Senior Computer Technician
The British Institute – Bandung

General Description

The basic requirements and responsibilities for TBI Bandung Senior Computer Technician are similar to those of Branch Computer Technician. However, the position requires a higher level of experience and flexibility, as it entails additional responsibilities beyond those required of a Branch Computer Technician.

As for the Branch Computer Technician, this person is also expected to provide day-to-day support for a single branch network and its user base. The person should have demonstrated proficiency with both Windows 9x and Windows 2000 networking technologies, and should be thoroughly comfortable administering Windows 2000 domain accounts, group policy, file sharing, permissions, TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, and NAT. S/he should also have extensive experience with various Internet and productivity software packages, and should be thoroughly familiar with MS FrontPage 2002—the main web design application used in the Global English program—and with MS Access database architecture.

Proven hardware and software installation/troubleshooting expertise is essential. A technician should be completely familiar with the proper installation and configuration of a new Windows 9x/2000 OS. S/he should be able to install new or replacement hardware (hard disks, RAM, PCI cards, motherboards), install and maintain infrastructure components (cabling, hubs, switches), and should be skilled in troubleshooting malfunctioning LAN or workstation components.

As for all TBI IT staff, a pro-active approach to systems administration is expected. The Senior Computer Technician should observe and anticipate problems and, if at all possible, offer solutions before network systems are negatively impacted.

Responsibilities

The duties of the Branch Computer Technician are divided into eight categories. Essentially, they are the same as for the Branch Computer Technician, with the addition of LAN infrastructure support, database and website administration, and responsibility for the proper functioning of logical infrastructure services such as DNS, DHCP, WINS, and Internet connection sharing:              

  1. Administration of physical network systems.
  2. Administration of logical network systems.
  3. Database administration
  4. Website administration
  5. Technical support for network users.
  6. Technical support for the Global English web-building labs.
  7. Record-keeping and Reporting
  8. Miscellaneous duties

The eight areas are enumerated in detail below.

1. Administration of physical network systems. Duties include:

  • Installation and maintenance of LAN infrastructure components at both Bandung branches, including cabling, hubs, and switches.
  • Troubleshooting of computer hardware at assigned branch, and at other branch when requested by the Branch Computer Technician.
  • Requisition of new or replacement hardware, with approval of Senior Systems Engineer.
  • Installation of new or replacement hardware at assigned branch.
  • Installation of server components at all Bandung branches.
  • Authorizing the movement of hardware offsite or between branches.
  • Regular cleaning of human interface components such as keyboards, mice, scanners, and monitors. For workstation components these tasks may be delegated to Office Assistants; however, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Computer Technician to make sure they’ve been done. Note that the cleaning of server keyboards, mice, and casings should never be delegated to an OA. Their maintenance is the sole responsibility of the computer technicians.

2. Administration of logical network systems. Responsibilities include:

  • Active Directory account administration, including creation/deletion of user accounts and profiles, setting up of Global English class accounts, and resetting of passwords.
  • Installation of new server systems.
  • Installation and administration of network services such as DHCP, DNS, WINS, and RAS as approved by the Senior Systems Engineer.
  • Monitoring of System and Application Event logs for errors and potential problems.
  • Verifying the proper functioning of automatic backups on servers.
  • Verifying the proper functioning of antivirus systems, including automatic virus definition updates to clients.
  • Troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity problems.
  • Troubleshooting logon problems, including problems associated with (failed) application of group policy.
  • Monitoring disk quotas and adjusting these where necessary.

3. Database administration. This includes:

  • Troubleshooting database-related problems
  • Implementing minor alterations to database structure

4. Website administration:

  • Administering the TBI company website, currently at 123HostNow.com. This includes determining master settings, uploading changes, and handling payment transactions.
  • Maintaining the integrity and organization of website source files.
  • Maintaining local copies of the TBI company website on webservers at both branches.

5. Technical support for network users:

  • Providing help-desk assistance for staff and student end-users. Includes basic software instruction, and troubleshooting software-related problems such as how to set up Outlook or web-based email accounts, and how to access network resources.
  • Creating and administering email accounts for branch staff members via access to the company web hosting service.

6. Technical support for the Global English web-building labs. Technicians should:

  • Have a sufficient mastery of applications used in the Global English labs to be an effective troubleshooter. These applications include MS FrontPage 2002, ACDSee, and MSIE.
  • Being available for troubleshooting during Global English lab sessions.

7. Record-keeping and Reporting. Technicians are expected to:

  • Keep thorough logs of all server maintenance and troubleshooting activities. See Guidelines and Procedures for more information.
  • Keep a personal notebook to record observations or solutions they have learned about or discovered.

8. Miscellaneous duties. These include:                      

  • Keeping the server work area tidy.
  • Keeping the network admin documents folders organized and free of personal materials.
  • Maintaining high ethical standards as regards one’s administrative powers, e.g., not attempting to gain access to restricted documents or other users’ personal files.
  • Attending weekly IT staff meetings.