Service Desk Manager (Management Information Systems)

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free Parking

Career advancement

Mission to save lives

Job summary

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center seeks a strategic Service Desk Manager (Management Information Systems) to lead IT operations support across donor centers, labs, and manufacturing systems. You will drive 24/7 service desk delivery, ensure regulatory alignment, and coach a skilled team in a regulated healthcare environment.

Responsibilities include SLAs/OLAs, incident management, and collaboration with Quality and Compliance to meet FDA/HIPAA/GxP standards.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of experience in IT support, service desk, or IT operations.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing service desk or support teams.
• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, blood banking, or regulated manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL frameworks; certification preferred.
• Experience with validated systems and audit environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee Tier 1–2 service desk operations across locations.
• Ensure high-quality end-user support in a 24/7 operating environment.
• Establish and manage SLAs and OLAs aligned with regulatory expectations.
• Drive ITIL-based processes: Incident, Problem, and Request Management.
• Monitor service desk metrics and drive improvements in user experience.
• Coordinate major incident management and disaster recovery efforts.
• Collaborate with Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory teams on FDA/HIPAA/GxP adherence.

Skills

Leadership

Vendor management

ITIL knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/Healthcare Informatics

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

ServiceNow

Ivanti

Jira Service Management

Job description

Service Desk Manager (Management Information Systems)

Join our team of heroes!

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Manager – Service Desk (IT Operations & End-User Support) leads the delivery of reliable, secure, and highly responsive IT support services across a regulated blood manufacturing environment. This role is critical to ensuring uninterrupted operations supporting donor centers, laboratory systems, manufacturing systems, and patient-care-critical technologies.

Just For You:

• Free Parking!

• Career advancement.

• Engaging and exciting opportunity to support an organization that SAVES LIVES.

Tips to thrive in our culture:

• Embody our Core Values of Commitment, Integrity, and Respect.

• Work to actively create experiences that inspire others to save lives, each and every day.

• Embrace doing it right, making connections, and creating desired experiences.

• Comply with all organizational policies and standards, including safety rules, and be willing to report actual and potential violations to the appropriate supervisor or manager.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Service Desk Leadership & Operations (35%)

• Lead and oversee Tier 1–2 service desk operations supporting clinical, laboratory, and corporate users.

• Ensure consistent, high-quality end‑user support across all locations and functions.

• Manage support coverage to meet the needs of a 24/7 operational environment.

Service Delivery & ITIL Process Management (30%)

• Establish and manage SLAs and OLAs aligned with regulatory expectations and patient safety requirements.

• Drive ITIL‑based processes, including Incident, Problem, and Request Management.

• Monitor service desk performance metrics and KPIs to ensure service effectiveness and efficiency.

• Identify trends and implement improvements to reduce recurring issues and enhance user experience.

Operational Support & System Availability (15%)

• Ensure continuous availability of IT support for critical systems, including:

  • Laboratory Information Systems (LIS)

  • Donor Management Systems

  • Manufacturing Systems

  • ERP and Business Applications

• Lead coordination and escalation for major incidents impacting business operations.

• Support disaster recovery processes and operational continuity efforts.

Compliance & Regulatory Alignment (10%)

• Partner with Quality, Compliance, and Regulatory teams to ensure adherence to FDA, AABB, HIPAA, and GxP standards.

• Ensure service desk processes align with audit and validation requirements.

• Maintain accurate documentation and support audit readiness.

Team Leadership & Vendor Management (10%)

• Develop, coach, and mentor a high‑performing team of analysts and specialists.

• Foster a customer‑focused, service‑oriented culture.

• Manage vendor relationships for outsourced support services and service desk tools.

• Monitor vendor performance against agreed SLAs.

Required Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Healthcare Informatics, or related field required.

• Master’s degree preferred.

Experience

• 7–10+ years of experience in IT support, service desk, or IT operations.

• 3+ years of leadership experience managing service desk or support teams.

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, blood banking, or regulated manufacturing required.

• Strong knowledge of ITIL frameworks (certification preferred).

• Experience working in validated systems and audit environments.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting 24/7 operations in a mission‑critical environment.

• Familiarity with ITSM platforms (e.g., ServiceNow, Ivanti, Jira Service Management).

• Experience with service desk analytics and reporting tools.
  

Working Conditions & Physical Demands:

• Work Environment:Hybrid (combination of in‑office and remote work).

• Physical Requirements:Ability to sit or stand for extended periods.

• Travel:Occasional travel for site support or vendor engagements.

• Schedule: Standard business hours (Monday–Friday) with after‑hours availability to support a 24/7 operational environment.

Who We Are:

Since 1975, Gulf Coast Blood has been one of the nation’s largest community blood centers, serving 170 hospitals across 26 counties. Headquartered in Houston, we support the world’s largest medical complex—the Texas Medical Center—while operating 18 donor centers and hosting more than 7,000 mobile blood drives each year. As an FDA‑accredited nonprofit, we provide high‑quality human cellular material for both scientific and therapeutic use.

Some Jobs Change Lives. Others Save Them.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

Gulf Coast Blood is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants for positions are considered without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, military status, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic testing results, or any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable law, statute, regulation or Executive Order.