Head of IT Service Desk

The Head of IT Service Desk Operation is required to line manage and support the teams working in the service desk area.

You will be responsible for the performance of the service desk, ensuring we are meeting customer need and achieving targets and KPI’s. You will drive continuous improvement and work closely with our customers and other teams within Is to ensure that our services align to their needs.

You will understand organisational culture, leading to improving the quality, productivity and efficiency of the service desk to ensure that goals are achieved.

You will be accountable for multiple teams within the service desk covering incident management, request management, and value realisation.

Main Duties

You will be responsible for driving and improving the performance of the Service Desk to meet ever increasing business demand and requirements.

You will be expected to deal with all aspects of line management and support for the team managers in the area. This includes coaching/mentoring, personal development and performance appraisal/feedback (both ongoing and formally at annual appraisals). You will act as an escalation point for the team managers.  It is essential that the role holder has a good understanding of the role of a manager, the challenges they face and the support they require. You will understand the intricacies of staff motivation, incentive, reward and delegation. 

You will be expected to take part in senior management forums for IT, and to contribute to IT strategy. You will also be expected to update operational and team management forums on the progress and performance of the teams working within the IT Service Desk.

You will report to the Head of Corporate Services.

Other duties include:

• To perform regular 1 to 1s with each team manager
• Working closely with customers to improve the service we provide
• To perform annual appraisals with each team manager
• To take a proactive role in reviewing processes, tools and technology to ensure optimum delivery capability
• To ensure there is a focus on continuous improvement in the team
• To be pro-active in seeking out solutions to issues being experienced by team manager
• Maintain relationships with designated stakeholders, and our customers
• To plan and assist with recruitment to ensure targeted staffing levels are maintained
• To adopt a quality focussed approach
• Identifying trends and assisting with problem resolution
• Work with new Service introductions that have impact on the desk
• Managing customer escalations
• Ensuring SLA’s and KPI’s are relevant and achieved
• Preparing and managing budgets
• Overseeing IT and staff feedback
• Implementing new and continually evolving ITSM tooling
• Working to automate where possible    

In addition to these responsibilities the role holder will also be required to participate in management initiatives as deemed appropriate by the Head of Corporate Services, including but not limited to:

• Company and IT KPI and quality initiatives
• Business requirement prioritisation meetings
• Ad-hoc strategy meetings
• Team manager forums

This is not a full definition of the role but covers the main aspects and drivers for success.

Experience and Qualifications Required

Desirable:

• Commercially aware
• ITIL qualified
• Previous experience of managing a Service Desk

Essential:

• Previous experience of managing team manager level or above
• Service management experience
• Strong resource management skills, including staff appraisal and performance management
• Excellent time management skills
• Experience of mentoring and coaching
• Demonstrable and effective delegation of tasks whilst conforming to service level/quality agreements
• Exceptional customer service skills

Behavioural Competencies

Communication

• Able to communicate with employees of all levels including senior management.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Solutions Driven

• Focus on providing solutions to problems.
• Continually look for ways to improve the service being provided.

Challenging

• Be prepared to challenge the status quo and make suggestions for improvement.
• Be willing to voice an opinion on all matters whilst being receptive to feedback.

Motivation

• Able to motivate and create a positive and proactive environment for team members.

Team Work

• Take a proactive lead in creating a supportive team environment.
• Readily be available to help support the team.

Time Management

• Well organised and able to prioritise tasks.
• Able to manage workload correctly with little supervision.

Organised

• Able to plan work efficiently and effectively.
• Plan and prioritise work appropriately.

Decision Making

• Ensure decisions are objectively justified and made in confidence.
• Understanding of the impact of decisions for the team and the business.

Our Commitment to You

At Admiral, we are committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace. Admiral is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other legally protected status.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment.

Salary, Benefits and Work-Life Balance

We do not have a set salary for this position, as it will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience. We are happy to see CVs from all candidates who meet the requirements and will be happy to discuss the remuneration package.

At Admiral, we are proud to be a diverse business where we put our people and customers first. We have great benefits to ensure employees have a great work-life balance; it's one of the reasons we have consistently been voted one of Sunday Times Best Big Companies to Work For in the UK. We want you to have an element of freedom to define a working lifestyle that supports this, so accommodate flexible hours wherever possible.

All colleagues will receive 33 days holiday (including banks holidays) when they join us, and this will increase with length of service, up to a maximum of 38 days (including bank holidays). You also have the option to buy or sell up to five days of annual leave in addition to your allocation.

You can also view some of our other key benefits www.admiraljobs.co.uk/career-growth-development.

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