WHAT DOES AN IT GENERALIST DO?

Published: Oct 29, 2025 - The Information Technology (IT) Generalist configures, installs, and troubleshoots network hardware and software to maintain optimal performance across systems. This role involves coordinating infrastructure activities, resolving connectivity issues, and ensuring all network components operate efficiently. The generalist also focuses on developing procedures, leading updates, and providing end-user support and training to enhance overall IT service quality.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for IT Generalist

1. IT Generalist Duties

  • Data Management: Develop an expert understanding of the government's system and share that understanding with the contractor's project team.
  • System Integration: Serve as the project's technical point person for expert system use with a mission-critical focus on Guest data transmission to include extraction, transformation, and data loads (ETL).
  • Information Exchange: Develop an understanding of how to exchange Guest information between the two separate platforms and in both directions.
  • Case Management: Manage the project team's case management system effectively and evolve requirements.
  • Platform Oversight: Accountable for the contractor-developed and maintained information platform, and any ETL from the government system as well as data transmissions back to the government system.
  • Project Administration: Perform a variety of project administration support services involving data review, reporting, project coordination, budget review, and other related duties in support of the Project/Program Manager.
  • Project Support: Provide support to the Project/Program Manager in planning, managing, and monitoring projects through their life cycle.
  • Project Planning: Work on overall project planning through reporting on project schedules and deliverables.
  • Performance Reporting: Brief management on the status of action items and metrics to track contract performance.
  • Data Coordination: Coordinate projects, develop a system for data collection, reporting criteria, and records.

2. IT Generalist Details

  • Data Research: Research and compile statistics and data for projects.
  • Report Writing: Assist in writing narratives for reports.
  • Timeline Monitoring: Monitor project timelines and track document submissions.
  • Audit Management: Create, monitor, and maintain audit files.
  • Risk Management: Identify, communicate, and resolve risks.
  • Issue Resolution: Identify and resolve issues to eliminate or mitigate consequences that may impact the success of the project.
  • Procedure Design: Design and implement procedures to fulfill project objectives and criteria.
  • Agency Coordination: Prepare memorandums and work with agencies to resolve concerns and issues.
  • Variance Reporting: Prepare monthly variance reports with associated footnotes.
  • Program Evaluation: Evaluate and monitor the performance and efficiency of programs to ensure that program implementation is on target.

3. IT Generalist Responsibilities

  • Procurement Management: Drive procurement of hardware and software.
  • Vendor Relations: Expand and maintain relationships with equipment and service suppliers.
  • Lifecycle Management: Handle equipment and software lifecycle management.
  • Order Management: Take responsibility for ordering and replacing or renewing hardware and software.
  • Solution Documentation: Create documentation of solutions in the internal database.
  • Ticket Resolution: Solve incoming 1st Line tickets through Jira service desk independently and professionally while maintaining set SLAs.
  • Onsite Support: Provide on-site support and troubleshoot Windows and Apple clients, hardware, and software.
  • Onboarding Setup: Execute onboarding, including setting up PCs and user accounts for new hires.
  • Room Maintenance: Maintain meeting rooms and ensure they operate as intended for a smooth user experience.
  • System Monitoring: Monitor production systems with advanced monitoring tools.
  • Technical Analysis: Perform technical analysis of issues based on the flow of the application.
  • User Support: Provide business users with feedback and solutions depending on the agreed scope per app.

4. IT Generalist Job Summary

  • Technical Expertise: Provide specialized technical expertise in researching and resolving complex technology infrastructure problems involving coordination of hardware and software vendor support.
  • Advanced Troubleshooting: Provide advanced troubleshooting for business applications and Server OS in a virtualized environment.
  • Capacity Planning: Manage capacity planning, forecasting, system performance analysis, and system tuning.
  • System Development: Identify, research, design, develop, test, and implement new system configurations, architectures, and standards.
  • Security Management: Identify and remediate security deviations and vulnerabilities.
  • Team Collaboration: Engage closely with security, network, operations, development, desktop, and business teams to deliver highly available services.
  • Process Improvement: Drive ongoing improvements and efficiencies in operational practices, tools, and processes.
  • Technical Documentation: Author technical documentation such as system design and configuration procedures.
  • Problem Solving: Develop solutions to increasingly complex problems using ingenuity, thoroughness, and practicality.
  • Independent Work: Perform work with minimal direction or oversight.
  • Directory Support: Handle site-specific technical tasks including Active Directory support, domain migration support, and general troubleshooting.
  • Migration Support: Collaborate with various entities to prepare locations for transition from legacy medical computing environments to the joint Defense Health Agency network.

5. IT Generalist Accountabilities

  • Network Configuration: Configure, install, troubleshoot, and support network hardware and software infrastructure.
  • System Migration: Learn the migration system and its components to execute migration activities and resolve anomalies.
  • Fault Analysis: Analyze and resolve faults including major system crashes, forgotten passwords, and bad cables.
  • Connectivity Support: Assist in troubleshooting LAN, WLAN, and WAN connectivity issues.
  • Infrastructure Collaboration: Work closely with other departments and IT staff on infrastructure activities.
  • Procedure Development: Assist with creating, implementing, and maintaining standard operating procedures for installation and network operations.
  • Firewall Management: Troubleshoot network devices, firewalls, servers, and other networked systems.
  • Network Coordination: Lead coordination of switching, routing, and firewall updates.
  • System Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot and resolve computer and IT equipment malfunctions.
  • System Setup: Assist in setting up and upgrading computer systems for end users.
  • Application Training: Provide end-user application training.
  • User Support: Provide IT support and service to end users.
  • System Maintenance: Ensure all IT systems operate efficiently and optimally.

6. IT Generalist Functions

  • Software Maintenance: Maintain and troubleshoot the company’s part accounting software to ensure functionality.
  • System Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot issues with general software and hardware systems.
  • Network Maintenance: Maintain the company’s network infrastructure and identify and resolve issues.
  • Software Development: Work with the Customer Care team to develop and maintain software.
  • Technology Integration: Assist with the integration of new technology, software, and hardware.
  • IT Support: Provide IT support for the entire EcoBrite Linen team.
  • Strategy Support: Work with senior management to support the execution of the company's strategy.
  • License Management: Support the IT team with license tracking, software and hardware ordering, and invoice approval.
  • Contract Maintenance: Help maintain support agreements and warranties.
  • Function Documentation: Construct documentation for IT functions.
  • Call Coordination: Field incoming calls and coordinate schedules.
  • SharePoint Management: Edit and update SharePoint documentation.
  • Policy Documentation: Create documentation for security policies.
  • Administrative Support: Support duties related to administrative functions.
  • Task Completion: Complete additional tasks to facilitate IT objectives.

7. IT Generalist Job Description

  • Quality Assurance: Learn and apply the team’s quality standards.
  • Compliance Monitoring: Ensure all work meets departmental or project quality standards.
  • Technical Training: Learn and practice established procedures for providing technical support and performing incident and problem management.
  • Incident Management: Recognize and manage incidents of varying severity efficiently to resolution or escalation.
  • ServiceNow Operation: Use the IT Service Management tool ServiceNow for tracking and reporting.
  • Customer Communication: Respond to incoming customer communications via phone, email, and alerts or tickets.
  • Ticket Management: Log customer contacts, create incident tickets, and track incident resolution.
  • Ticket Escalation: Escalate tickets to Tier 2 and Tier 3 as needed.
  • Issue Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot a variety of end-user computing and connectivity issues.
  • Tier Support: Provide Tier 1 support and assist with Tier 2 requests.
  • Problem Escalation: Understand and manage relationships between incident escalation and problem creation.
  • Incident Research: Research reported incidents and follow established incident management procedures.
  • Problem Resolution: Assist with problem management by researching issues and recommending solutions.
  • System Training: Receive training in the use and operation of hardware, software, and support equipment.

8. IT Generalist Overview

  • Training Improvement: Assist in enhancing training and instructional procedures, processes, and communication methods.
  • Knowledge Management: Study and maintain information and procedural documentation in Knowledge Bases.
  • Documentation Improvement: Support the improvement of NOC documentation, processes, and resolution information.
  • Procedure Review: Reference procedures regularly and identify necessary corrections.
  • Infrastructure Training: Learn and practice established procedures for maintaining infrastructure hardware.
  • Security Support: Assist in security, service support, and facilities operations for Data Center and office locations.
  • Infrastructure Maintenance: Support the maintenance of mechanical and electrical systems per manufacturer and safety guidelines.
  • Site Inspection: Perform security and facility rounds to ensure site integrity and operational readiness.
  • Equipment Inspection: Conduct daily inspections of Data Center infrastructure equipment.
  • System Monitoring: Monitor building management and alert systems to ensure operational efficiency.
  • Contractor Oversight: Provide oversight of contractors, service providers, and customers in secure Data Center areas.
  • Team Communication: Learn about team, client relationships, and service communication responsibilities.

9. IT Generalist Details and Accountabilities

  • Technical Liaison: Serves as a liaison between technical support teams, management, and customers to properly address situations and to best communicate technical information to facilitate an adequate resolution or escalation.
  • Customer Communication: Contact customers or clients via phone, email, or the incident management tool.
  • Customer Service: Provide excellent customer service and ensure that NOC Service Level Objectives and Agreements are met promptly.
  • Technical Guidance: Receives continued training and practice to provide established guidance, recommendations, and solutions in the use or selection of a variety of hardware and software products to achieve the end user's goals and in accordance with all policy requirements.
  • User Training: Provide basic training to end-users on the use of widely used applications and/or various specialized software applications.
  • Problem Resolution: Confers with other personnel and seeks advice in resolving problems involving procedural and technical matters.
  • Issue Research: Researches problems and recommends solutions.
  • Quality Assurance: Ensures all work is accurate and in compliance with departmental or project quality standards.
  • Standard Application: Applies the team's quality standards.
  • Facility Safety: Conducts safety, security, and operational walk-through and support.
  • Equipment Maintenance: Works with facilities staff to ensure proper and safe operations of IT and building facilities equipment.
  • On-Call Support: Provides on-call support on nights and weekends.
  • Progress Reporting: Provides resource estimates and progress reports.
  • Technical Development: Shares ideas to develop technical standards and direction and communicates with customers and technical staff to help determine information needs and requirements.

10. IT Generalist Tasks

  • Employee Support: Supporting and educating employees with the use of Office 365 products, namely SharePoint, Exchange, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Stream, Teams.
  • System Support: Provide system support by helping resolve IT issues.
  • Software Installation: Install new software and subsequent upgrades, clean and prepare computers for new employees using Windows 10 Enterprise.
  • Disaster Recovery: Oversee disaster and recovery plans.
  • Network Security: Establish and maintain network security, on-premise servers (VMware ESXI, Windows Server, Active Directory, NAS, VPN, Remote computation Server, SQL databases).
  • Technical Assistance: Serve as the first point of contact for internal colleagues seeking technical assistance over the phone or email.
  • Ticket Management: Manage help desk tickets, resolve and respond to any IT-related issues, and direct employees to the appropriate department.
  • Computer Troubleshooting: Assist with computer troubleshooting such as password resets, general login trouble, application issues, and account lockouts.
  • Desktop Setup: Assist with desktop setup for incoming hires.
  • Access Management: Set up password/systems access.
  • Issue Logging: Record issues and resolutions in logs.
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