IT Support SME

Howden UK Brokers; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Howden UK Brokers is seeking an IT Support SME in Manchester. The role delivers Tier 1.5 and 2nd line support, working with Unisys and internal teams to triage, diagnose and resolve incidents and requests.

You will monitor customer experience, contribute to knowledge management, and ensure SLA compliance. The role combines strong technical troubleshooting with proactive ownership and excellent stakeholder communication to provide a dependable, customer-focused IT support service.

Qualifications

• Customer-focused IT support with strong communication skills.
• Ability to triage and resolve incidents and requests within SLAs.
• Experience with Windows 10+ and mobile device support.
• Knowledge of AD, Exchange/Office 365 and remote support tools.
• Comfort collaborating with third-party providers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide Tier 1.5 and Tier 2nd line IT support, remotely or desk-side.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Team player

Problem solving

Proactive

Time management

Mobile devices

Windows 10+

Tools

ServiceNow

Active Directory

MS Office

Microsoft Teams

Zoom

SCCM

ITIL

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities - work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

The IT Support SME role is responsible for monitoring customer experience, supporting knowledge management and contributing to major incident resolution. The role combines strong technical troubleshooting, proactive ownership and excellent stakeholder communication to deliver a dependable and customer-focused IT support service.

The role provides advanced Tier 1.5 and 2nd line support, acting as a key technical escalation point for the third-party support provider and employees across the business. The role is responsible for resolving complex incidents and requests, delivering high-quality remote and desk-side support, and ensuring issues are triaged, owned and progressed within agreed service levels.

Location: Manchester. Office based 3 days per week.

Reporting Line: IT Service Delivery Manager

Travel Requirements: Occasional travel to UK office locations as required.

Work Pattern: Full Time, Permanent

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities

• Tier 1.5 & 2nd line Support to the Unisys support team, predominantly remote support to our employees globally
• Customer experience monitoring and remediation, working with Unisys to ensure high SDR/FCR/CSAT achieved
• Excellent cross-team communications, ensuring IT issues that are not resolved in the first instance (Tier 1.5) are picked up, triaged and resolved within SLA/Priority
• Knowledge Management, KB article ownership for SME's and regular review/updates
• Executive user support to key stakeholders and senior management.
• Managing escalated Incidents and requests via our IT service management tool ServiceNow
• Advanced IT troubleshooting skills, and analytical triage/support
• Owning unresolved Issues and liaising/delegating tasks to relevant technology teams.
• Escalating wider-impacting support issues to SD Team Lead and Global Service Delivery Manager where necessary
• Advanced network troubleshooting and root cause analysis
• Advanced Mobile device support - Apple & Android technologies
• Advanced Active Directory Users and Computer administration via appropriate platforms/tools
• Advanced Windows 11 and Microsoft product support
• MAC OS X support (not essential)
• Participate in ad-hoc support requests, desk moves, desk side support
• Supporting the 3rd party provider and employees in business core hours 7am to 7pm on a rota basis (Mon-Fri) office based
• Supporting the 3rd party provider and employees outside of core business hours 6pm - Midnight on a rota basis (Mon-Fri) working from home
• Supporting the business weekends & bank holidays on a rota basis (opt in or out)
• Acting as a Major Incident contributor during reported MI's (following the documented MI process)

Skills and abilities needed to perform role

• An understanding of the importance of excellent customer service and a "can do" attitude
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• The ability to interact confidently with clients and colleagues
• The ability to work very well in a team environment
• The ability to think logically
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong prioritisation skills and ability to follow process
• Patience and empathy when dealing with customers and colleaguesEffective problem solving skills based on clear reasoning and sound rationale
• Tactful, diplomatic and able to thrive in an ever-changing environment
• Ability to work pro-actively, under pressure and independently with minimal direction
• A good understanding of mobile devices, such as Apple smartphones and tablets
• Strong background in Microsoft Office
• Strong background in Windows
• Familiarity and comfort in using web conferencing and collaboration tools and applications such as Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Zoom, Whatsapp, Cisco Webex etc with knowledge of Condeco and Crestron technology

Knowledge and Experience

• IT industry experience
• Microsoft Windows 10+
• Active Directory
• ADMP
• CoreView
• Microsoft Exchange
• Office365/2016+
• Mimecast
• Microsoft Teams
• Zoom
• SCCM
• MS AutoPilot
• MS CoPilot
• ITIL Best Practice
• Remote Support Tools
• Incident, Request, Problem and Change Management
• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures

Compliance and Regulatory Responsibilitie s

To remain compliant with FCA requirements at all times To obtain appropriate approvals to ensure compliance with company policy, procedures and regulatory requirements/rules, with regards to data prote