IT Deskside Support Specialist

Overview

COMPANY SUMMARY

At Holiday Vacations, our mission is to enrich lives with valued travel experiences. We offer inclusive guided tours led by professional Tour Directors to more than 80 destinations on six continents. We travel by air, motor coach, trains, and cruises on itineraries that bring the destination alive for our guests. We are headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and are a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest national park concessionaire in the U.S. Xanterra also owns other tour operator and cruise line brands, including VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers, and Windstar Cruises.

POSITION SUMMARY

We are currently seeking a detail-oriented and driven professional to join our team as an IT Deskside Support Specialist.  As an IT Deskside Support Specialist, you will have the primary responsibility for the day-to-day support and administration of the end-user PC related environment as well as front-line support for reservations and contact center applications including collaboration tools used by team members. As the first line of support, this position requires empathy, patience, and strong problem-solving skills. A successful candidate must have a history of providing exceptional customer service. 

WELCOME TO “THE HV WAY” – At Holiday Vacations, how we work is just as important as what we deliver.

• Honesty & Integrity: We act with honesty and accountability, building trust with every guest, partner, and teammate. We keep our promises.
• Create Community: We create community by treating each other and our guests like extended family, fostering belonging, celebrating, and supporting one another.
• Surprise & Delight: We go beyond expectations to create meaningful experiences. We make every effort to exceed expectations.
• Grow Together: We embrace curiosity, feedback, and continuous learning – always striving to be better and do better.
• Innovate Boldly: We seek fresh ideas, adapt to change, and look for ways to stay ahead in a dynamic travel landscape.
• Protect What Matters: We prioritize safety and sustainability for our people, our guests, and the places we explore.
• Celebrate the Team: We succeed together, value each person’s gifts and contributions, and take time to enjoy the journey along the way.

HOLIDAY VACATIONS CORE COMPETENCIES

Every Holiday Vacations employee is expected to demonstrate these core competencies.

• Accountability: You own your work and your results. When things go well or go wrong, you take responsibility, fix what you can, and focus on what comes next.
• Adaptability & Resilience: You handle change and tough times without giving up. You stay positive, adjust your plan when needed, and help others do the same.
• Customer Service: You show care and kindness to every person you interact with. You listen, pay attention, and go the extra mile so guests and team members feel welcome and valued.
• Initiative: You see what needs to be done and you do it, without waiting to be asked. You bring new ideas and take ownership of making things better.
• Integrity: You act the same way whether anyone is watching or not. You are honest, fair, and do what is right, even when it is hard.
• Interpersonal Skills: You know how to read a room. You understand your own feelings and others’ feelings and use that to connect with and support the people around you.
• Safety Awareness: You make safety a daily habit, not an afterthought. You look out for yourself, your teammates, and every guest, and speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

Responsibilities

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Responsible for day-to-day procedures related to the identification, prioritization, and resolution of end user requests, including the monitoring, tracking, and coordinating of service desk functions at Holiday Vacations
  • Manage processing of incoming requests and incidents via Service Now ticketing system, telephone, chat, and email
  • Document all pertinent information and the nature of a problem or issue
  • Ensure requests and incidents are resolved in a timely fashion
  • Support onsite and remote users to complete their daily work
  • Escalate or dispatch tickets to the appropriate support resources
  • Develop and maintain a knowledge base of known issues and resolutions
• Serves as the primary desktop and IT Support resource for Holiday Vacations team members on site and those located remotely to include 65+ Tour Directors who use iPAD devices
• Diagnose complex errors or technical problems and determine proper solutions
• Support desktop applications for end users
• Provide deskside support for the Holiday Traveler mobile app for internal and external customers
• Support phone system issues that may arise within the business
• Assist with IT software license compliance
• Administers system backups at Holiday Vacation
• Assists with minimizing organizational costs and maintaining operating efficiency through asset management and tracking.
  • Responsible for asset lifecycle for laptops, desktops, printers, smartphones, etc.
  • Annual confirmation of IT capital assets
• Assist with server and workstation patching requirements as needed
• Manage e-waste disposal in accordance with Xanterra Corporate policies and platform at Holiday Vacation
• Other duties tasks as assigned

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job; functions and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Education/Experience: Associate degree in Information Technology, equivalent work experience can substitute for formal education, 1-3 years of IT experience is required with a background in hospitality, or consumer-oriented systems strongly preferred.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong PC and laptop skills including provisioning, Windows 10 and 11 Operating System knowledge, security setup, etc.  Ability to work in IT support desk environment and tracking work details in IT ticketing system, ServiceNow. Basic familiarity of PC Networking (wired and wireless) as well as the use of VPN Software.
• IT Customer Service: Have direct customer service/support experience in an IT environment as a first-tier support representative. Must be able to demonstrate experience in providing exceptional customer service skills including effective communication, empathy, and problem-solving abilities in handling IT-related inquires and issues.
• Work Ethic:The individual must have the capacity to work in a fast-paced environment where project priorities, task deadlines, and assignments can change quickly and with little notice. The individual must be a self-starter who can work with minimal supervision while working within the guidelines set by their supervisors.
• Communication Skills:Ability to communicate both verbally and in a written format is critical to the success of any individual in this position due to the amount of documentation and training required within the job duties. 

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Security Knowledge: Knowledge and prior experience with application security compliance and role requirements is preferred.
• Applications Experience: Experience and/or familiarity with the following types of applications is preferred: Timekeeping, Customer Reservation, Call Center platforms, Retail, Customer Data Management, Learning and Development, Recruiting, Procurement, etc. 

Things that will set you apart:

• Use of VPN software
• Tools to remotely manage and/or deploy applications to PC’s.
• Knowledge of ServiceNow
• Maintenance of Windows Active Directory
• Working knowledge of MFA/2FA systems
• Understanding of ITIL 4 / ITSM service models

WORKING CONDITIONS 

• Work Location: The location for work is the Holiday Vacations corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The office environment may have moderate noise levels from office equipment and verbal interaction.
• Schedule: Work hours are generally during the regular business week, but there may be variations due to the time of year and department demands.
• Physical Requirements: The job requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, as well as the ability to frequently walk and lift or carry up to 35 lbs. May require bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, and reaching outward or above shoulders, lift/carry and push or pull up to 50 lbs.

BENEFITS: For full-time employees, Holiday Vacations offers a comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Paid Time Off and Holiday Paid Time Off; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance; and Employee Discounts and Travel Deals.

EEO: Holiday Vacations is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.  We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.