Service Desk Manager

Who are LRQA?
LRQA stands for dedication to clients, market firsts, and deep expertise in risk management. We have grown to become a leading global assurance provider, bringing together outstanding expertise in certification, customised assurance, cybersecurity, inspection, and training.

While we’re proud of our heritage, it’s who we are today that really matters, because that is what shapes who we and our clients can become tomorrow. By staying true to our shared values and combining decades of collective experience, we support our clients in building a safer and more sustainable future.

What do we do?
We help our clients negotiate a rapidly changing world by working with them to manage and mitigate the risks they face.   We specialise in management systems compliance & expert advice across a broad spectrum of standards, schemes & business improvement services including customised training & assurance. In Inspection Services, we certify safety critical industrial equipment according to recognised codes, standards & regulations. We also partner with companies to provide tailored, high-quality inspection services throughout their manufacturing supply chains, making sure equipment is built safely & to their requirements. Our award-winning Cyber Security Business Nettitude, helps clients manage their risks against a backdrop of new threats emerging every day; we focus on the threat in the cyber landscape and provide tailored solutions so that our clients can manage their risks effectively. Our independence means we provide reliable, impartial, and informed advice. All of this helps us stand by the purpose that drives us every single day: shaping a better future together.

LRQA currently operates across 150 countries, has more than 6000 colleagues, generates £400m in revenue, and supports more than 60,000 clients across a diverse range of sectors and markets.

The next chapter for LRQA
The future is exciting and rapidly changing. New challenges and opportunities are arising all the time. We are adapting to these challenges by expanding our portfolio of services and aiming to become the leading digitally enabled-assurance provider.

With solid expertise and heritage in our sector, coupled with well-timed accelerated investment and a leadership team that is fully committed to delivering our vision, LRQA’s next chapter is set to be an exciting, transformational period of growth. We are well placed to build on everything we have done and further our ambitions for the future. At such an exciting time this is a great opportunity to be part of our next chapter. We are looking for talented people who will support us to build on our strengths and transform our business to be the best partner for our clients.

• 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.

Technical/Professional Qualifications/Requirements:

Education and Experience:

• 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).

Key Health & Safety Responsibilities:

• Assess the risks and work in a safe manner at all times, robustly implementing health and safety rules, instructions and systems and refusing to undertake work that compromises your safety or health.
• Report in a timely manner all incidents including near misses and safety observations (NMSO), accidents and injuries and raise any health and safety concerns with your line manager.

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