L1 Support Engineer Job Description and KRAs

An L1 Support Engineer is the first point of contact on a technical help desk, handling incoming issues, doing basic troubleshooting and escalating what they cannot resolve. They log tickets accurately, follow known steps and keep users updated. A good L1 engineer resolves common issues fast, follows the runbook and escalates cleanly with full detail. The role sits in a support or operations team, often on shifts, and reports to a support team lead, forming the base tier of a tiered support model.

Detail	For this role
Department	Information Technology
Level	Entry level
Reports to	Support Team Lead
Direct reports	None
Experience	Fresher or up to 1 year in a support or help desk role

L1 Support Engineer job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: L1 Support Engineer

Department: Information Technology

Reports to: Support Team Lead

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Answer incoming calls, chats and tickets and log each issue with clear detail.
Run first level troubleshooting using known steps and runbooks.
Resolve common issues such as password resets, access and basic errors.
Classify tickets by priority and route unresolved ones to L2 or the right team.
Keep users updated on their ticket status and expected timelines.
Follow standard operating procedures and support checklists consistently on every ticket.
Monitor dashboards and alerts and raise incidents as per the process.
Capture full detail in escalations so higher tiers can act without rework.
Update ticket notes and close resolved tickets after confirmation.
Suggest additions to the knowledge base for recurring issues.

Requirements

Graduate or diploma in computer science, IT or a related field
Basic IT and troubleshooting knowledge
An ITIL foundation course is an advantage
Fresher or up to 1 year in a support or help desk role

KRAs and KPIs for a L1 Support Engineer

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Response time	Tickets and calls answered within the service level target
First level resolution	Share of tickets resolved at L1 grown to the agreed target
Ticket quality	Tickets logged with complete detail and correct priority
Escalation quality	Escalations accepted by L2 without being sent back for detail
Adherence	Standard procedures and runbooks followed with few deviations
User satisfaction	Support satisfaction rating kept above the agreed level

Skills and tools

Help desk basicsTroubleshooting stepsTicketing toolsRunbook useClear written notesBasic networking or application knowledgePhone and chat handlingPatienceDiscipline

Tools used day to day: Ticketing system, Monitoring dashboards, Remote support tools, Knowledge base, Chat and call tools.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Fresher, IT Trainee, Customer Support Executive
Next roles: L2 Support Engineer, IT Support Engineer, Application Support Engineer

Interview questions for a L1 Support Engineer

What do you do first when a user reports an issue?
How do you decide the priority of a ticket?
When do you resolve an issue yourself and when do you escalate?
What details do you include when you escalate to L2?
How do you handle an angry caller while following the process?
Why is logging every issue accurately important on a help desk?

Managing a L1 Support Engineer in ZeniaHR

AttendanceUsually on rotating shifts, including nights, to cover the help desk round the clock, managed with the shift catalogue and roster. Biometric at the gate or web punch on the approved office network suits this role, and night shift and missed punch out alerts flag gaps to the manager.LeavePlan leave so each shift keeps its minimum staffing, and use the leave calendar to protect the rotation. Leave goes to the reporting manager and then HR, and comp-off earned from worked weekly offs and holidays is granted by HR and held in the ledger.Performance and KRAsTrack response time and first level resolution each month against the KRAs above. Confirm a new joiner through the manager's probation review rated 1 to 5, then hold the formal review each quarter and rate ticket quality and adherence.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an L1 support engineer do?

An L1 support engineer is the first contact on a technical help desk. They answer calls, chats and tickets, run basic troubleshooting from runbooks, resolve common issues and escalate the rest with full detail. They log every issue accurately, keep users updated and follow standard procedures as the base tier of a tiered support model.

What is the difference between L1 and L2 support?

L1 support handles first contact and common issues using known steps, and escalates anything harder. L2 support takes those escalations and does deeper troubleshooting, needing more technical skill and access. L1 focuses on speed and process, while L2 focuses on root cause. Good L1 work saves L2 time by escalating cleanly with detail.

Is L1 support a good first job?

Yes. L1 support is a common entry role that teaches you troubleshooting, ticketing, process discipline and user handling. It gives you exposure to real systems and how support tiers work. Many engineers move from L1 to L2, then into application support, system administration or other IT paths once they build skills and confidence.