Westat is seeking Help Desk Agents to work on a national education study. We are seeking an energetic, self-motivated professional who is dependable, has good attention to detail, and is deadline driven. Successful candidates will monitor and respond to incoming phone calls from schools, districts, and Westat field representatives to support data collection activities during the study. Agents may also be assigned to respond to voice mails, emails, and engage in live chat support:  
Required Qualifications: 

• High School Diploma or equivalent.  
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must submit to and pass a federal government background screening (eQIP)
• Minimum 1 year customer service or Help Desk/call center experience.  
• Must be dependable and able to work full-time (40 hours per week) between the hours of 8:00am - 5:30pm to start and later between the hours of 8:00am - 8:00pm according to your assigned shift. Agents are expected to be ready to take calls at the start of the shift. 
• Must exhibit professional courtesy and proper phone etiquette when speaking with callers. 
• Must have good communication skills 
• Must be able to communicate technical documentation clearly to users who may be unfamiliar with computers or related systems. 
• Must type with accurate spelling, good sentence composition skills with professional electronic communications etiquette and the ability to answer questions in a grammatically correct non-technical style, concentrating on brief questions and answers. Minimum 30 WPM.
• Strong problem-solving skills, adept at tackling a wide variety of issues.  
• Must be able to work in a fast paced environment and quickly adapt to workloads with increasing complexity.  
• Must show aptitude with using browser-based software on a Windows 10 computer and basic familiarity with computer navigation on modern browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Internet Explorer. 
• Must be flexible and willing to help out on other tasks as they arise. These tasks are assigned by Help Desk Supervisors and Task Advisors. Examples include but are not limited to: calling schools for follow up, project testing, or assisting with other operational tasks. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Associate's degree or higher in an IT-related or customer service field. 
• Entry level CompTIA A+ IT Certification. 
• Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, Office 365, and remote support software such as LogMeIn Rescue. 
• Experience with Windows 10 operating system. Mac and iOS experience is a plus.
• Experience with an electronic ticket tracking system such as Zendesk, with integrated VOIP. 

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Monitor and respond to phone calls, voicemails, emails and live chat in a timely manner as assigned by Supervisors. 
• The help desk is planning for agents to begin the assignment working remotely from home.  Agents who work from home remotely are expected to perform duties in a quiet and professional workspace. 
• During the assignment, agents may be assigned to work on-site at the Gaither Road office in alternating shifts to support digitally based assessments using on-site equipment.
• Ensure and adhere to project confidentiality requirements at all times.
• Agree and adhere to protocol regarding use of work equipment and resources. 
• Record all incoming issues using call tracking software on the computer. 
• Promptly follow up on all assigned Help Desk tickets. 
• Agents are required to attend scheduled meetings and each day of every assigned training session. 
• Agents are responsible for learning project material in the Help Desk knowledge base and other reference materials. 
• Help Desk agents are monitored on voice calls and live chats for quality assurance on a scheduled basis according to desired performance. 

Protecting the health and safety of our employees and survey participants is a top priority for Westat. As a federal government contractor, Westat will require Westat staff, regardless of work location, to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon hire or prior to January 4, 2022, whichever is later, and to follow all safety protocols, subject to approved accommodations under applicable law.

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by Federal, state, or local law