IT Service Desk Manager

Finova; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology provider in Cheltenham seeks an experienced IT Service Desk Manager to lead and develop their global IT Helpdesk team. The role involves overseeing day-to-day service desk operations and vendor relationships while ensuring high standards of service delivery based on ITIL best practices. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in project management, team leadership, and vendor management, along with hands-on experience with Google Workspace and Microsoft tools.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Flexible hybrid working policy

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience managing IT Service Desk teams across multiple geographies.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL frameworks and service management best practices.
• Hands-on experience with Jira Service Management and Google Workspace administration.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop IT Helpdesk Analysts across multiple locations.
• Ensure ticket queues are managed effectively with clear SLAs.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors for issue resolution.

Skills

ITIL knowledge

Project management

Vendor management

Team leadership

Jira Service Management

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft tooling

Job description

About Finova

Finova is the UK’s largest mortgage and savings technology provider, powering one in every five mortgages across the country. Our agile, cloud-native solutions help over 60 banks, building societies, specialist lenders and equity release providers — plus a network of 2,400+ brokers — stay ahead of the market.

We offer a flexible, proven suite of software that covers the full customer journey — from mortgage and savings origination to servicing and CRM. Backed by an open architecture and a team with deep industry expertise, our platform is built to scale. Today, we process over £50 billion in loans each year, manage nearly £50 billion in savings, and support the digital servicing of more than 650,000 UK borrower accounts.

For Lenders Finova offers a flexible, modular technology suite designed to help lenders move faster, scale efficiently, and deliver standout digital experiences. You can run your entire mortgage and savings business on Finova — or just use the modules you need, tailored by our team or configured in-house through our low-code platform. Our solutions include:

• Lending – end-to-end mortgage and specialist lending software built for speed, flexibility, and scale.
• Decisioning – powerful tools for smarter, more personalised lending decisions.
• Servicing – intuitive workflows and automation to simplify day‑to‑day account management and customer servicing.
• Savings – configurable onboarding and customer engagement tools across all savings products.
• Intermediary Manager – broker relationship and compliance management, powered by real‑time external data.
• Broker ID – fast, automated broker verification and compliance tracking using KYB, KYC, and live monitoring from public data sources.

Lenders use Finova to launch products faster, process applications up to 50% more efficiently, and reduce operational costs — all while staying fully compliant in a fast‑moving market.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced IT Service Desk Manager to lead and develop our global IT Helpdesk team, supporting analysts across Cheltenham, London, and India.

This role is pivotal in ensuring seamless IT support for a large software development and engineering community, maintaining high standards of service delivery aligned with ITIL best practices.

The successful candidate will manage day‑to‑day operations of the service desk, oversee vendor relationships, and ensure efficient ticket flow and resolution. They will also play a key role in implementing robust access management, Joiner‑Mover‑Leaver (JML) processes, asset registers, change management, and role‑based access control (RBAC), alongside reporting frameworks.

This position will operate within a hybrid workspace environment, supporting both Google Workspace and Microsoft tooling, with flexibility to adapt as the organisation evolves. The role requires experience in rolling out tools and managing projects in this space, with a strong focus on continuous improvement, automation, and responsible use and control of AI.

What will you be doing?

• Team Leadership & Coaching
  • Lead, mentor, and develop IT Helpdesk Analysts across multiple locations.
  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement and customer‑centric service.
• Service Desk Operations
  • Ensure ticket queues are managed effectively with clear SLAs and escalation paths.
  • Maintain comprehensive documentation and adherence to ITIL standards.
  • Implement and monitor reporting dashboards for performance and compliance.
• Vendor Management
  • Manage relationships with third‑party vendors to ensure timely resolution of escalated issues.
  • Negotiate and monitor service agreements to maintain quality and cost‑effectiveness.
• Technology Support & Rollout
  • Support and champion Google Workspace and Microsoft tooling, ensuring smooth integration in a hybrid environment.
  • Lead projects for tool rollouts and manage change effectively across the organisation.
  • Oversee management of software development licences and tools used by engineering teams.
• Access Management & Security
  • Implement and maintain strong access control processes, including JML lifecycle management, asset registers, and RBAC.
  • Collaborate with the Head of IT and Security to ensure compliance with security policies.
• Innovation & Automation
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives across service desk operations.
  • Identify opportunities for automation and efficiency gains.
  • Ensure responsible use and governance of AI within IT support processes.

About You

• Proven experience managing IT Service Desk teams across multiple geographies.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL frameworks and service management best practices.
• Hands‑on experience with Jira Service Management, Google Workspace and Microsoft tooling administration and rollout.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects and implement new tools in a hybrid environment.
• Familiarity with software development tools and licence management.
• Excellent vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and people management capabilities.
• Ability to produce clear reports and manage ticketing systems effectively.

Desirable Skills

• Experience in supporting large‑scale software engineering environments.
• Knowledge of identity and access management solutions, RBAC, and asset tracking.
• Exposure to automation technologies and AI governance.
• Understanding of security and compliance frameworks.

What We Offer

• Flexible Working: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, bank holiday trading and holiday purchase options, the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks per year, and a flexible hybrid working policy.
• Looking After You: Life Assurance, Group Income Protection, Private Medical Insurance, a pension scheme via Salary Exchange, an Employee Assistance Programme, and access to a Virtual GP.
• Family‑Friendly Policies: Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, as well as paid time off for fertility treatments and pregnancy loss.
• Extra Perks: Cycle to Work Scheme, discounts on shops, restaurants, and gym memberships, free fresh fruit daily, and opportunities to join colleague networks and social groups.
• Giving Back: One paid volunteering day annually and the Give‑As‑You‑Earn scheme to support your favourite charities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re passionate about this role but don’t meet all the criteria, please reach out—we’d love to discuss how your skills and experiences align with our needs.