IT Operations Specialist

Hilltop Holdings is looking for an IT Operations Specialist for the Network Operations Center (NOC). The IT Operations Specialist monitors, reviews, and responds to alerts about the operational health of network, infrastructure, and application environments. They manage major incidents, conduct root cause analysis, ensure successful batch processing, and collaborate with teams to resolve escalated issues. The specialist also communicates updates, provides feedback for improvements, and creates documentation. High School diploma, general education degree (GED) or equivalent required; Bachelor's degree, Associates degree, or IT related certifications preferred. 4+ years of experience in an IT support role required—IT degree or certifications will be considered in lieu of some required experience, evaluated on a case-by-case base. Experience in banking, mortgage or financial services industry preferred. Experienced with the use and operation of IT Service Management tools (i.e. KACE, Remedy, ServiceNow, etc). Must have strong knowledge of and experience with current Cisco, Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products. Basic knowledge or familiarity with Active Directory group and account administration a plus. Ability to learn and retain knowledge of various systems, tools, and applications. Excellent analytical and trouble shooting skills with strong attention to detail. Must have the ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure in a deadline-driven environment while maintaining a professional and mature demeanor. Excellent time management and organizational skills. Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact with all levels of company employees. Excellent customer service skills. Ability to work in a collaborative team environment. Ability to prioritize and work with minimal or no supervision. Ability to execute procedures and follow established policy and procedure. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals in, or assigned to, the above position and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required, and may be changed at the discretion of the Company. Assess and manage major incidents during service interruptions or outages. Monitor network, servers, and applications for availability, stability, and performance. Monitor automated jobs or perform tasks to ensure successful completion of batch data processing tasks. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve network, infrastructure, and application issues. Assess the impact of issues on customers and take appropriate actions. Respond promptly and efficiently to network, infrastructure, and application-related incidents. Proactively review alerts, operating conditions, and tickets to identify potential trends and to prevent potential customer-impacting issues. Identify and isolate root causes of faults in collaboration with other IT teams. Maintain situational awareness of events and maintenance affecting service delivery. Communicate incident status updates, resolutions, and potential impacts to stakeholders and management. Provide feedback to improve best practices, procedures, and team operations. Contribute to discussions on process improvements, tool enhancements, and team efficiency. Create comprehensive documentation and workflows for teams. Collect, analyze, and report data on network, infrastructure, and application performance. Participate in the team on-call rotation. Perform other team duties as assigned.