Service Desk Lead

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL); Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) seeks a Service Desk Lead to oversee the front-line IT support across offices. This player-coach role combines hands-on resolution with daily leadership and operational ownership of the service desk.

Reporting to the Director of Information Technology, you will manage ticketing in FreshService, drive onboarding/offboarding, device provisioning with Windows Autopilot and Intune, and maintain service standards while supporting executives during peak deal cycles.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in IT or a related field preferred.
• 4+ years in IT support or service desk, including lead/supervisory experience.
• Strong hands-on support for Microsoft 365 and Windows endpoints.
• Experience with ITSM platforms and defined service levels.
• Excellent customer service, communication, and discretion when supporting executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead service desk, mentoring analysts and interns across multiple offices.
• Manage daily operations, scheduling, coverage, and workload distribution.
• Ensure high‑touch, professional support aligned with firm standards.
• Own the service desk ticket queue in FreshService, triage and prioritize.
• Provide senior‑level (Tier 1/2) support and escalation for complex issues.
• Oversee onboarding/offboarding and device provisioning using Autopilot and Intune.
• Coordinate large onboarding events and support executive deal teams.

Skills

Microsoft 365

Windows endpoints

ITSM / FreshService

Microsoft Intune

Windows Autopilot

Customer service

Team leadership

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in information technology or related field

Tools

FreshService ITSM

Microsoft Intune

Windows Autopilot

Job description

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. We advise private and public corporations and debt and equity sponsors on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, valuations and opinions, real estate, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago and Cleveland. The firm is also a founding member of REACH Cross-Border Mergers & Acquisitions, enabling BGL to service clients in 30 countries around the world. On every engagement, our clients receive senior‑level attention from experienced bankers who bring a wealth of industry knowledge, transaction expertise, and deep relationships with key players in a broad range of industries.

Our success and growth is due to the expertise, passion, and commitment of our team. We value our employees and invest in their development, recognizing that their talent is the foundation of the exceptional service we deliver to BGL clients.

The Service Desk Lead is responsible for leading BGL’s front‑line IT support function across all offices. This is a player‑coach role, combining hands‑on technical support with daily leadership and operational ownership of the service desk.

Reporting to the Director of Information Technology, this role owns all end‑user support operations, including ticket management, service levels, onboarding/offboarding execution, and the overall user support experience. The Service Desk Lead partners closely with the Systems & Cloud Administrator and Director for escalation of infrastructure, cloud, and security‑related issues.

This role is critical to maintaining a high‑quality support experience and enabling productivity across the firm—including managing periods of increased demand such as analyst and intern onboarding cycles.

Key Responsibilities

Service Desk Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop service desk analysts and interns across BGL offices, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards
• Manage daily operations of the service desk, including scheduling, coverage, and workload distribution across locations
• Ensure consistent, professional, and high‑touch support delivery aligned with the firm’s service standards
• Define and enforce support processes, escalation paths, and service expectations

End‑User Support & Ticket Management

• Own the service desk ticket queue in FreshService, including triage, prioritization, assignment, and resolution management and automation.
• Provide senior‑level (Tier 1/2) support and serve as the escalation point for complex user issues
• Ensure adherence to service levels, proactively manage ticket backlog, and maintain clear communication with end users
• Drive issues through to full resolution while maintaining accountability for user experience

Onboarding, Offboarding & User Lifecycle

• Execute all joiner‑mover‑leaver processes, including account provisioning, access management, and secure deprovisioning
• Oversee device preparation and deployment using Windows Autopilot and Microsoft Intune
• Coordinate onboarding readiness to ensure employees are fully operational on day one
• Support large‑scale onboarding events, including analyst and intern class intake
• Provide hands‑on support for Windows devices, Microsoft 365, mobile devices, printers, and peripherals
• Assist with hardware and software inventory and license tracking to keep the asset estate accurate and optimized.
• Support collaboration platforms including Microsoft Teams and RingCentral telephony
• Ensure conference rooms and audiovisual systems are operational and meeting‑ready
• Coordinate and support physical IT requirements, including desk setups, equipment deployment, office moves, and firm‑hosted events
• Deliver high‑touch, time‑sensitive support to executives and deal teams, including during critical deal execution periods

Service Operations, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Track and report on key service desk metrics, including ticket volume, resolution times, SLAs, backlog, and user satisfaction
• Maintain accountability for service performance and identify trends to reduce recurring issues
• Drive continuous improvement of support processes, workflows, and efficiency
• Ensure proper documentation, categorization, and closure of all service requests
• Build and maintain a structured service desk knowledge base, including runbooks and end‑user self‑service content
• Capture and document recurring issues and standard resolutions to improve consistency and reduce knowledge silos
• Promote knowledge sharing across team members to support scalability and operational resilience
• Act as a coordinator between internal users and external support providers (managed service provider)
• Ensure escalations are clearly defined, tracked, and resolved to expected service standards
• Manage communication and accountability throughout the escalation lifecycle

Security, Compliance & Governance

• Follow all firm security and confidentiality policies when handling user access and sensitive information
• Support identity and access management activities, including access provisioning and role‑based controls
• Enforce secure onboarding/offboarding practices aligned with regulatory expectations
• Contribute to audit readiness through proper documentation, access control discipline, and adherence to policies appropriate for a FINRA‑regulated environment
• Own end‑user support operations and service desk delivery across the firm
• Collaborate with the Systems & Cloud Administrator and Director of IT for infrastructure, cloud, and security escalations
• Support IT projects (e.g., system rollouts, office moves, migrations) by representing the end‑user support perspective

Required Qualifications

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in information technology or a related field preferred; professional experience may outweigh formal education.
• 4+ years in IT support or service desk roles, including experience in a lead, senior, or supervisory capacity.
• Strong hands‑on support skills across Microsoft 365 and Windows endpoints.
• Experience with an ITSM / ticketing platform (FreshService or similar) and working to defined service levels.
• Experience with device provisioning and management (Microsoft Intune and Windows Autopilot).
• Excellent customer‑service, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to support executives and demanding users with professionalism and discretion.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage a busy queue under pressure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in financial services, professional services, or another regulated environment.
• People‑leadership or mentoring experience.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID and routine identity/access tasks, RingCentral telephony, and conference‑room audiovisual technology.
• ITIL familiarity and a service‑management mindset.
• Experience supporting users across multiple offices.

Actual salary at the time of hire may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience and the location where this position may be filled.

Full‑Time Salary Range

$90,000—$100,000 USD

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

BGL is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability (in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act), or any other legally protected status, with respect to employment opportunities.

BGL cares about our employees. We offer generous benefits, including medical, vision, dental, PTO, 401k with employer match, paid holidays, cell phone reimbursement, and more.