The Opportunity

We are working exclusively with a well-regarded and growing business to appoint an IT Service Desk Manager. This is a key leadership hire within a business that takes genuine pride in the quality of its service, its team culture and its commitment to doing things the right way.

The business has a strong set of values — success, passion, care, integrity and teamwork — and they are looking for someone who naturally embodies these. If you are a technically strong IT professional who is ready to step into or build on a leadership role, and you want to be part of a team that genuinely cares about both its people and its customers, this is worth a serious look.

The Role

The IT Service Desk Manager will lead and actively participate in the delivery of technical support across a team of 6 to 8 support staff, providing high-quality service to contracted customers and internal employees. The role combines operational leadership with genuine hands-on technical involvement — this is not a purely managerial position.

You will act as the senior escalation point for complex or high-priority issues, set the standard for best practice across technical processes, service delivery, security controls, documentation and customer engagement, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and professional development within the team.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead, mentor, support, and develop helpdesk staff in both technical and customer service skills
• Oversee daily ticket allocation, prioritisation, and workload balancing across the team
• Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and team meetings
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing staff development plans
• Promote a collaborative and positive team culture with clear expectations for service quality

Hands-On Service Delivery & Escalation

• Act as the primary 3rd-line technical escalation point, troubleshooting and resolving complex or high-impact incidents directly
• Lead by example, working alongside engineers to demonstrate best practice in both troubleshooting and support techniques
• Take ownership of priority incidents, managing response, communication, and escalation
• Perform periodic reviews of ticket handling quality, troubleshooting standards, and customer communication, coaching the team based on real examples
• Shadow support engineers on selected tickets to observe workflow, guide approach, and reinforce best-practice methods in real time
• Engage directly with customers during priority incidents or sensitive escalations to manage expectations and ensure positive outcomes
• Ensure consistent technical standards across device builds, onboarding processes, patching, backup, and security controls, working to refine and improve where needed

Service Delivery Management

• Ensure support requests are worked and resolved in line with SLA commitments
• Monitor ticket queues, response times, resolution quality, and customer satisfaction
• Maintain and improve internal knowledge base content, runbooks, and documentation
• Oversee internal IT support for employees in line with internal SLAs

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Experience leading a technical support or helpdesk team
• Strong Microsoft 365 and Windows endpoint administration skills
• Excellent understanding of networking fundamentals and security best practices
• Excellent organisational, analytical, and communication skills
• Customer-centric mindset with the ability to remain calm under pressure

Desirable

• Experience in an MSP or IT services organisation
• ITIL Foundation or equivalent certification
• Experience using PSA/ITSM platforms such as HaloPSA

Personal Attributes

• Strong communication skills — clear, professional and personable
• Highly organised with the ability to manage competing priorities
• Able to use initiative and make sound decisions independently
• Presentable and professional in client-facing situations
• Strong team player with genuine leadership capability
• Flexible, reliable and punctual