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Temporary IT Service Desk Technician

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. 

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

Intro to Position

In this role, you will serve as the primary point of contact supporting NPR staff and the technology they rely on daily—spanning business applications, network connectivity, and broadcast/podcast production tools. Operating in our Washington, D.C. facility, you will provide critical technical support, hands-on hardware troubleshooting, and user training. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional technology teams to ensure that service disruptions are minimized, directly contributing to the uninterrupted delivery of public service journalism.

If you thrive in a collaborative environment and are passionate about supporting the technology that drives media and storytelling, we invite you to apply.

Responsibilities

  • End-User Support & Diagnostics: Resolve technical incidents for in-person and remote staff, diagnosing and troubleshooting computers, mobile devices, operating systems, applications, and peripheral hardware across PC and Mac platforms.
  • Network & Infrastructure Support: Diagnose and resolve localized network connectivity issues (ethernet, Wi-Fi, VPN)
  • Identity & Access Management: Administer accounts and access controls using Active Directory, MS Entra, Exchange Admin Center, and multi-factor authentication policies.
  • Systems Administration & MDM: Deploy, configure, and maintain workstation fleets using endpoint management systems for Windows and Mac.
  • Incident Ownership & SLAs: Monitor, triage, and take complete ownership of incoming service desk tickets, ensuring all requests are met within established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
  • Production & CMS Support: Provide technical troubleshooting and support for internal and hosted Content Management Systems (CMS) and specialized production applications.
  • Onboarding & Asset Management: Manage employee technical onboarding, including provisioning accounts, phone configurations, workstation builds, and coordinating workspace-related hardware moves.
  • Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Create and maintain clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), knowledge base articles, and training materials for end-users and IT colleagues.
  • Collaboration & Operational Alignment: Partner with centralized engineering and infrastructure teams to support internal services, assist with technical projects, and follow security compliance guidelines.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Minimum Qualifications 

  • Multi-Platform Support: Proven experience diagnosing and configuring hardware, software, and operating systems for both macOS and Windows environments.
  • Access Control Administration: Practical experience managing user accounts and access permissions in Active Directory, Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), Exchange, and MFA tools.
  • Network Troubleshooting: Foundational understanding of network concepts and troubleshooting protocols for DNS, DHCP, Wi-Fi, and VPN systems.
  • AV & Collaboration Tools: Demonstrated experience setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting enterprise video conferencing and AV equipment.
  • Empathetic Communication: Strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical users.
  • Prioritization & Agility: Proven capability to prioritize multiple support responsibilities effectively in a deadline-driven environment.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior Service Desk or desktop support experience within an enterprise-scale environment.
  • Experience supporting users or systems in a 24/7 broadcast, journalism, or media production setting.
  • Proven experience writing technical documentation, user guides, or standard operating procedures.

Required Skills/Competencies

  • Hardware diagnostics and provisioning (Mac & PC).
  • Identity and Access Management administration.
  • Enterprise ticket management/ITSM workflows.
  • Mobile Device Management (MDM) concepts.
  • Industry certifications (e.g., CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, or Apple ACMT) are highly desired.

Education Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and professional work experience.

Work Location & Requirements

  • On-site: This is an on-site role based in Washington, DC
  • Expected schedule: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm or 9am-6pm (depending on need)
    Disclaimer: Able to work shifts including overnight, evening, and weekends as required based on our 24 x 7 operations
  • Operational Readiness: Candidates must be flexible to work occasional alternative shifts (evenings/weekends) based on operational needs and must participate in an after-hours on-call rotation.

Job Type

  • This is a temporary (7-month) full-time position.

Compensation

Hourly Rate: The U.S.-based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $30 - $35 per hour. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum hourly rate NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Benefits: NPR provides comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees. 

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

#LI-ONSITE

The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Pay Range

$30 - $35 USD

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.

If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.

You may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.

Want more NPR? Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. Get social with NPR Extra on Facebook and Instagram. Find more career opportunities at NPR.org/careers.

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