IT Support Specialist

About the role

In this role, you will act as the trusted first point of contact for all IT needs within our Austin facility, owning the full resolution journey for employee requests and incidents. You will take end-to-end ownership of keeping our teams connected, equipped, and secure so that scientists and engineers can focus exclusively on advancing fusion technology. This position requires a high level of personal responsibility where you identify issues before they escalate and continuously refine the support experience for the entire organization. You will manage the complete device lifecycle from initial setup to secure decommissioning, ensuring every endpoint aligns with Focused Energy's operational and security standards. Success in this role will be measured by faster onboarding, fewer escalations, smoother daily operations, and a more resilient IT foundation that supports our rapid growth. You will also play a key role in maintaining accurate documentation and processes that empower employees to solve issues independently, reinforcing a self-sufficient support culture.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Own day-to-day IT support for employees in Austin - triaging, prioritising, and resolving hardware, software, and connectivity issues without waiting to be directed.
• Lead the device lifecycle for the Austin site - imaging, configuration, inventory tracking, and patching - keeping all endpoints current and compliant.
• Drive clean onboarding and offboarding IT execution - account setup, access provisioning, device readiness, and revocation - in coordination with People Operations.
• Ensure IT documentation is accurate, accessible, and maintained - updating support processes and FAQs proactively so employees can self-serve common issues.
• Build and maintain a reliable security baseline - enforcing MFA, completing access reviews, and supporting device patching in line with FE's IT security policies.
• Improve the support environment continuously - identifying recurring issues, proposing fixes, and contributing to IT improvement projects such as cloud migration, DLP, EDR, and unified device management.
• Partner with the Senior IT Manager and IT Director on cross-site coordination, vendor relationships, and project delivery - escalating clearly and early when issues exceed defined scope.
• Enable a high-quality support experience that reflects FE's global, cross-functional culture by communicating clearly, following up without prompting, and treating every interaction as a reflection of the IT team.
• Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues across desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and peripheral hardware using structured troubleshooting methods.
• Implement and monitor security controls including endpoint detection and response, data loss prevention, vulnerability management, and secure access practices.
• Coordinate closely with internal stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of IT projects and initiatives across Focused Energy's operational sites.
• Maintain accurate asset records, inventory data, and configuration details to support audits, procurement, and incident response activities.
• Proactively monitor IT infrastructure health and performance, identifying trends and initiating preventive measures to reduce downtime.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for day-to-day IT operations, providing guidance and mentorship to less experienced team members when appropriate.
• Contribute to the evaluation and rollout of new tools and technologies that enhance productivity, security, and user experience within the Austin office.

Requirements

• You have hands-on experience providing end-user IT support in a fast-paced, growing organisation, with the ability to resolve issues at first contact wherever possible.
• You take genuine ownership of employee problems: you prioritise tickets independently, communicate clearly, follow through to resolution, and escalate only when the issue falls outside your remit.
• You are confident supporting and administering workplace devices, including imaging, asset tracking, patching, troubleshooting, and maintaining reliable endpoint standards.
• You understand the essentials of identity and access management, including onboarding and offboarding, access provisioning and revocation, MFA enforcement, and periodic access reviews.
• You have a practical understanding of IT security controls such as endpoint detection and response, data loss prevention, vulnerability and patch management, and secure access practices.
• You work in an ITIL-aligned way and understand the fundamentals of incident, request, and change management.
• You are documentation-first: you keep support processes, FAQs, asset records, and handover notes accurate and up to date, enabling colleagues to self-serve common issues.
• You investigate recurring problems using structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis, while favouring proactive monitoring and maintenance over reactive firefighting.
• You can contribute reliably to IT projects such as cloud migrations, DLP initiatives, or EDR rollouts, delivering assigned tasks on time and documenting outcomes clearly.
• You communicate proactively and professionally, keeping users informed about ticket status, resolution timelines, blockers, and next steps so they are never left wondering.
• You exercise sound judgement within approved frameworks and know when to involve the Senior IT Manager, particularly for infrastructure changes, security incidents, and vendor decisions.
• You are comfortable working in a regulated, high-growth environment where procedures evolve quickly and flexibility is essential.
• You demonstrate strong attention to detail and accuracy when managing configurations, records, and technical documentation.
• You possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, enabling you to break down complex issues into manageable steps and apply logical solutions.

Practical notes

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the IT Support Specialist position at Focused Energy. It does not contain every detail of every requirement and is not a contract of employment. Employment remains at-will subject to applicable laws.