IT Service Desk Lead

Job Purpose 

The IT Service Desk Team Lead will oversee the day-to-day operations of the IT Service Desk team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality technical support and customer service. This role involves managing a team of IT Service Desk Analysts/Technicians, providing guidance and acting as a point of escalation for complex issues. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, excellent leadership skills, and a passion for delivering excellent customer service. 

The key objectives of this role are to: 

To lead the front line service desk function ensuring it provides a proactive, efficient and mature service to the organisation. 

Dimensions 

• 5 Direct reports  

Key Results Area  

• Team Leadership: Manage and lead the IT Service Desk team, ensuring that staff are motivated, trained, and performing to the highest standards. 

• Service Delivery: Ensure that service desk operations align with ITIL best practices and oversee the resolution of incidents and service requests within agreed SLAs, ensuring consistent and high-quality IT support. 

• Escalation Management: Act as an escalation point for more complex or critical technical issues, ensuring timely resolution and communication with stakeholders. 

• Performance Monitoring: Track and report on team performance against KPIs and SLAs, implementing improvements where necessary. 

• Process Improvement: Identify and implement opportunities to enhance service desk processes, procedures, and efficiency, contributing to continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Customer Satisfaction: Ensure customer satisfaction by delivering a responsive, reliable, and effective service to end-users. 

• Promotion of Service Desk: Promoting service desk activities across the organisation & development and management of knowledgebase articles, key documentation, self serve capabilities.   

• Collaboration: Work closely with other IT teams, such as infrastructure and business systems teams, to ensure seamless service delivery. 

• Asset Management: Create and maintain IT asset management inventories, policies, procedures, and best practices. 

• Incident Management: Lead the team in managing and resolving incidents, being hands on if required to assist in resolution of more complex issues, ensuring root cause analysis is performed and lessons are learned. 

• Reporting: Prepare and present regular reports on service desk performance, trends, and key metrics to senior IT management. 

• Staff Development: Support the professional development of team members through coaching, training, and performance reviews. 

• Resource Management: Manage staffing levels, including rota planning and holiday management, to ensure adequate service desk coverage at all times. 

• Compliance and Security: Ensure all service desk activities are in compliance with company policies, procedures, and IT security standards. 

Skills and Knowledge 

Excellent technical knowledge of the following applications;  

• Microsoft Windows  

• Microsoft 365 (inc. Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive & SharePoint)  

• Large Scale mobile management  

• Microsoft InTune/Other Device Management tools   

• Excellent understanding of ITIL best practices and IT service management tools.  

• Ability to handle high-pressure situations and make decisions quickly.  

• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.  

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with stakeholders at all levels.  

• Customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering exceptional service.  

• Experience in incident management and root cause analysis.  

• Excellent understanding of data protection, GDPR, cybersecurity, and compliance requirements.  

• Excellent documentation skills.  

• Excellent organisation and time management skills.  

• Ability to work as part of a team and independently.  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.  

• Excellent report writing & presentation skills. 

• Ability to work with senior stakeholders.  

• Excellent time management skills.  

• Awareness of project methodologies – Agile & Waterfall. 

Values and Attitudes 

• Takes personal responsibility and holds others to account.  

• Is solution focused and has a “can do attitude”.  

• Is able to inspire others with their passion and enthusiasm.  

• Demonstrates honesty and integrity and demonstrates through their behaviors the organisational values.  

• Embraces change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop.  

• Accurate and methodical in approach to work. 

Experience 

• Proven experience 5+ of managing a service desk operation in a busy/multisite environment.  

• Excellent understanding of ITIL best practices and extensive experience with IT service management tools. E.g. FreshService.   

• Experience managing teams of service desk staff. (minimum of 5 individuals)  

• Excellent experience of KPI & SLA management.  

• Extensive experience managing multiple third party suppliers, regularly reviewing their service and performance.  

• Demonstrable ability to lead and to effectively communicate with staff at all levels including a proven ability to communicate with technical and non - technical staff across multiple disciplines.  

• Experience supporting and administering Windows operating systems (Windows desktop, Exchange, Active Directory, etc.) 

Qualifications & Training 

• Formal Training and advanced understanding of ITIL principles and practice. 

• Professional certifications in IT service management.  

• ITIL V4 Foundation .
• Full Driving License

This role is home based and involves travel within the north west of England, we can only accept applications from residents of the north west.

With our extended flexible working options you can also choose to work a 9 day fortnight or a 4.5 day week, supporting our employees with their work life balance.

This role is Band II as per our structure.