Service Desk Ops Manager 

Location: London (onsite 5 days per week)

Due to the nature of the work and the customers we support, the successful candidate must be eligible to meet UK Government and contractual personnel security requirements, including the applicable residency requirements for the role, and have the right to work in the United Kingdom. Some roles may also be subject to nationality requirements where these are necessary to meet UK Government or contractual security obligations.

You will lead and manage the IT Service Management (ITSM) Service Desk operation, ensuring the delivery of high-quality IT support services aligned with ITIL best practices. Drive exceptional customer experience while maintaining Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance and fostering a culture of continual service improvement. Act as the single point of accountability for Service Desk performance, representing the function to senior leadership and client stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery & SLA Management

• Own end-to-end Service Desk operations, ensuring all agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are consistently met or exceeded.

• Monitor and report on service performance metrics including First Contact Resolution (FCR), Average Handle Time (AHT), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), abandonment rates, and ticket volumes

• Manage incident escalation processes to minimise business impact and ensure timely resolution.

• Conduct regular service reviews with stakeholders, presenting performance data, trend analysis, and improvement plans.

• Ensure accurate and timely production of daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports.

• Manage service desk budgets, forecasting costs, and identifying cost optimisation opportunities.

• Oversee vendor and third-party supplier relationships relevant to Service Desk tooling and services.

• Ensure Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans are in place and tested for the Service Desk function.

ITIL Best Practice

• Ensure Service Desk operations are aligned with ITIL 4 frameworks, specifically Incident Management, Request Fulfilment, Knowledge Management, Problem Management, and Service Request Management.

• Maintain and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, runbooks, and knowledge articles.

• Drive adoption of ITIL processes across the team, ensuring consistent and repeatable service delivery.

• Support Major Incident Management (MIM) and contribute to Problem Management activities to reduce repeat incidents.

• Ensure effective Change Enablement awareness within the team to minimise change-related incidents.

• Govern the Service Catalogue, ensuring offerings are current, clearly defined, and aligned to business needs.

• Ensure compliance with Information Security Management policies and data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR).

Customer Experience

• Champion a customer-first culture across the Service Desk team, embedding customer experience into every interaction.

• Analyse customer feedback (CSAT/NPS) and implement targeted improvements based on insights.

• Ensure professional, empathetic, and efficient communication at all customer touchpoints — phone, email, chat, portal, and walk-up.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key business stakeholders through regular engagement.

• Act as the escalation point for customer complaints, ensuring swift and satisfactory resolution within agreed timeframes.

• Design and implement customer journey mapping to identify pain points and optimise the support experience.

• Develop and maintain a communication strategy for planned outages, service changes, and major incidents.

• Establish and monitor Voice of the Customer (VoC) programmes to capture qualitative and quantitative feedback.

Continual Service Improvement (CSI)

• Identify, propose, and implement service improvements through data-driven analysis and trend identification.

• Maintain a CSI register, tracking improvement initiatives from identification through to realisation of benefits.

• Leverage automation, AI, and self-service opportunities to improve efficiency and user experience.

• Conduct root cause analysis on SLA breaches and recurring issues, implementing corrective and preventive actions.

• Benchmark service performance against industry standards and best practices (e.g., SDI, HDI benchmarks).

• Lead regular improvement workshops with the team to generate ideas and foster innovation.

• Implement shift-left strategies to empower Level 1 resolution and reduce unnecessary escalations.

• Track and report on improvement initiative ROI and business value delivered.

People Management & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Service Desk Analysts and Team Leads (typically 15-50+ staff).

• Manage workforce planning, shift scheduling, and resource allocation to meet demand across 24/7 or extended hours operations.

• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and personal development planning.

• Foster a positive, high-performance team culture with clear accountability and recognition.

• Identify training needs and ensure the team maintains relevant technical and ITIL certifications.

• Manage recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies to minimise attrition.

• Implement quality assurance frameworks including call monitoring, ticket audits, and coaching programmes.

• Promote diversity, inclusion, and wellbeing within the team.

• Manage absence, performance issues, and disciplinary matters in line with HR policies.

Technology & Tooling

• Oversee the effective use and configuration of ITSM platforms.

• Drive adoption of self-service portals, knowledge bases, and virtual agent/chatbot technologies.

• Identify and implement automation opportunities (e.g., password resets, ticket routing, auto-categorisation).

• Ensure telephony/ACD systems are optimised for call routing, IVR, and reporting.

• Collaborate with IT teams on tool enhancements, integrations, and upgrades.

• Evaluate emerging technologies and make recommendations for adoption.