Ascension LLC is seeking a responsive, customer-centered Help Desk / Support Specialist to support the Maryland Department of Labor’s Federal Worker Loan Program. This role will provide front-line applicant and awardee support for individuals using the loan application portal, repayment platform, and related program communications.

The ideal candidate will bring strong customer service skills, technical troubleshooting ability, professional communication judgment, and the patience to support applicants who may be navigating urgent financial circumstances related to federal employment disruptions or shutdowns. This role is important because MD Labor’s program requires timely applicant assistance via email and phone, bilingual support in English and Spanish, accurate ticket tracking, escalation of complex eligibility or tax questions, and sustained customer support during high-volume shutdown periods. The RFP specifically requires applicant support in English and Spanish, dedicated email and telephone support, ticketing platform management, and escalation of programmatic questions beyond the customer support team’s knowledge.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Help Desk / Support Specialist will serve as a key member of the customer support team responsible for helping applicants, borrowers, and awardees successfully use the Federal Worker Loan Program’s online systems. The role will support applicants with account access, portal navigation, document upload questions, additional documentation requests, repayment questions, FAQs, and general troubleshooting. The position will also document support interactions in the ticketing system, monitor case status, escalate issues to MD Labor or the appropriate technical/program lead, and help ensure applicants receive accurate, timely, and respectful support.

This role requires a detail-oriented and service-minded professional who can work in a structured remote environment, follow approved scripts and FAQs, protect sensitive applicant information, and maintain composure during periods of increased public demand. The program may need to support up to 5,000 applications during a four-week shutdown scenario, while also maintaining year-round support for the lower-volume Federal Worker Emergency Loan Program.

Position’s Day-to-Day Activities

The Help Desk / Support Specialist is expected to:

• Respond to applicant and awardee inquiries via email and telephone during assigned support hours.
• Provide customer support in English and, where applicable, Spanish for applicants using the portal, application review process, and repayment platform.
• Assist applicants with portal navigation, account access, document upload questions, application status questions, repayment reminders, and basic technical troubleshooting.
• Document all customer interactions, actions taken, and case status updates in the designated support ticketing platform.
• Monitor support tickets to ensure timely response, proper routing, and closure in accordance with MD Labor response time expectations.
• Escalate complex programmatic questions, eligibility questions, tax-related questions, disputed determinations, or unresolved technical issues to MD Labor or designated project leads.
• Use approved FAQs, scripts, knowledge articles, and training materials to ensure consistent and accurate applicant communications.
• Support applicant communications related to additional documentation requests, missing information, repayment reminders, late notices, and other approved message templates.
• Track recurring applicant issues and recommend updates to FAQs, user guides, scripts, or knowledge articles.
• Protect applicant data, personally identifiable information, tax-related information, and case details in accordance with program privacy and security requirements.
• Participate in onboarding, refresher training, quality reviews, and surge-readiness activities before and during high-volume shutdown periods.
• Coordinate with the Customer Support / Training / Communications Lead and Bilingual Customer Support / Surge team members to maintain service levels during peak demand.
• Support reporting by ensuring ticket categories, issue types, resolution notes, and escalation reasons are accurately entered into the system.
• Maintain professionalism, empathy, and accuracy when communicating with applicants experiencing financial stress or uncertainty.