Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Technology Specialist III

  • Title: Technology Specialist III
  • Class: Classified
  • Exempt Status: Non-exempt
  • Grade: 26

Nature and Scope of Work

Under the direction of Information Technology Services (ITS) management the incumbent serves as a technical expert in the area of data and/or voice telecommunications. The incumbent identifies methods, solutions, and provides project leadership in order to ensure a high level of service to the customers of the department. The incumbent is responsible for the technical design, planning, implementation, diagnosis and the highest level of data and/or voice telecommunications.

The duties include developing tactical plans and conducting conceptual modeling of PCC’s data and/or voice telecommunications to ensure adequate bandwidth and accessibility to the clients, both local and remote. This role often requires the incumbent to develop new evaluation criteria and methodology. The design concepts and strategies are developed in accordance with the requirements of departmental customers, peer organizations and management. Work requires advanced job skills. Incumbent responds to work situations with minimum guidance or direction. May refer to supervisor for assistance when dealing with the most complex problems.

Contacts include college staff, faculty, vendors and various advisory committee members. As such, the incumbent’s increasing visibility and ongoing working relationships with policy-making bodies requires judgment and ingenuity in maintaining objectives and technical standards. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required to communicate technical concepts in individual, group and large audience settings. Skills in establishing and maintaining cooperation, understanding, trust and credibility are critical.

Intent: This is the third level of a three-tiered job family where the incumbent takes a lead role in developing, modifying and maintaining broad/complex data and/or voice telecommunications systems.

Principal Accountabilities (includes all or some of the following)

  1. Performs any of the duties of a Technology Specialist II and/or other telecommunications staff.
  2. Coordinates the day-to-day operations of the PCC data and/or voice telecommunications systems by overseeing network and support activities such as system and software performance, configuration, maintenance and repair while ensuring that performance records, downtime, equipment inventory and configurations are properly maintained.
  3. Provides troubleshooting assistance to other ITS staff when required. Leads problem-solving efforts involving other support personnel and/or organizations.
  4. Recommends projects and schedules to Supervisor in order to maximize benefits and minimize impact to the customer organizations.
  5. Assists Supervisor in establishing guidelines and methods for the installation and management of data and/or voice telecommunications products such as ACD Groups, Voice Mail integration, bridges, routers, switches and servers and technologies (e.g., operating systems, FDDI, ATM). As part of this responsibility the incumbent makes criteria recommendations to measure and predict the overall health of the data and/or voice telecommunications systems.
  6. Provides input to management on methods of improving the productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency of operations or to analyze and resolve problems in the staffing, effectiveness and efficiency of administrative support and staff activities.
  7. Assists Supervisor in the development of standards, policies and procedures. Serves as a liaison to various college technology committees. Works with customer and peer organizations to perform research, testing, evaluation, and implementation of data and/or voice telecommunications products and capabilities. Develops training materials and conducts training sessions for peers and/or department customers.
  8. Maintains technical expertise and knowledge of best practices and technology advances in assigned areas; acts as college’s technical resource for technologies in assigned field. Recommends modifications or changes that will improve efficiency and/or effectiveness.
  9. Installs, configures and tests data and/or voice telecommunications components. Troubleshoots and corrects data and/or voice telecommunications problems.
  10. Proactively monitors and manages the data and/or voice telecommunications hardware and software. Gathers and analyzes data to help with decisions related to performance, capacity, and fault tolerance.
  11. Maintains data and/or voice telecommunications configuration and performance records. Inputs information regarding data and/or voice telecommunications.
  12. Manages data and/or voice telecommunications (in a LAN/WAN environment) efficiently to provide maximum throughput and maintain system response. Tasks include using LAN/PBX software to analyze system performance; conduct research in resolving problems; and verifying resources are being used in a judicious manner. Provides direction to junior level staff as they monitor and/or operate the data and/or voice telecommunications environment.
  13. May monitor the work of contractors to protect systems and work with service providers to maintain quality of data and/or voice telecommunications and equipment.
  14. Maintains up-to-date skills to ensure production of regular and special reports, training on new equipment, learning new/modified procedures and reading manual updates. Provides updated/new information to classified and casual workers.
  15. Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

Must stay abreast of frequently occurring technology changes related to data and/or voice telecommunications administration. Often works early and late hours to meet time lines, provide off-hour upgrade and maintenance and respond to emergency situations. Work environment includes frequent disruptions and frequent changes in work priorities. Work is performed in an office environment or data and/or voice telecommunications equipment room. Working conditions may be disagreeable; work may be performed in cramped or awkward positions. Exposure to video display terminals occurs on a regular basis. May be required to work various shifts and/or weekends to provide uninterrupted data and/or voice telecommunications services. May operate an assigned college vehicle or may be required to provide own transportation for travel between campuses and off-site locations.

Physical Requirements

Position involves some medium to heavy lifting. Routine to extended periods of standing; walking and lifting of equipment (30-50 pounds). Position may also require physical agility to perform work in confined spaces, tunnels and work from ladders in elevated areas as well as the ability to pull wire through conduits, ceiling areas and wire duct. Learned physical skill for keyboarding and operating complex network and computing equipment.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent. Associate’s degree in Computer Information Systems or related discipline. Relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis. Minimum qualifications may vary based on assigned area of responsibility.

Four years of applied work experience in data, or video or voice telecommunications planning, implementing and supporting both wide area and local area network environments, or server management, video streaming, or audio visual media, as related to area of assignment. Must possess state-of-the art (current) knowledge of data, video streaming, or voice network telecommunications technology such as TCP/IP, Microsoft Windows, and be familiar with hardware and software diagnostics. The above-mentioned qualifications could be demonstrated by possessing applicable certifications.

A valid Oregon Driver’s License for operation of a motor vehicle in the State of Oregon.

Some positions may require a State of Oregon Limited Energy Technician-Class A.

Reviewed: 12/18

  • Rev: 07/12
  • Replaces: Technology Specialist III, 08/03