Senior Manager – IT Service Desk Operations

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery Leadership

• Lead 24x7 global IT Service Desk operations across multiple geographic locations.
• Ensure achievement of Service Level Agreements (SLA), Operational Level Agreements (OLA), and Key Performance Indicators (KPI).
• Drive improvements in First Contact Resolution (FCR), Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Average Speed of Answer (ASA).
• Provide leadership during major incidents and business-critical events.
• Establish operational governance frameworks and service review processes.

People Leadership & Workforce Management

• Manage and develop Service Desk managers, supervisors, SMEs, and analysts.
• Build high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and talent development.
• Lead workforce planning activities, including capacity forecasting, hiring, scheduling, and budget optimization.
• Drive employee engagement, performance management, and recognition programs.
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

Service Management & Operations

• Ensure adherence to ITIL processes including Incident, Request, Problem, Knowledge, and Change Management.
• Monitor service performance and implement corrective actions where required.
• Conduct operational reviews and provide executive-level reporting.
• Identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for service improvement.
• Partner with Problem Management teams to eliminate root causes of frequent incidents.

Automation & Transformation

• Lead automation-first strategies to reduce contact volumes and improve user experience.
• Drive initiatives such as password reset automation, AI-driven virtual agents, predictive support capabilities, and self-service adoption.
• Champion shift-left programs to increase resolution at lower support tiers.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and implement innovative solutions to enhance service delivery.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Oversee relationships with vendor partners and outsourced service providers.
• Conduct regular service reviews, performance evaluations, and contract compliance assessments.
• Collaborate with business leaders, infrastructure teams, cybersecurity, application support, and engineering teams.
• Influence stakeholders and secure alignment on strategic initiatives.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and audit standards.
• Manage operational risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Support internal and external audits.
• Maintain business continuity and disaster recovery readiness for Service Desk operations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field.
• 10+ years of IT Operations or Service Desk experience.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing large-scale Service Desk teams.
• Experience leading global and distributed support operations.
• Strong understanding of ITIL framework and ITSM best practices.
• Experience managing vendor and outsourced service operations.
• Proven experience in service transformation and automation initiatives.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• ITIL Foundation/Managing Professional certification.
• PMP, Agile, Scrum, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent certifications.
• Experience with ServiceNow, Genesys, NICE, Five9, or similar platforms.
• Experience implementing AI, chatbots, virtual agents, and automation technologies.
• Financial services or highly regulated industry experience.
• Experience managing multi-million-dollar operational budgets.

Key Competencies

Leadership

• Strategic Thinking
• Executive Presence
• Team Development
• Change Leadership
• Decision Making

Operational Excellence

• IT Service Management
• Incident & Problem Management
• Workforce Management
• Service Analytics
• Continuous Improvement

Business & Stakeholder Management

• Vendor Governance
• Risk Management
• Financial Acumen
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Customer Experience Management

Success Metrics

The Senior Manager will be measured on:

• SLA Achievement (%)
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
• First Contact Resolution (FCR)
• Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR)
• Contact Volume Reduction through Automation
• Self-Service Adoption Rate
• Employee Engagement Scores
• Knowledge Management Effectiveness
• Operational Cost Optimization
• Audit & Compliance Results
• Vendor Performance Metrics

Ideal Candidate Profile

A successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong experience managing end-to-end global Service Desk operations.
• Ability to lead large teams across multiple regions and vendors.
• Proven success driving automation, AI adoption, and operational transformation.
• Strong understanding of ITIL, workforce management, service analytics, and customer experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership and influence strategic decisions.
• Experience building future-ready Service Desk organizations focused on digital support and self-service capabilities.

Reporting Relationship: Director / Executive Director, End User Services or Technology Operations