Job description
ROLE DESCRIPTION
ROLE TITLE Workplace Support Engineer (Exclusively on-site)
LOCATION London
REPORTING TO Director of Technology & Operations
REPORTS None
BACKGROUND
The Blair Partnership is a literary and entertainment agency. We offer our clients a broad range of services including rights management, client representation and franchise management. There are three core pillars to our business activity:
- Franchise Management – which encompasses brand & franchise vision and strategy, creative strategy & direction, product development, brand management & comms for the Wizarding World franchise.
- Client Management - we bring our clients’ stories to audiences around the world. We represent our clients’ literary and entertainment rights portfolios and pursue commercial opportunities for our clients through deal making in the UK, US and internationally, partner management and backlist rights management.
- Governance & support - we provide governance and support to companies owned by J.K. Rowling (as well as other companies owned by Neil Blair). Those entitles include Pottermore, Bronte, HPTP, all owned by J.K. Rowling, as well as Snowed-In, a TV Production company owned by Neil. As part of that support, we cultivate close collaboration & strong, cohesive working practices between all the businesses.
Our vision remains to shape, nurture and grow the most imaginative and engaging brands for generations to come, working with our clients.
Our mission is to shape and connect stories to their audiences.
The Blair Partnership manages brand, franchise and creative coordination across the Wizarding World™. This includes J.K. Rowling’s print and digital publishing, stage and theatrical rights, as well as the coordination of other brand and franchise-focussed commercial activity with partners, most notably Warner Bros.
We are committed to creating an environment where our staff, clients & partners can tell their stories and achieve their potential whatever that may be. We are committed to representing a diversity of skills, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We strive to make this a business that is welcoming, supportive and empowering; where all voices can be heard. It’s a work in progress and we know there is always more we can do.
Find out more about what it’s like to work here: https://www.instagram.com/theblairpartnership
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
Responsible for delivering first-class customer-focussed on-site support and workplace engineering to all business users and the business leadership team whether in the office or home-working in the collective of companies.
The Workplace Support Engineer supports core workplace IT equipment and productivity software as well as administering cloud-based business and collaboration services. The role is responsible for a wide variety of reactive support and proactive maintenance activities. These include providing support for end user mobile, laptop Operating Systems (OS) and hardware, desktop applications and other standard business solutions as well as AV and building technology.
The Workplace Support Engineer is the entry-point for technology support and acts as the first point of contact for the business users on a day-to-day basis.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES
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First to third line support of all workplace technologies, including but not limited to:
- laptop hardware and software in a mixed Windows and Mac environment
- all desktop apps including MS Office, Exchange, Teams and Sharepoint
- shared hot-desk technology
- shared network printers
- meeting room and kitchen AV equipment and technologies
- Administration of cloud-based tools, including Office 365, Exchange, Sharepoint, Teams and Defender
- Support of business software and tools, managing escalations to management and 3rd party providers
- Executive support for the Business Leadership team
- Providing system and software orientation and high-level training to end-users
- Ownership of the technology deliverables in relation to proactive processes including but not limited to:
- Joiners and leavers processes
- Laptop refresh programme
- Operating System and firmware patch management
- Proactive management of print server and printers and other ad hoc maintenance tasks as identified by users and technology team members
- Administration of third-party hosted systems including but not limited to Slack, Zoom and 1Password
- Smart-hands support of:
- core network infrastructure including on-premise switches, firewalls
- Facilities systems including door access and security cameras
- Event technology support, including set-up and recordings
- Ownership of asset management ensuring all assets are recorded and tracked through their lifecycle
- Proactive update and patch management of all devices across the business estate
- Software licence management for a range of desktop software applications
- Involvement in ad hoc workplace technology projects as well as the implementation of 3rd party and in-house developed solutions.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- To deliver a proactive customer-first experience for all support issues and requests
- To actively seek opportunities to improve the end-user experience
- To adhere to standards for the building and configuration of new equipment
- Maintain technology standards and practices during daily activities
- To champion adherence to company IT and security policies, escalating any known breaches of policy to management
- To manage daily reactive and proactive workload and prioritisation of tasks, escalating prioritisation conflicts to line manager
- Create, review and maintain documentation as/when required
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential:
- A self-starter with a strong sense of urgency and ownership when dealing with issues and incidents
- Ability to work without direct daily supervision, ability to self-manage workload and prioritise work based on urgency and business need
- Proactive, organised, logical and methodical but with the ability to think laterally
- Demonstrable experience in a structured workplace technical support role
- Ability to maintain composure during periods of high workload and pressure
- Excellent customer-facing communications skills, being approachable, friendly and be able to communicate succinctly, both verbally and written, at all levels of seniority
- Ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment where requirements change frequently
- Keen appetite to learn and take on more responsibility
- A good understanding of web/browser based technologies, web services, cloud, SaaS and an enthusiasm to develop skills in this space
- Proven and in-depth knowledge of PC and Apple Mac desktop, laptop and mobile platforms and their operating systems.
- Experience and knowledge of Office 365, Exchange Online, Defender, Intune and Kandji, including administration tools
- Experience of using PowerShell to administer Microsoft platforms.
- Knowledge and exposure to Azure technologies, particularly virtual servers and networks
- Configure and set up Slack and Zoom
- Knowledge of client VPN solutions, ideally Watchguard
- Good working knowledge of printers, print servers, their support, configuration and capabilities
- Good knowledge of standard corporate applications e.g. Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud
- Awareness and Interest in cybersecurity and able to reinforce and champion importance to end users
Desired:
- Microsoft/Cisco/Cybersecurity training and certification
- Knowledge of network devices, such as Cisco and Meraki switches, routers and access points
- Knowledge of Microsoft Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, VLANs
- A desire to be involved in new projects, learn new technologies and help drive the company’s technology strategy
- Being able to investigate, analyse and solve network cabling and infrastructure issues
It is expected that roles and responsibilities will evolve over time as the individual grows within the business.
What you can expect from us:
- Competitive Salary
- Company Bonus Scheme
- 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
- Group Pension Plan where we contribute 5%
- Life Assurance of 4 times salary
- Health Insurance (currently with Vitality)
- Health Shield Cashback Plan
- Harry Potter Franchise Partner discounts and a free ticket to see both parts of Harry Potter & The Cursed Child
- Annual Creative Bursary
- Season Ticket Loan
- Cycle Scheme