IT Support Specialist

Role: IT Support Specialist

Location: London, UK

Job type: Full time, permanent

Working arrangement: Due to the nature of this role, which requires in-person technical support, the position is based in the office four days per week.

Why QS?

At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst thriving personally and professionally. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other.

It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives.

Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.

At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.

We’re confident you’ll feel right at home here. QS was named as one of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® in the UK (October 2023), recognising the respect, trust and appreciation that drive our culture every day. And as a gold-accredited Investors in People organisation – putting us among the top 28% of workplaces globally – it’s official: QS is a place where everyone can thrive.

As an IT Support Specialist, this is what you’ll be doing:

We are seeking a highly motivated, service-oriented IT Support Specialist to join our global Corporate IT team. This role is responsible for delivering exceptional technical support, managing service requests and ensuring seamless onboarding and offboarding experiences for employees in EMEA and global regions. This role will play a key part in delivering world-class support while helping the organisation evolve toward a predictive, AI-assisted and service focused delivery model. You will be the face of IT for many employees, providing clear, helpful, and human-first support while maintaining high technical standards. You’ll be confident working across time zones, systems, and platforms, and bring a proactive approach to improving documentation, performance, and sustainability in IT operations. You'll also help shape a knowledge-driven, self-service culture that reduces friction, empowers users, and improves consistency in support. This role is ideal for someone passionate about user experience, process improvement, and service excellence in a modern hybrid working environment.

Role responsibilities:

IT Support and Service Experience

• Deliver world-class, user-centric support through clear communication, technical accuracy, and a service mindset.
• Manage and resolve IT support tickets using the organization’s ITSM platform (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Service Desk Plus), with a shift toward AI-led, knowledge-based ticket resolution.
• Provide expert-level support for Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, SharePoint and related administrative tools.
• Ensure consistent support quality across global time zones and distributed teams.
• Collaborate in refining and training AI support tools and ticket workflows for improved resolution efficiency.

Knowledge Base and Self-Service Enablement

• Own the creation, maintenance, and optimisation of IT knowledge base articles to enable user self-service and reduce ticket volume.
• Translate technical solutions into clear, accessible, and searchable content, collaborating with stakeholders for continuous updates.
• Support the integration of knowledge base content into AI tools and virtual agents within the ITSM platform.

Onboarding, Offboarding and Lifecycle Management

• Manage the full onboarding and offboarding process globally, including account setup, hardware provisioning, and permissions, and access deprovisioning.
• Ensure a secure and seamless employee experience by coordinating with People and Workplace teams during transitions.
• Manage device return, reassignment, or disposal in accordance with security and sustainability policies.

IT Asset and Device Management

• Coordinate the procurement, configuration, and delivery of laptops and other IT hardware, ensuring standardisation and policy alignment.
• Maintain a centralised asset register with accurate inventory, warranty, and lifecycle data
• Support responsible disposal or redeployment of devices in line with data security and environmental standards.

Sustainable, Secure and Inclusive IT Practices

• Promote sustainable IT practices including energy-efficient devices, minimised data storage, and e-waste reduction.
• Ensure that IT services are accessible, inclusive, and aligned with the needs of a diverse workforce.
• Support internal compliance and data protection goals, including contributions toward ISO 27001 certification.

Automation, Service Design and Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve recurring processes through workflow automation and intelligent routing.
• Collaborate on the design and rollout of scalable service delivery processes across the ITSM platform.
• Contribute ideas and feedback to enhance the usability, efficiency, and reliability of internal IT tools and services.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Projects

• Work with cross-functional teams including IT, Compliance, People, and Workplace to deliver technology support aligned with company goals.
• Lead or support projects related to systems rollouts, hardware refreshes, or office relocations.
• Act as a liaison between users and technical teams/vendors to escalate and resolve complex issues.

Other duties

• Any other duties that fall within the scope and purpose of the role.

Key skills and experience:

• Proven experience in IT support or service desk roles, ideally in a distributed or global environment.
• Strong expertise in Microsoft 365, Windows, Mac OS, and remote desktop support.
• Familiarity with IT service management platforms (e.g., Jira, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Service Desk Plus) including automation features and knowledge base integration.
• Track record of creating user-friendly self-service documentation and support content.
• Hands-on experience in IT Support or a related field.
• Familiarity with ticket resolution metrics, SLA tracking, and user satisfaction feedback loops.
• Experience supporting a global workforce across multiple time zones.
• Understanding of network configurations and security (e.g., firewalls, VPNs, Wi-Fi, network segmentation).
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and organisational skills.
• Experience with laptop procurement and IT asset lifecycle management.
• Detail-oriented with a focus on documentation and process improvement.
• Ability to explain complex information to non-technical users.
• Ability to prioritise tasks in a fast-paced, multi-region environment with minimal supervision.
• Experience supporting hybrid work environments and remote employees.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field is often required.
• Certifications such as Microsoft Certified: O365 Fundamentals, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, ITIL Foundation.
• Experience with MDM (Mobile Device Management) and EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) tools, Asset Management, IT Helpdesk tools like Service Desk.
• Familiarity with scripting (e.g. PowerShell), Microsoft Intune, or workflow automation tools.
• Experience supporting the implementation or rollout of AI-enabled ITSM tools or virtual agents.

So, who are we and what do we do?

QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.

We’re behind the world’s most widely read university rankings (Meltwater 2023). Our QS World University Rankings® reach hundreds of millions, shaping decisions and guiding futures.

Since launching in 1990, our impact and influence have only grown. Today, we work with more than 2,000 of the world’s leading higher education institutions, over 12,000 employers, and governments seeking change and socioeconomic development through higher education.

Join QS and you’ll join an 800-strong community of problem-solvers, creators, collaborators and change-makers based in 40+ countries and 11 international offices, including Australia, Malaysia, India, Romania, Singapore, France, Germany, the USA and our headquarters in London.

With every talented new hire, business acquisition and bold initiative, we’re strengthening our reach and delivering even greater value to institutions and learners worldwide. Are you ready to shape the future of higher education?

We take investing in our people very seriously.

As standard you will have:

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Access to QSmiles – a discount scheme that actually makes a significant difference
• Cycle to work scheme
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture

But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:

• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

Like what you’ve heard? Great, apply now!

As a candidate, we know the application and interview process can be daunting and so it’s important that you have a great experience with us. Our dedicated Talent Team will work hard to ensure you are fully informed at all stages, and you are really excited by this opportunity to do meaningful work in the education space.

Equal opportunities

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.