At Pearson, we are committed to a world that is always learning and to our talented team that makes it all possible.  We are bold thinkers and standout innovators who push the boundaries of technology. We create seeds of learning that become the catalyst for the world’s innovations. Within the Pearson Virtual Schools (PVS) division, we have reimagined K-12 education through our virtual school and curriculum offerings. Our schools, Connections Academy and Pearson Online Academy provide a best-in-class online learning environment for K-12 students to acquire the skills and confidence they need to adapt and thrive in a changing world.    

The Team 

PVS is hiring for the Rapid Response Team (RRT).  RRT is a fun team that really cares about its employees.  RRT members are located all over the world, in the US in multiple time zones, Canada, India, and most of the team, Sri Lanka.  The leadership on the team is top notch and you won’t find another group of people that will fight hard to make you a success.  RRT’s manager and team lead have been at Pearson in various positions for 8+ years.  RRT promotes a positive work/life balance.  We also promote continuous improvement, and we want you to be more valuable to the market when you leave than when you start.  Occasionally, the team has virtual game days where we just have fun in place of our daily standup meeting for an hour.  And in SL, the team has occasional team outings.  RRT is a hard-working fun team with lots of responsibilities and surveys say RRT is one of the top-rated teams in PVS.   

Purpose of the position  

The Software Application Support Engineer is responsible for one or more of the following ITIL processes; incident management, problem management, change management, and release management.  Responsible for mobilizing teams and coordinating their activities to drive and manage the efficient resolution of daily IT-related incidents that impact PVS.  Participates in investigating incidents’ root cause(s) including, but not limited to trying to reproduce the issue, reviewing data in the database, analyzing logs, and analyzing code.  RRT needs the Shani Abeysekara of technical incidents.  Is that you? 

Core tasks and responsibilities  

Drive all aspects of the incident resolution process.     Work with vendors, customers, and team members at all levels to troubleshoot customer issues while seeking the fastest path to resolution.    Demonstrate technical knowledge and understanding of the platform, components, and data flows.     Use critical thinking skills to assess root causes and solutions.    Distill technical information into clear and concise non-technical communications.   Create necessary artifacts for tracking incident and problem resolutions.   Create metric-based reporting and utilize the report to drive performance.    On-call availability is required.    Must be available to work 8 AM to 5 PM ET US hours with shift differential.  RRT’s performance policy provides the opportunity to work Sri Lanka hours 

  

Required Skills, Experience, and Competencies  

Bachelor’s degree required (must be in Computer Science or Information Technology).      Mandatory two or more years of experience as a software engineer, technical analyst, quality engineer, or data analyst having investigative analytical skills and great attention to detail.   Must be inquisitive.  Ability to function and thrive in a fast-paced environment.     MUST have the ability to read C# or Java, SQL languages and discern issues within the code.    MUST have experience and proven skills in JSON, REST API, SQL, coding, and troubleshooting are necessary.     Knowledge of Agile development methods. Familiarity/Certified with the Scaled Agile Framework methodology preferred.      Familiar with DevOps. Experience working in a Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment environment is preferred.    Experience using ADO or JIRA is preferred.  MUST have excellent written English and verbal communication skills, as well as excellent English reading and comprehension skills.  Must be able to work in a team, sharing thoughts, opinions, and suggestions, and not afraid to ask for help when needed.  Ability to work by oneself and be self-reliant using resources available to answer one's questions such as Google, CoPilot, etc.  Ability to listen and follow instructions.  Excellent knowledge of ITIL v4. ITIL foundations (or higher) certification required.