IT Specialist

Company Overview

Promise modernizes how government agencies and utilities support people in financial difficulty. We build technology that makes it simple for residents to receive benefits, engage with assistance programs, set up flexible payment plans, and stay on track—while helping agencies increase efficiency, recover revenue, and deliver services with dignity. Our mission is to transform public systems so they work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Our team includes experts from companies like Palantir, Google, Stripe , and esteemed government leaders. We work hard and believe deeply in what we do. We're looking for excellent people to build innovative, resilient technology.

Backed by over $50 million in funding from top investors – such as Reid Hoffman, Howard Schultz, Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, 8VC, The General Partnership, First Round Capital, Kapor Capital, XYZ Ventures, and Bronze Investments – Promise has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies of 2022,” “Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2024,” and Y Combinator’s #1 GovTech startup.

About the Role

As an IT Specialist at Promise, you will combine your technical expertise with a strong service orientation to support our company's internal tools, devices, and access and ensure stability and continuity across our internal operations. This position calls for a professional who embodies the spirit of a servant leader, capable of white-glove support with calm-under-pressure empathy. You will act as a key enabler of your peers’ operational efficiency, requiring not just technical acumen but also a collaborative and supportive approach to IT operations within our diverse tech environment.

What You'll Do

• Act as a primary responder for helpdesk questions and requests, managing each situation from initial detection through to resolution, ensuring minimal disruption and maintaining transparency with all stakeholders.

• Own the process of provisioning and distributing laptops and workstations to our employees, ensuring the proper deployment of our security tools. This includes working directly with the MDM and security tooling to ensure a seamless experience for end users while enabling high security standards.

• Track requests through our ticketing system and maintain lightweight runbooks and documentation.

• Own and grow the process for providing high-quality support in response to requests for devices, new software, and user-level configuration changes.

• Continuously assess and improve our workflows around onboarding and offboarding, and implement them smoothly and efficiently as we grow our headcount.

• Own the uptime and maintenance of office equipment, including meeting rooms, A/V hardware, network gear, and user desk setup.

• Interact with employees in a way that projects our company values while keeping clarity around policies and expectations for maintaining a strong security posture.

• Maintain an ongoing commitment to personal and professional growth, enhancing your technical skills in IT operations and systems administration, while also developing the skills necessary for effective corporate security.

What Will Help You Succeed

• High-ownership mentality with a willingness to spot a problem, understand user needs, propose a solution, and implement fixes efficiently and collaboratively.

• At least 2 years of experience in technical support roles, particularly those involving IT support, technical customer support, or internal helpdesk, with a proven track record of problem-solving and clean documentation.

• Proficiency with macOS and an ability to troubleshoot common usage issues, system settings, and application support.

• Demonstrated ability to understand identity and access management concepts, and role-based permissions.

• Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences, adjusting to their knowledge level as needed.

• Ready and capable to handle issues requiring immediacy, from a broad range of origins.

• Flexibility to work across our Oakland and Fairfield offices (~20% of the time), with occasional travel to our DC office and other locations (~10%)

Nice to Have

• Experience with MacOS MDMs (Jamf, Mosyle, Fleetsmith, etc.)

• Experience with Terminal/CLI (bash, zsh, etc)

• Experience with basic networking concepts (DNS, DHCP, VLANs, Wi-Fi)

• Experience with administration of identity management tools (Google Workspace, O365, Okta)

• Experience with collaboration tools (Slack, Zoom, Google Meet, MS Teams)

• Familiarity with usage and administration of Atlassian tools and products

• Familiarity with teleconferencing and audio/visual equipment (Logitech, Zoom Rooms)

• Interest in security best practices, from physical office access to cloud/SaaS app management

Who Thrives at Promise

You’ll love it here if:

• You are energized by big, complex challenges and the opportunity to solve them.

• You want your work to have a real, measurable impact on people’s lives.

• You take ownership and run toward problems, not away from them.

• You value clear, candid, and constructive communication.

Promise is not for you if:

• You prefer hierarchy and rigid structures. We operate with freedom and responsibility.

• You are uncomfortable with change. We move fast, adapt often, and expect agility.

• You want a typical corporate culture. We are mission-driven, ambitious, and direct.

• You believe efficiency means “doing less.” We believe efficiency means doing better.

How We Support Our People

At Promise, we invest in our team’s well-being, growth, and sense of ownership.

• Equity for All: All full-time employees receive stock options to share in our company’s success.

• 100% Paid Health Coverage: We cover 100% of base medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and their dependents.

• Hybrid Work: We collaborate in the office at least four days a week to stay connected and aligned as a team.

• Flexible Time Off: Self-managed FTO and 12 paid holidays — we trust you to balance your work and your life.

Please note: Benefits are reviewed periodically and may be updated at the sole discretion of Promise.

Promise is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or military or veteran status. Additionally, the Company complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it operates. Promise is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, pregnant individuals, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accommodations@joinpromise.com.

Promise engages in US government contracts and restricts hiring to US persons, which includes US citizens and permanent residents (e.g., Green Card holders). Additionally, candidates must reside in the US.

Promise participates in E-Verify. To learn more, view E-Verify Participation Notice and Right to Work Notice.