Service Desk Manager
The Opportunity
We are working exclusively with a well-regarded and growing business to appoint an IT Service Desk Manager. This is a key leadership hire within a business that takes genuine pride in the quality of its service, its team culture and its commitment to doing things the right way.
The business has a strong set of values — success, passion, care, integrity and teamwork — and they are looking for someone who naturally embodies these. If you are a technically strong IT professional who is ready to step into or build on a leadership role, and you want to be part of a team that genuinely cares about both its people and its customers, this is worth a serious look.
The Role
The IT Service Desk Manager will lead and actively participate in the delivery of technical support across a team of 6 to 8 support staff, providing high-quality service to contracted customers and internal employees. The role combines operational leadership with genuine hands-on technical involvement — this is not a purely managerial position.
You will act as the senior escalation point for complex or high-priority issues, set the standard for best practice across technical processes, service delivery, security controls, documentation and customer engagement, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and professional development within the team.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Management
- Lead, mentor, support, and develop helpdesk staff in both technical and customer service skills
- Oversee daily ticket allocation, prioritisation, and workload balancing across the team
- Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and team meetings
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing staff development plans
- Promote a collaborative and positive team culture with clear expectations for service quality
Hands-On Service Delivery & Escalation
- Act as the primary 3rd-line technical escalation point, troubleshooting and resolving complex or high-impact incidents directly
- Lead by example, working alongside engineers to demonstrate best practice in both troubleshooting and support techniques
- Take ownership of priority incidents, managing response, communication, and escalation
- Perform periodic reviews of ticket handling quality, troubleshooting standards, and customer communication, coaching the team based on real examples
- Shadow support engineers on selected tickets to observe workflow, guide approach, and reinforce best-practice methods in real time
- Engage directly with customers during priority incidents or sensitive escalations to manage expectations and ensure positive outcomes
- Ensure consistent technical standards across device builds, onboarding processes, patching, backup, and security controls, working to refine and improve where needed
Service Delivery Management
- Ensure support requests are worked and resolved in line with SLA commitments
- Monitor ticket queues, response times, resolution quality, and customer satisfaction
- Maintain and improve internal knowledge base content, runbooks, and documentation
- Oversee internal IT support for employees in line with internal SLAs
What We're Looking For
Essential
- Experience leading a technical support or helpdesk team
- Strong Microsoft 365 and Windows endpoint administration skills
- Excellent understanding of networking fundamentals and security best practices
- Excellent organisational, analytical, and communication skills
- Customer-centric mindset with the ability to remain calm under pressure
Desirable
- Experience in an MSP or IT services organisation
- ITIL Foundation or equivalent certification
- Experience using PSA/ITSM platforms such as HaloPSA
Personal Attributes
- Strong communication skills — clear, professional and personable
- Highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities
- Able to use initiative and make sound decisions independently
- Presentable and professional in client-facing situations
- Strong team player with genuine leadership capability
- Flexible, reliable and punctual