Technical Support Specialist 1 4P/428

Technical Support Specialist (24x7 Operations)

Location: Birmingham, AL

Client: Southern Company

Contract: 3 Year

Summary of Position Duties

This position is part of a contracted 24x7x365 support team responsible for frontline computer systems and application diagnostics and monitoring .

The role serves as the primary communications channel between customers, technical support personnel, and management.

The successful candidate will play a key part in ensuring the availability, performance, and compliance of mission-critical systems supporting Energy Management Systems (EMS) and related applications.

Education & Experience Requirements

• Formal education in Computer Science , Information Technology , or a related IT field — or equivalent practical experience .
• Prior experience in real-time systems support , control center environments , or utility/energy operations preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written).

• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented and sometimes high-stress environment with coordinators, control center personnel, and management.

• Strong customer service orientation with proven ability to manage user expectations and deliver timely support.

• Knowledge of and ability to comply with Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) , Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) , and federal regulatory requirements .

• Strong multitasking and prioritization skills — able to handle multiple concurrent issues and escalate appropriately.

• Ability to follow and apply Change Management processes and knowledge-based procedures .

• Working knowledge of:

  • Windows operating systems
  • AIX or other UNIX-based systems
  • Distributed computer networks (a plus)

• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.

• Proven ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external customers.

• Must be able to work rotating shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Job Responsibilities

• Monitor primary SCADA and ancillary systems for operational health and availability.
• Provide frontline troubleshooting, diagnostics, and coordination of repairs with EMS department personnel and other internal teams.
• Notify and coordinate with key customers regarding system outages, events, or maintenance that may impact critical operations.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives and provide customer feedback to Team Leads and Supervisors.
• Accurately document and track cases through completion, ensuring all actions are recorded in system logs.
• Adhere to electronic and physical access policies to maintain system integrity and compliance.
• Support Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) systems on a daily basis.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and operational excellence across all assigned systems.

Other Requirements

• Must understand and sign the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Standard of Conduct .
• Must adhere to Separation Protocol requirements.
• Must comply with all conditions under the Southern Company Insider Threat Program , including enhanced background checks, drug screening, and psychological assessment.
• May be required to remain sequestered locally to the control center during severe weather or emergency operations.
• This position requires rotating 8- or 12-hour shifts (day and night).