Service Desk Escalation Engineer - MSP (Rockville)

Location: Rockville, MD

Work arrangement: In the office on Tuesdays; remote or at client sites the rest of the week. Occasional client-site work may account for approximately 30% of the role.

Salary: $70,000–$85,000

Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) with a 3% match; unlimited PTO; and team events

About the Opportunity: An established IT consulting firm serving small and midsize businesses in the DC Metro area is seeking a hands-on Service Desk Team Lead. You'll serve as the primary escalation point for Tier 1 and Tier 2 technicians, resolve advanced technical issues, and help develop the skills and practices of the Service Desk team. The ideal candidate combines strong technical troubleshooting with a lead mentality, takes ownership of issues through resolution, and communicates professionally with clients and teammates.

Responsibilities: Respond to and resolve client service requests in line with service standards and SLAs. Provide remote and on-site technical support for users, workstations, mobile devices, printers, and business applications. Handle user onboarding and offboarding, workstation deployments, and account administration. Serve as the primary escalation resource for Service Desk technicians. Troubleshoot advanced Microsoft 365, Windows, networking, security, cloud, and infrastructure issues. Administer Microsoft 365 environments, including user accounts, licensing, device management, security, and collaboration services. Support Windows Server and Active Directory environments. Troubleshoot DNS, DHCP, VPN, firewall, wireless, and other network issues. Assist with backup management, endpoint security, and infrastructure support. Research unfamiliar issues using vendor resources, technical documentation, and independent troubleshooting. Gather relevant technical details before escalating issues to Engineering, and ensure escalations are fully documented and qualified. Partner with Engineering as needed while maintaining ownership of the client experience. Keep tickets, time entries, troubleshooting steps, and resolution notes accurate and complete. Communicate clearly and promptly with clients throughout the support process. Mentor and coach technicians, sharing technical knowledge and effective troubleshooting practices. Reinforce standards for ticket quality, client communication, and escalation readiness. Review recurring escalations and recommend coaching, documentation, or process improvements. Contribute to knowledge base articles, standard operating procedures, and technical documentation. Identify recurring issues and help improve Service Desk efficiency and first-contact resolution.

Qualifications: At least 5 years of hands-on IT support experience. Managed service provider (MSP) experience is required. Experience handling Tier 2 and Tier 3 escalations and independently troubleshooting advanced issues. Proficiency with Azure, Ignite, and traditional help desk support tasks. Experience supporting Microsoft 365 environments. Experience mentoring junior technicians or serving as a senior technical resource. Strong customer service, communication, and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities across multiple client environments. Resourcefulness and persistence when researching unfamiliar technical issues. Professional presence and a polished, client-focused approach.