About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
The Instructional Technology Support Specialist is responsible for providing high quality, customer-centered support for instructional technologies, including the campus Learning Management System (LMS) and third-party tools. This role involves troubleshooting teaching and learning technology issues, assisting with the implementation of new technologies, and collaborating across teams to ensure the smooth operation of classroom and online learning environments.
Essential Functions
- Collaborates with faculty and departments to support technology adoption and change management, aligning instructional technology with institutional goals and enhancing instructor engagement.
- Serves as a liaison between faculty and technical teams, translating instructional needs into actionable requirements and advocating for faculty-focused digital solutions.
- Provides direct course support to faculty, assisting with modifications and role-based testing to ensure effective digital tool integration and user experience across various teaching and learning scenarios.
- Provides mentoring, training and functional supervision of junior staff/graduate student employees in coordination with the supervisor, handling complex support escalations as needed.
- Creates and maintains documentation and instructional technology support and training materials, including user guides, knowledge base articles, FAQs, and video tutorials for both internal and external audiences to ensure the effective use technology for learning and teaching.
- Designs and delivers training sessions and workshops to help instructors effectively use instructional technologies.
- Collaborates closely with cross departmental teams to implement technology-enhanced learning experiences and ensure instructional technology initiatives are supported.
- Provides excellent customer service and technical support to instructors and teaching assistants (TA’s) via phone, chat, ticketing system, and in person for instructional technologies, including but not limited to learning management systems (LMS), face-to-face and remote teaching technology, lecture capture, media and learning asset creation tools, triage of classroom technology and equipment issues and other educational software and systems as needed; and maintains accurate records of support requests, solutions, and user feedback.
- Helps instructors/TA's leverage technology to prepare instructional content for online, multi-modal, and in-class delivery, including but not limited to converting content to PDF format, creating presentations materials, recording screencasts, editing and delivering video clips, and managing grades in LMS.
- Uses appropriate knowledge bases, relevant research, and available tools to troubleshoot and resolve or escalate instructional technology support requests to appropriate teams.
Other Functions
- Assists with the evaluation, implementation, testing and support of new instructional technologies and services.
- Stays current with emerging trends and best practices in educational technology.
- Represents IT at meetings and participates on working groups and committees as assigned.
- Participates in ongoing departmental, technical and interpersonal skills training as required.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience in a technical support role -OR- an Associate’s degree with 4 years in technical support role may be substituted.
- Proficiency with a variety of educational technology tools and software as well as standard business applications, such as Microsoft O365/Office applications and virtual meeting technology.
- Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
- Customer-service driven and collaborative approach to work.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills for interacting with faculty of varying technical proficiency; ability to interact with all levels of an organization in a professional, respectful, and tactful manner.
- Ability to explain complex technical concepts in an accessible manner and demonstrate patience when problem-solving complex technical issues.
- Self-directed and able to work independently.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, and ability to maintain accurate and detailed records of support tickets.
- Ability to quickly learn and support new technologies and educational trends, and a willingness to continuously learn and improve.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Experience working in an educational environment and proficiency with learning management systems (LMS), Canvas, is strongly preferred, teaching experience a plus.
- Familiarity with instructional design principles and practices.
- Experience working on Windows and Mac operating systems.
- Familiarity with classroom AV equipment.
- Familiarity with Service/Incident ticketing system.
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
Typical Office Environment.
Work Schedule
- Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., minimum three days per week on campus.
- Some night and weekend work may be required.
- This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. Remote work is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable union collective bargaining agreement.
Salary Information
Level 27
PSU Hiring Ranges
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter (optional). References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.