Service Desk Manager

• Lead the global Service Desk function, ensuring the delivery of high-quality IT support services to LRQA employees worldwide.
• Manage and develop a team of Service Desk Team Leads and Service Desk Analysts to achieve operational excellence.
• Act as a key escalation point for critical IT issues and incidents, ensuring prompt resolution and minimal business disruption.
• Continuously improve processes, tools, and service levels to align with industry best practices and organizational goals.
• Foster a culture of service excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership and Management:

• Oversee the daily operations of the global Service Desk, ensuring consistent delivery of support services across.
• Line manage 3 Service Desk Team Leads and 6 Service Desk Analysts supporting their development.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear objectives, and provide mentoring and development opportunities for the team.

Service Delivery and Continuous Improvement:

• Monitor and analyse key KPIs and SLAs to ensure targets are met or exceeded.
• Identify areas for improvement in processes and tools and lead initiatives to enhance efficiency and user satisfaction.
• Implement and maintain ITIL best practices for the delivery of Service Desk function.

Incident Management and Escalation:

• Act as an escalation point for major incidents, ensuring timely resolution and effective communication with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the ITSM team to support business users with incident and service requests.
• Collaborate with other IT functions to identify root causes and prevent recurrence of critical issues.
• Providing OOH Major Incidnet Management on a rota basis to ensure Major Incidents are managed to resolution as quickly and safely as possible.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders across LRQA to ensure the Service Desk aligns with business needs.
• Partner with other IT teams (e.g., ITSM, Cyber Security, Infrastructure) to provide seamless support and drive alignment on cross-functional initiatives.

Reporting and Communication:

• Provide regular reporting on service desk performance, highlighting trends and recommending actionable improvements.
• Contribute to monthly service reports and present updates in monthly service review meetings.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring clear updates on issues and resolutions.

Technology and Tools Management:

• Manage the Service Desk’s tools and platforms, such as ticketing systems and knowledge bases, to optimise support and self-service capabilities.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Service Desk., Behavioural Competencies (BCs)
• Takes responsibility for delivering customer needs (G3)
• Listens and asks questions to gain an understanding of customer needs and expectations
• Ensures that colleagues are aware of customer needs and understand how their role impacts the customer
• Anticipates customer needs, actively seeking feedback to improve satisfaction
• Takes responsibility for resolving problems within the scope of his/her experience o Balances customer needs with safety, operational and commercial constraints
• A key player in building and maintaining a positive team culture (G4)
• Sets a personal example through actively creating a positive, inclusive and safe working environment
• Recognises and capitalises on team diversity to achieve the best possible results
• Fosters relationships across functional and geographic boundaries to share technical expertise and best practice
• Proactively addresses cross-functional conflicts to find win-win solutions
• Credits individual contributions and celebrates team accomplishments
• Demonstrates a range of influencing techniques for positive impact (G4)
• Communicates functional/team vision, plans and decisions in a way that engages team members, gaining buy-in and support
• Sells ideas by linking benefits to needs, i.e. ‘what’s in it for them’, identifying key stakeholders, and building strategies to influence them
• Identifies and uses the tone, method, channel and content that will have the greatest impact, adapting style and delivery to suit audience
• Negotiates confidently in difficult situations, maintaining good relationships, and actively applying LRQA values
• Communicates credibly in all situations, and is aware of personal impact
• Takes a commercial view when making decisions and taking action (G3)
• Demonstrates an understanding of how key decisions and strategies affect the top and bottom line
• Considers cost implications and benefits of actions and decisions with awareness of budget
• Balances time, cost and quality variables without compromising on health and safety
• Uses resources effectively and identifies appropriate alternatives /efficiencies
• Initiates improvements to cut costs, improve efficiencies or seize opportunities
• Solves complex problems (G4)
• Uses a range of tools and techniques to break down complex issues and evaluate potential solutions
• Thinks inclusively, innovatively and commercially in generating a wide range of solutions and best courses of action o Makes sound decisions in the face of ambiguity
• Shows integrity and accountability for outcomes for decisions made, communicating lessons learned
• Coaches and empowers others to reach own decisions and solutions, without micro-managing
• Plans and prioritises workload to ensure goals/targets are achieved (G3)
• Is well-organised, using structured plans, prioritising and managing time effectively to meet deadlines and targets
• Balances a range of conflicting priorities and tasks to determine the best way forward
• Holds regular team reviews to track goals, giving clear feedback to drive performance and address issues
• Identifies barriers to achievement and actively seeks to minimise them
• Demonstrates a high level of drive, enthusiasm and a positive attitude to work, remaining calm under pressure

• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar role managing a global or regional Service Desk function.
• Strong leadership experience, including managing teams with multiple reporting lines.
• Background in IT service delivery within a medium to large enterprise environment.

Technical Expertise:

• In-depth knowledge of ITIL frameworks, with a preference for ITIL 4.
• Familiarity with Halo ITSM, or other enterprise-grade ITSM tools.
• Understanding of IT infrastructure and technologies, including Windows, Active Directory, networking, and cloud-based solutions.

Skills and Competencies:

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, able to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on root cause analysis and preventive measures.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• Commitment to fostering a customer-centric culture within the Service Desk team.

Desirable:

• Experience in managing global teams and working across multiple time zones.
• Knowledge of agile & DevOps methodologies and their application to IT operations.
• Relevant certifications, such as Microsoft, Cisco, or cloud platforms (Azure, AWS).

Join a global team where your expertise is valued and your development is supported. We offer a collaborative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, flexible working arrangements where applicable, a competitive salary aligned with the market, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a role with us, we may carry out pre-employment checks, as permitted by local law, including verification of identity, right to work, employment history, education, and criminal records where applicable.

LRQA is a leading global assurance partner, combining deep industry expertise with innovative solutions to help organizations manage risk, improve performance, and drive sustainable growth.

Operating in over 50 countries with a team of 2,500+ professionals, we support more than 60,000 clients worldwide through assurance, certification, cybersecurity, inspection, and training services. Our purpose is simple: to help businesses build a safer, more secure, and more sustainable future.