Service Desk Team Lead

Overview:

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in managing service desks, with a preference for experience in supporting scientific communities, and will be well-versed in the ITIL v4 framework.

*This position requires the candidate to be on-site 5 days a week in Durham, North Carolina.*

What You'll Do:

Service Desk Management:

• Lead and manage the service desk team, ensuring high-quality, responsive support in alignment with ITIL v4 best practices.
• Provide Tier 2 and above support, ensuring that complex technical issues are escalated and resolved in a timely manner.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve service desk policies, procedures, and workflows based on ITIL v4 guidelines, focusing on efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Ensure the proper categorization, prioritization, and tracking of all service requests and incidents using the ServiceNow platform.
• Monitor service desk performance metrics, including response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction, and take corrective actions as needed.
• Regularly review and update service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure they meet the evolving needs of the user community and federal requirements.

User Community Engagement:

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the IT team and the user community, fostering strong relationships and ensuring open lines of communication.
• Conduct regular meetings with user groups to understand their IT needs, gather feedback, and proactively address any concerns.
• Develop and deliver user training and awareness programs to enhance IT literacy and reduce the frequency of support requests.
• Coordinate communication efforts related to IT changes, outages, and updates, ensuring that users are well-informed and prepared for any impacts.

ITIL v4 Implementation:

• Champion the adoption and integration of ITIL v4 practices within the service desk operations, including Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Service Request Management.
• Ensure that all service desk activities are aligned with the ITIL v4 framework, promoting a culture of continual improvement and service excellence.
• Lead the implementation of ITIL v4 processes for lifecycle management of user devices (e.g., phones, laptops, desktops), ensuring that assets are managed effectively from acquisition through disposal.

Project and Lifecycle Management:

• Manage the lifecycle management process for user devices, including procurement, deployment, maintenance, and retirement, ensuring compliance with federal guidelines and best practices.
• Oversee project management activities related to the service desk and lifecycle management, coordinating with other IT teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Utilize project management methodologies to plan, execute, and close projects, ensuring that they are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Maintain accurate asset management records and provide regular reports on the status of user devices and lifecycle management activities.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Mentor and develop service desk staff, providing ongoing training and professional development opportunities, particularly in ITIL v4 practices.
• Foster a collaborative and customer-focused culture within the team, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and best practices.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members, helping them to achieve their professional goals.

Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare regular reports on service desk performance, highlighting trends, key issues, and areas for improvement.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all service desk processes, procedures, and knowledge base articles, ensuring alignment with ITIL v4 standards.
• Ensure compliance with federal documentation standards and requirements, including the management and maintenance of service desk-related SOPs.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of 10 years of directly applicable experience managing a service desk providing Tier 2 and above support.
• Proven experience in supporting scientific communities or similar specialized user groups is highly desirable.
• ITILv3 of ITILv4 Foundations certification is preferred.
• Project management experience is highly desirable; PMP certification is preferred but not required.
• Extensive knowledge of service desk operations, including ITIL v4 best practices, industry standards, and federal guidelines.
• Proficiency in using service desk management tools, particularly ServiceNow, for incident tracking and reporting.

Abilities:

• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a proven ability to mentor and develop staff.
• Exceptional customer service skills, with a focus on building strong relationships and delivering high-quality support.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing issues.
• Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction by ensuring timely and effective resolution of all service desk inquiries.
• Meet or exceed established service-level agreements (SLAs) and performance metrics.
• Successfully implement and maintain ITIL v4 practices within the service desk, driving continual improvement.
• Ensure effective lifecycle management of user devices, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and team-building abilities, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.

Nice to Haves:

• PMP certification is preferred.