Support Engineer

Role Purpose We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Support Engineer to join the Western Europe CSS Platforms Team in order to support a variety of products and technologies. In a nutshell, the SE will be responsible for managing support incidents from Customers and Partners providing them with native (when possible), remote (phone, electronic), and sometimes on-site, technical support and expertise while working as part of a virtual team across Western Europe and collaborating with other peers in EMEA and around the world. Once a Customer requests to create a new support incident with Microsoft, the SE will take ownership of the case and verbal communication with the customer will start in order to validate the information and have a full understanding of the issue by asking the right questions and gathering the necessary information (Scope). Access to MS knowledge and product databases, information exchange with peers, lab testing, and other research activities will occur next to determine a possible solution or the best course of action to solve the issue in the quickest and most effective way for the customer and his business. From the moment the SE takes ownership of an incident and until it is solved the SE will drive all customer communication and keep the customer and relevant parties informed at all times, having always the Customer Satisfaction as the main goal. Team/Department Mission To provide proactive and reactive technical support to Microsoft customers in the most professional and efficient way by having always the Customer Satisfaction and Experience as number one priority and around everything we do. Key Accountabilities •Customer Satisfaction and Experience (CPE) •Provide satisfactory solutions to Microsoft customers, which will involve solving complex technical issues on critical business systems and managing difficult and sensitive situations with customers. •Solve technical issues in the quickest, most professional and effective way for our customers. •Operational Excellence •Understand and follow the CSS policies and processes in place (case management, etc.) •Take an active role in challenging and suggesting enhancements on existing processes, tools and workflows, always with a constructive mindset and being part of the solution. •Collaboration and Technical Leadership •Improve product quality and supportability by identifying trends and providing feedback to the product group using feedback mechanisms. •Enable opportunities for larger audiences to self-help by documenting new technical issues and troubleshooting methods discovered via solid case documentation and solution documents. •Active participation in newsgroups, blogs, and other community initiatives. •Preparation and delivery of pro-active support services (brownbags, workshops, expert roundtables, training courses, etc.) as needed. •Assist with special projects internally (i.e. process improvement) or in conjunction with other MS departments (Premier, Microsoft Consulting Services, Pre-Sales, etc.) •Personal and Team Readiness •Work with Team Manager or Technical Lead to identify gaps in knowledge, and formulate a training plan to fill those gaps. •Actively share knowledge through content and collaboration opportunities with peers and teams. •Take the initiative to improve knowledge on existing products and technologies as well as learning new products. Key Success Criteria •Ability to delight customers, contributing to team customer satisfaction and operational goals •Strong technical knowledge •Excellent Team player •Strong ownership of customer issues •Personal accountability within team Knowledge, Skills and Experience [login to view URL] Experience Proven experience in a customer support environment. Highly developed communication, analytical skills and creative thinking coupled with a broad understanding of some of the technologies described below. [login to view URL] Skills •Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and certificates •IIFP, MIIS, ILM, FIM •Active Directory knowledge and other directories (AD LDS, Notes, SUN, Novell, IBM…) •Basic Exchange knowledge (Exchange fundamentals) •Basic knowledge SQL Server SELECT commands •Programming Knowledge and Experience (VB.NET, C# or C++) •Assembly fundamentals •Trace and dump analysis •Solid foundation and background in Microsoft products and technologies. [login to view URL] Attributes/Interpersonal Skills •Positive attitude and energy. •Enthusiasm and passion for a Support role and Microsoft products and technologies. •Strong analytical problem solving skills with experience in solving complex technical problems. •Desire to go grow and progress technically towards Escalation roles. •Strong teamwork and self-drive capabilities. •Demonstrated outstanding Customer Service skills. •Excellent written and verbal communication skills. [login to view URL] •Degree in Computer Science preferred or, alternatively, in a technical discipline. •Desirable MCSD, MCSE, MCSA or other Microsoft certification(s) in some of the technologies mentioned above. Special Requirements/Additional Information e.g. Language Skills •Business English is required – written and verbal •Additional fluency in Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish or Portuguese will be an advantage. Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and supports workforce diversity. All applications for vacant positions will be welcomed and will be considered on the relative merits of the applicant against the role profile for the position regardless of colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, parental responsibilities, age, religion, or belief.