Help Desk Support Engineer

Central Networks; Manchester; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave & bank holidays

Private healthcare (optional)

Travel expenses

On-call standby retainer

Job summary

Central Networks and Technologies Ltd is seeking a Service Desk Engineer (1st/2nd line) in Heywood, Greater Manchester. You will build strong relationships with customers, provide prompt first- and second-line IT support, and manage incidents within SLAs while maintaining clear communication and thorough documentation.

The role covers desktop, laptop, mobile device support, and collaboration with senior engineers for escalations.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a Service Desk, Help Desk, or IT Support role.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills – able to explain technical concepts to non-technical people.

Responsibilities

• Build positive, lasting relationships with customers and know their history with us.
• Proactively manage customer IT estates: monitor patching, licensing and device health, flag improvements.
• Provide first- and second-line technical support via phone, email, remote tools, and ticketing system.
• Log, update, prioritise, and manage incidents and requests per SLAs.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, networking, and user-access issues.
• Escalate complex incidents and handover clearly to avoid gaps.

Skills

Customer service mindset

Troubleshooting skills

Multitasking

Strong communication

SLA-driven support

Microsoft technologies familiarity

Tools

HaloPSA

N-Able RMM

Microsoft 365

Remote support tools

DNS/DHCP basics

Job description

Job Title: Service Desk Engineer (1st/2nd Line)

Location: Heywood, Greater Mancester

Department: Operations

Reporting to: Service Desk Manager

The Company

Central Networks and Technologies Ltd (Central) was founded in September 1991. Since then, we've enjoyed over 34 years of profitable operation and helped over 1,200 customers with their IT and support needs. We work across regulated sectors including social housing and charities as well as private sector organisations - industries where trust and consistency matter as much as technical skill. We're an independent IT services and support supplier that our customers rely on to get it right.

What Success Looks Like

• Customers feel valued, supported, and confident their issues are in good hands.
• Incidents are resolved quickly, without cutting corners on quality.
• Colleagues and customers regularly tell us you're doing a great job.
• You build genuine, lasting working relationships across the business and our customer base.

Key Responsibilities

• Build positive, lasting relationships with customers - know their setup, remember their history with us, and treat their issues as your own.
• Take a proactive approach to managing customer IT estates: spot recurring problems before they escal, keep an eye on patching, licensing and device health, and flag improvements based on what you're seeing.
• Provide first- and second-line technical support to end users via phone, email, remote support tools, and our ticketing system.
• Log, update, prioritise, and manage incidents and service requests in line with agreed SLAs.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, networking, and user access issues.
• Escalate complex incidents to senior engineers or third-party suppliers where needed, with a clear handover so nothing gets lost.
• Keep customers informed throughout the life of their support request, in plain English, not jargon.
• Support the setup, configuration, and maintenance of desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and peripherals.
• Contribute to knowledge base articles and technical documentation.
• Assist with user onboarding, offboarding, and account administration.
• Take part in continuous service improvement, and speak up when you see a better way of doing something.
• Join the on-call rota (generous standby retainer included).
• Visits to customer sites to support our clients.

Working Pattern

• Weekly Hours: 37.5hrs on rota between 7am – 6pm
• Part of the on-call rota for out-of-hours, with a generous standby retainer.
• You'll be joining an established service desk team who already work flexibly across 1st–3rd line support, so you're never on your own with a tough ticket.

Experience with some or all of the following is desirable:

• Our day-to-day toolset includes HaloPSA, N-Able RMM, Microsoft Management Tools - full training given, so don't worry if you haven't used our specific stack before.
• Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive)
• Windows 10 & Windows 11
• Microsoft Intune / Endpoint Management
• Remote support and monitoring tools
• Networking fundamentals (DNS, DHCP, TCP/IP, VPN)
• Mobile device support (iOS and Android)
• Hardware troubleshooting for laptops, desktops, printers, and peripherals
• Cyber security best practices and endpoint protection solutions
• Cloud technologies and managed service environments

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience in a Service Desk, Help Desk, or IT Support role.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - you can explain technical things to non-technical people without making them feel silly for asking.
• A genuine passion for helping people and solving their problems, not just closing tickets.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working within SLA-driven support environments.
• Good understanding of Microsoft technologies and desktop support.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality outcomes.
• ITIL Foundation and Microsoft certifications are a bonus, not a requirement - we'll fund the ones you need.

What's On Offer

• Backing, escalation support, and career progression from a reputable MSP
• Exposure to modern hybrid Microsoft and virtual desktop environments
• Paid vendor exams and training where required
• 25 days annual leave & Bank holidays
• Salary £25,000 – £32,000 based on experience
• Annual pay reviews
• Travel expenses
• Optional private healthcare