Service Desk Manager

Salary up to £55,000
Location: London (occasional travel required
Working Hours: 37.5 hours (shifts covering 8am to 6pm) [Evenings and weekend on-call rota cover]

Overview:
A fast-growing and highly successful artisan food manufacturing and retail group is looking to hire a Senior IT Service Desk Analyst to join their dynamic team.

Overall Purpose of the Role:
- Lead and deliver service level agreements with the wider business.
- Drive change and improvements in processes and technology.
- Roll out AI-driven support and self-help as part of a next-generation helpdesk project.
- Triage tickets and deliver self-help solutions and recommendations.
- Own and manage laptop and hardware policies.
- Maintain asset registers.
- Coordinate escalation and resolution of incidents with technology partners and across the wider technology team.
- Manage a team of Technology Help Desk Analysts.
- Develop effective working relationships with colleagues within and beyond Technology to ensure a consistent, high-quality service is delivered.
- Coordinate Technology requirements for new bakery openings and refurbishments.

Areas of Responsibility:
- Report to the Chief Technology Officer.
- Lead, work flexibly, and be part of the on-call rota.
- Deliver high-quality technical support with exceptional customer service skills.
- Resolve calls within agreed Service Level Agreements (SLA).
- Coach and mentor team members to ensure relevant knowledge and skills are developed.
- Provide hardware and software support both locally and remotely.
- Assist with ongoing projects across the group.
- Manage ticket queues effectively and provide regular, accurate updates to users.
- Liaise with and escalate issues to 2nd and 3rd line technicians, including third parties where appropriate.
- Support users on iOS technologies and cloud applications.
- Travel to other units to resolve issues requiring intervention.
- Supervise team members and ensure work is completed effectively.
- Deputize when necessary.

Experience/Skills:
- Sound knowledge and experience supporting a wide range of IT applications, platforms, and technologies (M365, Azure, Active Directory, hardware).
- Strong organizational skills with 3+ years of experience in a similar role.
- Positive, "can do" outlook and approach to work.
- Technology qualifications/certifications are a bonus.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience working with service desk tools and technology such as remote access and knowledge resources.
- Ability to investigate and troubleshoot issues, keep users up to date, and drive solutions to a conclusion.
- Ability to think critically and provide solutions through various problem-solving techniques.
- Ability to prioritize issues according to business needs and escalate when necessary.
- Demonstrate excellent customer service to business functions.
- Experience with previous IT projects or ongoing personal study is advantageous.
- Ability to market and promote the service desk, advocate for necessary resources, and appreciate the service desk’s value.
- Critical thinking about systems and consistent adjustment as needed.
- Ensure all IT Service Desk processes are thoroughly documented, consistently audited, and regularly improved.
- Willingness and ability to learn about standard and bespoke applications.