Service Desk Analyst

XPS Pensions; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK consultancy seeks a Service Desk Analyst to provide first-line IT support in Reading. The successful candidate will deliver a high-quality customer experience, resolve technical issues efficiently, and maintain a customer satisfaction score of 90%+. The role offers competitive pay, a flexible benefits scheme, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual discretionary bonus

25 days' holiday

Pension matching

Healthcare plans

Life assurance

Retailer discounts

Qualifications

• 12-18 months of experience in a 1st Line IT Support or Service Desk role.
• Experience delivering remote and in-person technical support.
• Knowledge of Office 365 troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for IT support via phone, email, or live chat.
• Resolve 65%+ of support requests at first contact without escalation.
• Document all incidents and service requests using ServiceNow.

Skills

Excellent customer communication skills

Problem-solving mindset

Proactive learning attitude

Resourcefulness with undocumented issues

Education

CompTIA A+ certification or equivalent IT qualification

Tools

ServiceNow

Active Directory

Windows 11

Job description

Service Desk Analyst (1st Line)

Location: Reading
Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time
Grade: Senior Associate

XPS Group is a prominent UK consultancy and administration firm within the pensions and insurance sectors. As a FTSE 250 company with over 2000 employees, we leverage expertise alongside advanced technology to serve over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsors. Our goal is to foster a workplace where diverse talents thrive.

About the Role:

XPS IT provides highly available infrastructure services and responsive support services across the business. The Service Desk is made up of the 1st Line team located in Reading, the 2nd and 3rd Line teams who are distributed nationwide across our business locations.

Committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience and working seamlessly alongside our colleagues in the 2nd Line, 3rd Line, Infrastructure, Application Support and Cyber Security teams to ensure fast, effective solutions and constant improvement across all levels of technical support.

The Service Desk operates weekdays from 07:00 to 19:00, ensuring comprehensive coverage during core business hours. Leveraging the ServiceNow platform, we efficiently log, manage, and monitor all incidents and requests to maintain a consistent and high-quality support experience. Our goal is to resolve at least 65% of all queries at the 1st Line, delivering swift solutions and reducing the need for escalation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the reliable and personable first point of contact for IT support via phone, email, or live chat.
• KPI: Maintain an average customer satisfaction score of 90% or higher on ticket feedback.
• Support a variety of technologies including workstations, servers, printers, networks, and business-critical applications.
• KPI: Resolve 65%+ of all support requests at first contact without escalation.
• Accurately document all incidents and service requests using the ServiceNow platform.
• KPI: Ensure 100% of tickets are logged with clear issue descriptions, troubleshooting steps, and resolution outcomes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues efficiently, using available resources and the internal knowledge base.
• KPI: Maintain an average resolution time of under 30 minutes for standard 1st Line issues.
• Escalate unresolved or complex incidents to relevant teams (2nd Line 3rd Line, Infrastructure, Application Support & Cyber Security) in a timely and structured manner.
• KPI: Limit delayed escalations to less than 5% of total tickets handled.
• Follow internal procedures for incident handling, change requests, and service delivery.
• KPI: Achieve 100% compliance with documented processes.
• Proactively contribute to team knowledge by capturing learnings and updating documentation.
• KPI: Submit at least one knowledge base improvement per quarter.
• Take on additional duties aligned with your skills as needed.
• KPI: Demonstrate flexibility and initiative during high-demand periods (e.g., maintain service continuity during peak ticket volumes).

Your Profile:

Essential:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a customer-first approach.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a natural problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to stay calm, focused, and empathetic while resolving technical issues under pressure.
• Proactive attitude toward learning technical skills, especially around Active Directory, Azure, and Windows support.
• Resourcefulness when faced with undocumented issues-confidently researching problems and updating tickets and knowledge base articles with relevant findings.

Desirable:

• 12-18 months of hands-on experience in a 1st Line IT Support or Service Desk role.
• Proven ability to deliver both remote and in-person technical support across a range of devices and platforms.
• Strong working knowledge of Windows 11 administration and Office 365 troubleshooting.
• Experience supporting Active Directory, Azure, and Windows 11 environments.
• Understanding of key support principles for MS Teams, mobile device management (MDM), Zscaler, Mimecast, and basic networking/Wi-Fi.
• CompTIA A+ certification or equivalent entry-level IT qualification.

What We Offer:

Enjoy a competitive salary, annual discretionary bonus, and 25 days' holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance, and retailer discounts. We support our team with a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance, and digital GP service. Participating in volunteering events is encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for introducing suitable candidates to XPS.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

XPS Group is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or belief. As a Disability Confident employer, we ensure accessible and supportive work settings for all employees.

Eligibility:

Any employment offer made will be conditional upon you satisfying DBS Disclosure checks, Employment or educational references, Satisfactory credit checks and eligibility to work in the UK before an offer can be made. XPS Group is not able to provide sponsorship to employees.