IT Service Desk Manager

External Posting; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A global IT services company is seeking an IT Service Desk Manager to lead their operations. The role ensures efficient delivery of IT support, focusing on automation initiatives particularly with Microsoft Office Administration and Microsoft Entra ID. Ideal candidates will have over 7 years of service desk experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role, strong technical skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement. They will oversee a global team and ensure high-quality service delivery in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Diversity and inclusion commitment

Equal opportunity employer

Qualifications

• 7+ years in IT Service Desk operations, 3+ years in leadership role.
• Experience with Microsoft Intune for deployment and patch management.
• Knowledge of ITIL frameworks highly desirable.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with Service Desk ticketing systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead global IT Service Desk team for efficient service delivery.
• Establish and monitor SLAs and OLAs.
• Drive automation initiatives for routine tasks.
• Foster continuous improvement in service desk operations.

Skills

IT Service Desk operations

Microsoft Entra ID

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

ITIL Foundation certification

Tools

Microsoft Intune

Jira Service Management

PowerShell

Job description

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic IT Service Desk Manager to lead our global service desk operations. This pivotal role is responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of IT support services to our employees worldwide. The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of technical expertise, exceptional leadership skills and a proven track record in driving automation initiatives particularly within Microsoft Office Administration and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Asure AD). You will be instrumental in enhancing our service delivery, optimizing processes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within a fast‑paced global environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Service Delivery & Operations: Supervise and handle the daily operations of a global IT Service Desk team ensuring high‑quality, timely and user‑centric support for all IT‑related issues and requests, implementing global follow the sun support approaches.
• Establish and maintain Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs), monitoring performance against these metrics and implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Develop and implement efficient IT service management processes leveraging ITIL best practices for incident, problem, request fulfilment and knowledge management.
• Act as an escalation point for complex technical issues and critical incidents, ensuring swift resolution and effective communication.
• Coordinate and prioritise the workload of the service desk team, ensuring adequate staffing levels and coverage across different global time zones.
• Automation & Process Improvement: Drive the identification, design and implementation of automation solutions to streamline routine IT Service Desk tasks with a solid focus on Microsoft Office Administration and Microsoft Entra ID (Asure AD).
• Automate user provisioning, license management, shared mailbox creation and other common administrative tasks within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
• Automate user lifecycle management (onboarding/offboarding, role assignments), group management, access reviews and other identity‑related processes.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service desk efficiency, reduce resolution times and improve the overall user experience.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools, technologies and methodologies to optimise service desk operations and automation capabilities.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor and develop a high‑performing global team of IT Service Desk Analysts and Team Leads.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback and identify training and development needs for team members.
• Foster a collaborative, customer‑focused and positive work environment that encourages problem‑solving and innovation.
• Handle staffing, scheduling and resource allocation to ensure optimal team performance and coverage.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Communicate effectively with internal stakeholders across all levels of the organisation including senior management, department heads and end‑users.
• Provide regular reports on service desk performance trends and key initiatives.
• Collaborate with other IT teams (e.g. Infrastructure, Applications, Security) to ensure seamless service delivery and problem resolution.
• Handle vendor relationships related to service desk tools and technologies.
• Knowledge Management: Supervise the creation, maintenance and dissemination of a comprehensive knowledge base for both internal team use and end‑user self‑service.
• Promote a culture of knowledge sharing and documentation within the team.

Required Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated ability (7 years) in IT Service Desk operations with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role within a global company.
• Sound understanding of and hands‑on ability with Microsoft Intune for imaging, application deployment, patch management etc.
• Demonstrable experience in delivering change and continuous improvement approaches and measuring their success.
• Confirmed ability in the implementation of end‑user self‑service initiatives, ITSM management tool improvement (Jira ITSM) and knowledge management for both end users and internal IT staff.
• Working knowledge of Information Security concepts and tools including Microsoft Purview, Defender, SIEM tooling, vulnerability management, data loss prevention configurations within the Microsoft ecosystem and other key approaches.
• Confirmed experience in automating IT processes specifically with a solid focus on Microsoft Office Administration (M365) and Microsoft Entra ID (Asure AD).
• Demonstrable experience with scripting languages and low/no‑code support tools (PowerShell, Logic Apps) for automation purposes.
• In‑depth knowledge of IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks, particularly ITIL (ITIL Foundation certification highly desirable).
• Solid understanding of common IT infrastructure components including networking, servers, operating systems (Windows, macOS) and enterprise applications.
• Excellent leadership, coaching and team development skills.
• Exceptional communication (written and verbal), interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Confirmed ability to handle multiple priorities, work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced global environment.
• Experience with Service Desk ticketing systems (Jira Service Management).
• Problem‑solving approach with a strong analytical ability.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices and principles.

Additional Information

Level: 3
Deadline: 21 November 2025
Notes: Only candidates legally authorized to work in the UK or the Netherlands will be considered.

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.