IT Support Specialist

About Us

DLH delivers improved health and national security readiness solutions for federal programs through science research and development, systems engineering and integration, and digital transformation. Our experts in public health, performance evaluation, and health operations solve the complex problems faced by civilian and military customers alike by leveraging advanced tools – including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud enablement, modeling, and simulation, and more.

With over 2,400 employees dedicated to the idea that “Your Mission is Our Passion,” DLH brings a unique combination of government sector experience, proven methodology, and unwavering commitment to innovation to improve the lives of millions.

The IT Support Specialist provides software and hardware technical support to a clinical research field-based investigation using Mobile Research Vehicles (MRVs). Strong customer service and communication skills are key as this role involves heavy face to face customer support. This role serves as the primary point of contact for resolving technical issues, assisting users with IT requests, and ensuring high-quality customer support across NIA offices and research programs.

The position requires strong troubleshooting skills, excellent customer service, and the ability to support a broad range of technologies in a secure federal IT environment.

Before moving to the MRV Site:

• Contact vendors for telephone service, internet service, and backup internet service to determine whether service is available at the next scheduled site
• Work with Federal agencies through which services must be procured to schedule installation
• Inspect the availability of telephone and internet services to ensure their availability before the arrival of the MRVs and verify or confirm vendor claims for service availability
• Backup and shut down all IT-related services and remove equipment from MRVs before each MRV moves to the next site; and,
• Coordinate work with various logistic teams, provide IT and communications support and assistance to field staff, and ensure the site is prepared for network and telecommunications connections

At each new MRV site:

• Establish and test telephone and network communications for each MRV
• Reinstall IT-related equipment and re-establish required telephone and network services;
• Test all connections to ensure functionality; and,
• Monitor and manage services until the next move of MRV.

Once Operational at each MRV site:

• Serve a point of contact for telephone and network services; work with service providers and other outside vendors to ensure dependable operations; and take primary responsibility for managing repairs by service providers.
• Maintain wireless access points, DSL, cable router, and network switches on MRV to ensure all service are operating at levels required for daily operations. Failure of these services is catastrophic because operations of the MRVs require data communication with Headquarters servers. Recommend and implement procedures and necessary equipment when repairs or replacement is required. Initiate repairs as soon as possible when breakdowns are noted.
• Manage servers (Linux, Windows) on the MRV and the local area network on the MRV, including a secure wireless network.
• Create, perform, and validate backups of data collected by MRV technologists (e.g., DXA, EKG).
• Every day before the MRV tour of duty, check integrity of systems to ensure that hardware (server, router, printers, and wireless network access) and software (database server, web server, and image data server) on the MRV are performing nominally.
• Coordinate repairs if they are required even when it is necessary to travel to the MRV to do so.
• On-call whenever the MRVs are operational, including weekends. MRV operates approximately two (2) weekends a month.

• Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years experience or Associate’s degree and 5+ years experience (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum of 2 years experience in field-based operations in a biomedical research environment
• Strong customer service, communication, and end user equipment support skills; preferably…