Service Desk Manager

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers; Tauranga; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks' annual leave

Ongoing learning and development

Flexible and supportive working

Meaningful community impact

Job summary

Tauranga City Council is seeking a Service Desk Manager to lead a high-performing team delivering first-line support for staff. You will drive service excellence, manage incidents, and collaborate with Digital Services and vendors to ensure reliable, high-quality assistance.

You will shape service delivery through continuous improvement, mentoring staff, and applying ITIL practices to meet SLAs and improve customer satisfaction across a growing digital organisation in Tauranga.

Qualifications

• A business, information technology or related qualification, or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading customer service, service desk, account management or technology support functions.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL and service management best practices.
• Experience coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience working with SLAs, performance reporting and service improvement initiatives.
• Analytical mindset to identify trends and drive positive change.
• ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent practical experience.
• A passion for delivering outstanding customer service and support experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a customer-focused Service Desk team.
• Oversee daily Service Desk operations, ensuring incidents and service requests are resolved efficiently.
• Establish processes for monitoring workloads, managing priorities and maintaining performance.
• Drive improvements in customer experience, service quality and Time to First Response.
• Oversee knowledge management to support self-service and faster issue resolution.
• Analyse performance data and provide insights to improve service delivery.
• Coach and develop team members and foster continuous improvement.
• Build relationships with stakeholders, vendors and Digital Services teams.

Skills

People leadership

ITIL knowledge

Stakeholder management

Communication

Service management

Coaching

Performance analytics

Problem solving

Education

Business/IT qualification

ITIL Foundation certification

Job description

Technology is at the heart of how Tauranga City Council delivers services to our community. As our Service Desk Manager, you'll lead the team responsible for providing the first point of support for our people, ensuring every interaction is responsive, professional and customer-focused. You'll play a critical role in creating a positive technology experience for staff across the organisation while driving service excellence and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to lead a high-performing team that keeps Council connected and productive every day. Reporting to the Service Delivery Manager, you'll oversee day-to-day Service Desk operations, ensure service levels are achieved, and help shape how technology support is delivered across a growing and increasingly digital organisation.

More than just managing tickets, you'll lead improvements that enhance customer satisfaction, streamline support processes and strengthen the capability of the Service Desk team. Working closely with Digital Services teams, business stakeholders and vendors, you'll ensure our people receive a reliable, responsive and high-quality support experience whenever they need assistance.

In this role, you'll:

• lead and develop a customer-focused Service Desk team, creating an environment where people thrive and deliver great outcomes
• oversee daily Service Desk operations, ensuring incidents and service requests are resolved efficiently and effectively
• establish processes for monitoring workloads, managing priorities and maintaining strong service performance
• drive improvements in customer experience, service quality and Time to First Response
• oversee knowledge management practices that support self-service and faster issue resolution
• analyse performance data and provide insights that improve service delivery and operational efficiency
• coach and develop team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence
• build strong relationships with stakeholders, vendors and Digital Services teams to ensure seamless support experiences
• identify opportunities to reduce ticket volumes, improve processes and enhance customer satisfaction
• ensure support services continue to evolve alongside Council's changing technology landscape.

Your leadership will help ensure our people have the technology support they need to deliver great outcomes for Tauranga every day.

Ngā Pukenga | What you'll need to succeed

You'll be a people-focused leader who enjoys developing capability, solving problems and creating exceptional customer experiences. You'll balance operational excellence with a continuous improvement mindset and be passionate about building a culture where great service is at the centre of everything the team does.

To succeed in this role, you'll bring:

• a business, information technology or related qualification, or equivalent experience
• experience leading customer service, service desk, account management or technology support functions
• strong knowledge of ITIL and service management best practices
• experience coaching and developing high-performing teams
• a track record of improving service performance, customer satisfaction and operational processes
• excellent communication and stakeholder relationship management skills
• experience working with service level agreements, performance reporting and service improvement initiatives
• the ability to analyse trends, solve problems and drive positive change
• ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent practical experience
• a passion for delivering outstanding customer service and support experiences.

Experience within a complex organisation and working across multiple stakeholder groups will be highly regarded.

You'll also demonstrate a commitment to our organisational values, creating a safe and healthy workplace, supporting Council's Civil Defence responsibilities, and strengthening our partnership with tangata whenua through Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

At Tauranga City Council, our work helps shape one of New Zealand's fastest-growing cities. From planning for growth and delivering critical infrastructure to creating great community outcomes, our people make a tangible difference every day.

This is an exciting time to join us. We're investing in our future, embracing innovation and strengthening our organisation so we can continue delivering value for our community. As our Service Desk Manager, you'll play an important role in ensuring our people receive the technology support they need to deliver great outcomes for Tauranga.

Located in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, Tauranga offers the opportunity to do meaningful, high-impact work while enjoying an exceptional lifestyle. Whether you're already here or considering relocating, you'll find a vibrant city, a strong sense of community and outstanding access to beaches, outdoor recreation and family-friendly living.

We offer:

• the opportunity to lead and shape Council's frontline digital support experience
• the chance to develop a high-performing team and influence service excellence across the organisation
• flexible and supportive ways of working
• five weeks' annual leave
• ongoing learning, career and professional development opportunities
• meaningful work that contributes directly to the future of our city and community.

If you're collaborative, forward-thinking and community-minded, you'll find meaningful work, talented colleagues and the opportunity to make a genuine difference here.You can find out more about working at Tauranga City Council here .

Applications will close Friday 23rd October

We're committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those living with disabilities.
If you need any support or adjustments to take part in our recruitment process, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail]

• You must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.
• Tauranga City Council does not accept unsolicited contact or applications from recruitment agencies. We will not pay fees or commissions related to unsolicited contact.