Service Desk Manager

IOP Publishing Ltd.; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working environment

Competitive salary from £50,000 (Band 

Pension scheme

Discretionary annual bonus

Job summary

IOP Publishing is seeking an experienced Global IT Service Desk Manager to lead a cloud‑first service desk for ~500 staff across the UK, US, Europe and Asia. You’ll manage a high‑performing team, drive improvements and oversee suppliers while remaining hands‑on with technical delivery.

You will shape service strategy, enhance incident handling, and partner with stakeholders to ensure world‑class support in a fully cloud-based workplace. Bristol‑based hybrid role.

Qualifications

• Experience leading an IT Service Desk, Service Delivery or End User Computing function.
• Experience managing and developing technical support teams.
• Strong supplier and vendor management experience.
• Solid understanding of IT Service Management principles and best practice.
• Experience driving service improvement and operational excellence.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience managing major incidents and operational escalations.
• Data-driven approach to performance management and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Service Desk team to deliver a high-quality, customer-focused support service.
• Manage performance of external support providers and technology suppliers.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex incidents and service issues.
• Drive continual service improvement through data, insight, automation and innovation.
• Own and improve ITSM processes: incident, request, problem and change management.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders and ensure services meet needs.
• Support successful transition of new technologies into operational support.
• Develop a culture of collaboration, accountability, learning and service excellence.
• Provide technical oversight across a modern workplace technology estate.
• Full ownership and accountability for a £500,000 budget.

Skills

IT service leadership

People development

Supplier management

Stakeholder management

Incident management

Data-driven performance management

Education

ITIL Foundation certification

Microsoft 365 Administrator Certification

Tools

MS-900

AZ-900

SC-900

Azure Administrator

Entra ID / Intune

HALO ITSM

Job description

Be part of a community working together to make science better. A society publisher with the perfect blend of not‑for‑profit purpose and commercial perspective. Here, we help each other be the best we can be: a team big enough to impact and small enough to care.

Lead a global service desk in a modern, cloud‑first environment

We're looking for an experienced Global IT Service Desk Manager to lead and evolve our global Service Desk function. This is an exciting opportunity to combine people leadership, operational excellence and technical expertise in a role that has a direct impact on the experience of colleagues across the UK, USA, Europe and Asia. The Service Desk Manager will lead on support services for approximately 500 employees in a fully cloud‑based technology environment.

You’ll lead a high‑performing Service Desk team and key service partners, driving service improvement, developing capability and ensuring exceptional support for our global workforce. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you’ll remain close to technical delivery while helping shape the future of our support services.

Role Summary

• Leading and developing the Service Desk team to deliver a high‑quality, customer‑focused support service.
• Managing the performance of external support providers and technology suppliers.
• Acting as the senior escalation point for complex incidents and service issues.
• Driving continual service improvement through data, insight, automation and innovation.
• Owning and improving key IT service management processes including incident, request, problem and change management.
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders across the business and ensuring technology services meet their needs.
• Supporting the successful transition of new technologies and services into operational support.
• Developing a culture of collaboration, accountability, learning and service excellence.
• Providing technical oversight across a modern workplace technology estate.
• Full ownership and accountability for a £500,000 budget

About you

You’ll be an experienced IT service leader who enjoys developing people, improving services and solving complex operational challenges.

We're particularly interested in candidates who have:

• Significant experience leading an IT Service Desk, Service Delivery or End User Computing function.
• Experience managing and developing technical support teams.
• Strong supplier and vendor management experience.
• A solid understanding of IT Service Management principles and best practice.
• Experience driving service improvement and operational excellence.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience managing major incidents and operational escalations.
• A data‑driven approach to performance management and continuous improvement.

Technical environment

You’ll work with a broad range of modern technologies including Microsoft 365, Copilot, Entra ID, Intune, Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft Defender, HALO ITSM, Windows and macOS devices, workplace AV technologies and cloud‑based services. The organisation operates a 100% cloud‑based environment.

• ITIL Foundation or equivalent service management certification.
• Microsoft certifications such as MS-900, AZ-900, SC-900, Azure Administrator, Endpoint Administrator or Microsoft 365 Administrator.
• Additional qualifications in cybersecurity, Agile delivery, project management or service desk leadership would be advantageous.

What success looks like

In this role you’ll:

• Build a highly engaged and capable service desk team.
• Enhance the employee experience through outstanding support services.
• Strengthen supplier performance and accountability.
• Deliver measurable service improvements and operational efficiencies.
• Help ensure technology services remain secure, reliable and fit for the future.

Who We Are:

IOP Publishing is a society‑owned scientific publisher, providing impact, recognition and value for the scientific community. As the publishing arm of the Institute of Physics, 100% of our profit goes towards public and scientific good.

Why work with us at IOP Publishing:

Purpose:

We are a world leader in the development of electronic publishing for the scientific community - working in the interests of science and scientists, we aim to maximise the impact of the research we publish.

Culture:

We offer a truly international culture with offices in Europe, Asia and the US and our reach is global. Our culture is the perfect blend of dedicated and intelligent professionalism, informal, friendly collaboration and authenticity with a social conscience.

Financial benefits:

A competitive salary starting from £50,000 (Band C), an excellent pension scheme, a discretionary annual bonus scheme and a range of other useful and cost‑saving benefits available through our benefits platform.

Health and Wellbeing:

33+ days holiday (including bank holidays), plus an extra day’s leave to use for a moment that matters to you, a 35‑hour working week, life assurance, cycle to work scheme, dental insurance, health care cash plan, and a great positive working environment in our brand new office in central Bristol - modern airy and designed with all of our colleagues in mind – for work and social time.

Flexibility:

a flexible hybrid working environment to suit everyone’s needs– we don’t need you in the office every day so we can consider applicants from further afield who can travel to Bristol up to four times per week and team in‑person days, depending on when face to face time is needed (any travel to the Bristol office is at the employees own expenses).

And last but not least, did we mention that we are unique : IOP Publishing is central to the Institute of Physics, a not‑for‑profit society and we gift‑aid all our profits to support science through the activities of the Institute.

IOP Publishing is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are built into our identity in a way that is natural and sustainable, visible through the work we produce, our company branding, our professional networks and the communities we serve and support, which includes our employees, talent communities and candidates. We particularly welcome applicants from under‑represented backgrounds.

We make recruitment and workplace adjustments wherever we can, so please let us know if there’s anything that we can do to support you.

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for candidates. If however you already have the right to work in the UK or hold an eligible work permit or visa, we encourage you to apply for this position.