IT Service Desk Lead (1156126)

The Judge Group; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

The Judge Group is seeking an experienced IT Service Desk Lead in Arlington, VA to oversee day-to-day service desk operations in a regulated federal contracting environment.

You will coach Tier 1-3 staff, manage queues, and tackle complex issues while administering Microsoft 365 GCC High, Azure Government, Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Exchange, Teams, and SharePoint. Onsite, five days a week.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of IT experience with hands-on admin responsibilities.
• At least 2 years of experience leading a service desk or technical support team.
• Deep experience administering Microsoft 365 GCC High environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily IT service desk operations with coaching and accountability.
• Oversee Tier 1–3 support, prioritizing, escalating, and resolving incidents.
• Analyze recurring issues to improve resolution times and end-user experience.

Skills

IT leadership

Service Desk management

Microsoft 365 GCC High

Azure Government

Entra ID

Intune

Problem solving

Tools

Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Microsoft Entra ID

Microsoft Intune

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Exchange

Microsoft SharePoint

Azure Government

Job description

Location: Arlington, VA

Salary: $65.00 USD Hourly - $80.00 USD Hourly

IT Service Desk Lead

Location and Work Arrangement

Arlington, Virginia

Onsite, five days per week

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced, hands‑on IT Service Desk Lead to lead day‑to‑day service desk operations while serving as a senior technical resource across a secure Microsoft government cloud environment. This is a player‑coach role for an IT professional who enjoys developing people, improving service delivery, and personally tackling complex technical challenges. Reporting to the IT Manager, you will lead a team of IT professionals while helping strengthen internal capabilities, enhance end‑user support, and maintain technology operations within a regulated federal contracting environment. You will play a key role in supporting Microsoft 365 GCC High, Azure Government, identity and device management, compliance initiatives, and ongoing operational excellence efforts.

What You'll Do

Service Desk Leadership & Operations

• Lead daily IT service desk operations, providing coaching, direction, and accountability to team members.
• Oversee Tier 1 through Tier 3 support activities, ensuring incidents and requests are prioritized, assigned, escalated, and resolved effectively.
• Manage ticket queues and workload distribution to drive timely resolution and outstanding customer service.
• Take ownership of complex technical issues that require deeper investigation and hands‑on troubleshooting.
• Build and maintain a service-focused culture centered on responsiveness, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and refine service desk processes, workflows, documentation, and escalation procedures.
• Analyze recurring issues and service trends to improve support quality, reduce resolution times, and enhance the end‑user experience.

Microsoft 365 GCC High & Azure Government Administration

• Serve as a senior technical resource across Microsoft 365 GCC High, Azure Government, Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and related Microsoft technologies.
• Administer user accounts, access permissions, devices, applications, and core Microsoft cloud services.
• Manage end‑user computing operations, including device deployment, imaging, configuration, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management.
• Build, administer, and troubleshoot virtual machines and supporting infrastructure.
• Administer device and application management through Microsoft Intune.
• Manage identity and access functions through Microsoft Entra ID, including authentication, authorization, and account troubleshooting.
• Diagnose and resolve advanced Microsoft platform and infrastructure issues beyond standard service desk support.
• Maintain secure and compliant administration practices within government cloud environments.

Compliance, Security & Regulated Environment Support

• Apply practical knowledge of CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, and DoD IL4/IL5 requirements to daily IT operations.
• Support audit readiness activities by maintaining documentation, evidence, controls, and operational processes.
• Translate compliance requirements into sustainable service desk and systems administration practices.
• Partner with cybersecurity and IT stakeholders to ensure operational activities align with federal contractor requirements.
• Support identity management, device management, system configuration, documentation standards, and access controls with appropriate operational rigor.
• Assist in identifying and remediating gaps that may impact compliance requirements or assessment outcomes.
• Support internal and external assessments by providing technical expertise, documentation, and system evidence.

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop service desk team members.
• Establish clear expectations and provide ongoing coaching and performance feedback.
• Strengthen team capabilities through knowledge sharing, technical guidance, and hands‑on leadership.
• Balance leadership responsibilities with direct technical contribution and operational ownership.
• Foster collaboration across IT teams and business stakeholders to deliver a consistent and high‑quality support experience.

Stakeholder Engagement & Continuous Improvement

• Build trusted relationships through responsive, practical, and solution‑oriented support.
• Communicate technical concepts, risks, priorities, and compliance requirements to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Partner with cybersecurity and technology teams to improve service delivery and operational effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities for automation, process optimization, and long‑term capability development.
• Contribute to the evolution and maturation of the organization’s internal IT operating model.

What You Bring

• 7+ years of IT experience, including hands‑on systems administration responsibilities.
• At least 2 years of experience leading people, a service desk, or a technical support function.
• Deep experience administering Microsoft 365 GCC High environments.
• Strong hands‑on expertise with:
  • Microsoft 365 Admin Center
  • Microsoft Entra ID
  • Microsoft Intune
  • Microsoft Defender
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Azure Government
• Strong systems administration experience supporting users, devices, applications, virtual machines, and infrastructure.
• Experience leading Tier 1 through Tier 3 support operations, including escalation management, triage, prioritization, and service delivery oversight.
• Outstanding customer service, troubleshooting, communication, and problem‑solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal government agencies, Department of Defense contractors, or similarly regulated environments.
• Experience supporting environments subject to DoD IL4 and IL5 requirements.
• Practical experience working within NIST SP 800-171 regulated environments.
• Recent involvement supporting or participating in CMMC assessments or audits.
• Experience serving as an Information Systems Security Manager (ISSM).
• Relevant Microsoft certifications.
• Active or previously held U.S. government security clearance.

What Success Looks Like

• Building a high‑performing, accountable service desk team.
• Improving service quality, responsiveness, and ticket resolution performance.
• Strengthening internal technical capabilities and reducing dependency on external providers where appropriate.
• Maintaining secure, compliant, and well‑documented operations across Microsoft government cloud platforms.
• Contributing to successful CMMC and NIST compliance efforts through disciplined operational execution.
• Delivering a reliable and productive technology experience for internal stakeholders.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance are available to qualified candidates who meet eligibility requirements.