Global IT Service Desk Lead

JR United Kingdom; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is looking for a seasoned Global IT Service Desk Lead to oversee multi-site IT Service Desks. This role involves harnessing ITIL best practices and leveraging the ServiceNow platform for seamless service management. You'll be responsible for driving service desk strategy, managing budgets, and fostering relationships with stakeholders and vendors. If you have a deep understanding of ITSM processes and a passion for enhancing employee experiences, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading IT service desk operations across multiple locations.
• Strong understanding of ITIL best practices and ITSM processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end Service Desk strategy and align with business priorities.
• Define and manage KPIs for continuous improvement and root-cause analysis.

Skills

Budget and cost management

ITIL v3/v4 certification

ITSM service request management

Hands-on experience with ServiceNow Products

Vendor selection, negotiation and performance oversight

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

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Location: Manchester (occasional office visits)

Contract: 1 May 2025 – 31 December 2025

Setup: Contract Daily Rate (inside ir35)

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned Global IT Service Desk Lead to oversee multi-site IT Service Desks across six locations in a multi-vendor landscape. You’ll harness ITIL best practices to drive ITSM processes, leverage the ServiceNow platform for seamless service request management and integrations, and forge strong stakeholder and vendor relationships to underpin a world-class employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Service Management & Strategy: Lead the end-to-end Service Desk strategy, aligning roadmaps to business and IT priorities; embed ITIL-based workflows and SLA/OLA frameworks.
• ITSM & Tools: Utilise ServiceNow Products (including incident, problem and change modules) to automate ticketing, reporting and service improvement plans; bonus points for deep ServiceNow skillset.
• Performance & Reporting: Define and manage KPIs (CSAT, SLA adherence, volume metrics); analyse trends to drive continuous improvement and root-cause analysis.
• Budget & Cost Management: Own the Global IT Service Desk budget; track spend vs. forecast; negotiate contracts to maximise value and efficiency.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management: Build and maintain relationships with regional IT Directors, Business Technology Groups and external suppliers; coordinate support, escalations and continuity planning.
• Collaboration: Partner with Incident Management and Command Centre teams to ensure rapid resolution; support problem management in implementing remedial actions.

Must-Have Skills

• Budget and cost management
• ITIL v3/v4 certification
• ITSM service request management
• Hands-on experience with ServiceNow Products
• Vendor selection, negotiation and performance oversight