Help Desk Specialist Tier I

Job Details: Level: Entry, Job Location: Remote - Baltimore, MD, Education Level: 2 Year Degree, Salary Range: $25.12 - $31.25Hourly, Index Analytics, LLC delivers mission-critical health, data, technology and consulting solutions for the federal government. We foster a collaborative, employee-focused culture that supports professional growth, continuous learning, flexibility and meaningful work that improves public outcomes. POSITION OVERVIEW Index Analytics is seeking a Help Desk Specialist to provide responsive support to federal health program stakeholders. The Specialist will resolve mailbox and ticket inquiries, document outcomes, identify trends and contribute to accurate reporting and continuous improvement while delivering a professional customer experience. RESPONSIBILITIES Receive, triage, research and resolve inquiries of varying scope and complexity through approved channels and serve as a point of escalation complex inquiries. Create, update, route and close incidents and service requests in Jira, ServiceNow or the designated ticketing platform. Communicate status, resolution steps and follow-up needs clearly and professionally to stakeholders. Escalate unresolved, sensitive, or high-impact issues according to established procedures and service levels. Maintain accurate ticket notes, categories, dispositions and supporting documentation. Develop and maintain knowledge articles, standard operating procedures, response templates and user guidance. Support weekly, monthly and ad hoc reporting, including inquiry volumes, trends, recurring issues and resolution performance. Assist with user onboarding, access requests and identity-proofing or registration issues where assigned. Support standard Eastern Time coverage and scheduled evening or weekend surge periods when required. Assist with creation of FAQ and micro-trainings to help reduce contact volume for most common customer inquiries Qualifications: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Associates degree and four (4) years of relevant customer service, service desk, program support, or comparable experience. At least one (1) year of experience as a team lead in a customer service or program support environment. Experience using Microsoft 365 email and productivity applications. Ability to learn and apply detailed program, registration, training and compliance requirements. Strong customer service, analytical, written and verbal communication skills. Strong organization, attention to detail and ability to manage multiple inquiries and deadlines. Availability for extended support coverage during announced surge periods. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience with Jira, ServiceNow, a comparable IT service management platform, or high-volume mailbox support. ServiceNow, or customer-support certification. Experience supporting CMS, Medicare, Medicaid or another federal program. WORK AUTHORIZATION AND CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Where required by the assigned work, candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a federal client badge and successfully complete a Public Trust background investigation. LOCATION AND WORK ENVIRONMENT This position is remote-first and open to candidates residing in the United States. Occasional travel and on-site presence may be required to support client meetings, project activities, training, or other organizational needs. Standard business hours are aligned with Eastern Time; however, availability outside normal business hours may occasionally be required for releases, incidents, deadlines, surge support, or other business-critical situations. COMPENSATION The salary range provided represents the anticipated compensation for this role and applies across all geographic locations. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including skills, qualifications, relevant experience, internal equity and market conditions. In addition to a competitive base salary, Index Analytics offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement savings options, discretionary bonus opportunities and reimbursement for professional development and continuing education. RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND CANDIDATE NOTICE We are committed to maintaining a secure, transparent and positive candidate experience. All recruiting-related communications will originate from either an official Index Analytics email address (@index-analytics.com) or our secure recruiting platform (@msg.paycomonline.com). If you have concerns about the legitimacy of a communication, please contact Recruiting@index-analytics.com. The organization reserves the rightright to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools during the interview process, including AI-generated responses, automated assistance, or real-time answer generation. We value authentic interactions and seek to evaluate each candidate's individual experience, skills and communication abilities. Unauthorized use of AI tools during interviews may result in removal from consideration. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Index Analytics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.