DSL, Cable, PRI, Ethernet, Internet, SIP trunking, H.323, ger3 etc.
14. Provides prompt, professional, and personal response in solving problems by providing first line, consistent technical support for faculty, staff, and students for telephone configurations, applications, and connectivity and solving problems and offering solutions to users by troubleshooting, diagnosing, and repairing.
15. Ensures that users can effectively utilize the phone systems, voice email systems, modems, faxes, alarms, as well as electronic fax systems and off-site telecommunications by working with the Telecommunications Coordinator on planning, developing, coordinating, and writing documentation that encompasses policy, procedures, features, and services, ensuring the availability of documentation in paper, electronic, and web forms, and conducting training sessions.
16. Improves service and support by taking the initiative to learn new computer applications and systems and developing computer-related skill sets.
17. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
18. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses required by the Director of Telecommunications and Communications Infrastructure.
19. Contributes to the overall success of Networking and Telecommunications by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
SUPERVISION
The Telecommunications Specialist is supervised by the Coordinator, Telecommunications
and supervises part-time and student workers.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED MARCH 2023
