IT Service Desk Manager

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IT Service Desk Manager - Hybrid

Location: Reading

Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time

Grade: Senior Consultant

REQ003511

About XPS Group:

XPS Group is a prominent and growing UK consultancy and administration firm within the pensions and insurance sectors. As a FTSE 250 company with over 2000 employees, we leverage expertise alongside advanced technology to serve over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsors. Our goal is to foster a workplace where diverse talents thrive.

About the Role:

XPS IT provides highly available infrastructure services and responsive support services across the business. The service desk team is made up of the first line team located in Reading and the 2nd line team who are distributed across the business each with responsibility for desktop support in allocated offices. Third line technical support is part of the Infrastructure team and as such reports into the Head of Infrastructure.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced IT Service Desk Manager to lead our technical support team. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the service desk, ensuring that all customer service issues are resolved in a timely and efficient manner. The IT Service Desk Manager will manage the team of IT support staff, develop effective policies and procedures, and strive for high customer satisfaction, with a keen eye on audit compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the IT Director, manage and oversee the IT Service Desk (1st and 2nd lines) to ensure a high standard of support is consistently maintained.
• Create, maintain and enhance processes for continuous improvement of IT service.
• Understand the detail of all the audit framework against which XPS IT service is managed and ensure processes and procedures produce all the required evidence.
• Develop and implement service desk policies, procedures, and service standards to ensure a consistent and high-quality customer experience.
• Monitor combined service desk activity and analyse performance metrics to identify trends, anticipate potential issues, and implement improvements.
• Serve as the escalation point for resolving more complex issues that cannot be settled by service desk staff.
• Ensure that all requests and incidents are logged, tracked, and resolved within the agreed service levels.
• Liaise with other IT departments and stakeholders to facilitate cross-functional support and problem resolution.
• Develop, maintain and enhance a customer feedback mechanism and use feedback to enhance service delivery continually.
• Engage with local business leadership to take feedback on IT and provide update of service desk performance.
• Contribute to IT team leadership
• Keep abreast of new trends and due to the changing nature of the business, the job holder may from time to time be required to undertake other activities of a similar nature that fall within their capabilities

Your Profile:

Essential:

• A demonstrable passion for service improvement
• Proven experience as an IT Service Desk Manager or a similar managerial role.
• Strong technical background with an excellent understanding of IT systems and operations.
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage a diverse team.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with an analytical mindset.
• Strong customer service orientation with excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
• ITIL certification or equivalent experience working within ITIL frameworks would be advantageous.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and professional development.
• Strong procedural mindset, ability to demonstrate and enforce defined processes

Desirable:

• A proactive, hands-on management approach.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Attention to detail and process-based approach to delivery
• Detailed understanding of ServiceNow configuration and workflow/automation
• Patience and understanding to deal with complex customer issues

What We Offer:

Enjoy a competitive salary, annual discretionary bonus, and 25 days' holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance, and retailer discounts. We support our team with a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance, and digital GP service. Participating in volunteering events is encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for introducing suitable candidates to XPS.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit applications via Apply Now option or contact recruitment@xpsplc.com for more information. Join XPS Group and contribute to a dynamic and inclusive workplace.

Equal Opportunities Statement:

XPS Group is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or belief. As a Disability Confident employer, we ensure accessible and supportive work settings for all employees.

Eligibility:

Any employment offer made will be conditional upon you satisfying DBS Disclosure checks, Employment or educational references, Satisfactory credit checks and eligibility to work in the UK before an offer can be made. XPS Group is not able to provide sponsorship to employees.

Who Are We:

To find out more please visit: www.xpsgroup.com