Service Desk Manager

Service Desk Manager Reading | Up to £65,000 + Bonus | Office Based We're working with an established B2B SaaS software business looking for an experienced Service Desk Manager to take ownership of its customer-facing support function and lead the next stage of its evolution. This isn't a role for someone who simply wants to maintain an existing Service Desk. You'll be given the autonomy to assess how the function currently operates, develop the strategy for its future and introduce smarter ways of working through AI, automation, self-service and data-driven service management. The business has a strong customer base, an established customer portal and good-quality service data. The opportunity is to use that foundation to create a more scalable, proactive and commercially valuable support function.What you'll be doing

• Lead and develop a customer-facing Service Desk team.
• Create and deliver the Service Desk transformation roadmap.
• Identify opportunities to use AI and automation across the end-to-end support process.
• Improve customer self-service, knowledge management and intelligent workflows.
• Move the function from reactive support towards proactive customer management.
• Own and improve SLAs, KPIs, first-contact resolution and customer satisfaction.
• Use support data to identify customer issues, trends and potential risks earlier.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex customer issues.
• Work closely with Customer Success, Professional Services, Product and Engineering.
• Build a high-performing, continuous-improvement culture within the team.

What we're looking for

• Strong experience leading a customer-facing Service Desk, Technical Support or Customer Support function.
• Experience within a SaaS, CRM or software vendor environment would be highly desirable.
• Proven experience using AI and automation to transform or improve service operations.
• The ability to think beyond individual AI tools and identify opportunities to automate complete processes.
• Strong knowledge of SLA/KPI management and service performance reporting.
• A proactive, commercially aware approach to customer service.

Most importantly, you'll be someone comfortable challenging existing processes, presenting your own strategy to senior leadership and then taking ownership of delivering it.The opportunity You'll be joining with a genuine mandate for change. Rather than being handed a predefined transformation plan, you'll have the freedom to assess what works, challenge what doesn't and shape how the Service Desk operates going forward.Location: Reading - this role is expected to be office-based five days per week due to the leadership and cross-functional nature of the position.Salary: Up to £65,000 depending on experience, plus performance-related bonus.