Advertising Summary: VCU Telecommunication Services is seeking an experienced Telecommunications Incident & Operations Specialist to join our team. This position provides frontline support for telecom incidents and service requests, performing initial troubleshooting for voice‑related issues, escalating complex problems, and ensuring timely resolution. The role manages routine MAC changes, coordinates service delivery with internal teams and vendors, maintains proactive end‑user communication, and produces accurate documentation while contributing to knowledge‑base development to support operational efficiency and continuous improvement.

Unit: Technology Services

Department: Telecommunications Services

Department Summary:

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Technology Services is a central IT organization supporting the academic, research, and administrative missions of the university. Technology Services provides scalable, secure, and innovative technology solutions to all VCU units.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Telecom Incident & Operations Specialist is responsible for handling and resolving telecom-related incidents and service requests to ensure optimal system performance and end-user satisfaction. This role performs initial troubleshooting for voice-related issues, escalates complex problems, and ensures timely resolution in alignment with established protocols. The specialist processes routine MAC (Moves, Adds, and Changes) requests for small scale user/device needs, collaborates with internal teams and vendors to coordinate service delivery, and maintains clear, proactive communication with end users throughout the incident lifecycle. Accurate documentation and actively contributing to the development and maintenance of knowledge base articles are essential components of the role, supporting operational efficiency and continuous improvement across the telecom environment. 

This position will require the ability and willingness to work flexible hours based on business needs and to support occasional on-site meetings, customer engagements, and/or attend professional development opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications

• College degree in telecommunications, information technology, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience.

• Proven experience troubleshooting voice services issues by following established procedures, exercising sound judgment, collaborating effectively with vendors and internal teams, and appropriately escalating issues when necessary. 

• Hands-on experience supporting telecommunications voice environments utilizing VoIP technologies. Experience with enterprise voice platforms such as Avaya Aura Communication Manager, Avaya Cloud Office, Avaya Workplace, OpenText voice messaging, or similar solutions.

• Demonstrated experience processing  MACs (Moves, Adds, and Changes) for voice services, including ticket processing, customer coordination, telephone station/softphone/voice messaging programming, and ticket closure. 

• Working knowledge of IT Service Management (ITSM) tools and processes, including incident, problem and change management processes.

• Proficiency with ticketing systems, spreadsheets, databases, email and document creation and editing applications (i.e., Microsoft Excel, Word).

• Exhibit proficiency in the use of technology tools to compose professional business email correspondence, manage email inboxes efficiently, schedule and coordinate meetings, create reports, documentation, and spreadsheets for data tracking and reporting.

• Demonstrated ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks in a fast paced, ticket driven environment while meeting deadlines with accuracy and adapting to changing priorities.

• Ability to contribute to a collaborative work environment both as part of a team and independently, working effectively in a remote environment while remaining highly responsive and accountable during scheduled work hours.

• Exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts in user-friendly language to end users, internal teams, and management.

• Proven ability to maintain a professional, customer focused and empathetic demeanor when supporting users, and especially when dealing with frustrated clients.

• Demonstrated ability to create and maintain technical documentation, knowledge articles, standard operating procedures, and troubleshooting guides.

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a university, academic medical center, or hospital setting to include supporting emergency, critical care, life-safety, or business critical voice services.

• Experience with telecom expense management software (billing, incidents, service orders, inventory).

• Experience supporting cloud-based voice and unified communications solutions.

• Experience working directly with telecommunications carriers and service providers, troubleshooting service outages, coordinating installations, and managing escalations.

Salary Range: $55,000 - $73,000

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Remote

University Job Title: Specialist IT 2 -3

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Mary Teller
Contact Email: mkteller@vcu.edu