At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a tech support team and enhance campus IT services.
- Company: Join Academia, a top-tier IT solutions provider in the education sector.
- Benefits: Enjoy gym contributions, health plans, extra annual leave, and more perks.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team with exciting growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on students' lives while developing your tech leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in endpoint engineering and team leadership is essential.
The predicted salary is between 61816 - 75552 £ per year.
This is an onsite role based on a university campus located in Cardiff, giving you the chance to work directly with users and become a valued part of the university support community while staying connected to the wider technical services team. Core hours will align to university service desk requirements, with support during important periods such as teaching, enrolment, examinations and events. You will be joining a role where your work has a visible impact on students, staff and day‑to‑day campus life.
The Endpoint Support Team Lead is responsible for leading the day‑to‑day operational delivery of the Level 1 and 2 support function within the University managed service across 5 campuses, providing technical direction, workload coordination and hands‑on escalation support across endpoint management, application deployment, remediation and service improvement activities. Working as part of the Technical Services team, the Endpoint Support Team Lead combines strong technical expertise with people leadership, coaching Support Engineers and Analysts, supporting consistent service delivery, managing escalations and working closely with the Service Delivery Manager, Customer Success Manager, Application Packaging Team, Apporto Platform Specialists and USW technical stakeholders.
The role is expected to balance operational leadership, technical delivery, proactive maintenance, team development and continuous service improvement while maintaining agreed service levels, quality standards and security controls.
Amongst other tasks, you will be responsible for:
- Team Leadership: Coordinate the day‑to‑day activity of the Level 1 and 2 support team, providing guidance, coaching and mentoring while ensuring workloads, queues and priorities are effectively managed.
- Service Delivery: Act as the first point of escalation for complex technical issues, service risks and delivery challenges, ensuring incidents and requests are progressed and resolved within agreed SLAs.
- Endpoint Management: Lead the administration and support of Microsoft Intune-managed Windows devices, including configuration, compliance, security, patching and device lifecycle management.
- Autopilot & Application Deployment: Oversee Windows Autopilot provisioning and application packaging and deployment through Intune, ensuring robust testing, documentation and successful releases.
- Technical Escalation: Provide expert 2nd line support for endpoint and application issues, supporting root cause analysis, permanent fixes and proactive remediation.
- Security & Compliance: Support endpoint security, vulnerability remediation and compliance initiatives, ensuring agreed security and change management processes are followed.
- Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve and automate processes, reduce recurring incidents and enhance service quality, documentation and team capability.
- Stakeholder Management: Work closely with senior engineers, specialist teams and university stakeholders, providing clear updates on service performance, risks and improvement opportunities.
Key Skills
Essential: Experience in 2nd Line Endpoint Engineering, EUC, Modern Workplace or Infrastructure, with experience leading, mentoring or coordinating technical support teams. Strong Microsoft Intune, Entra ID, Windows 10/11 and Windows Autopilot experience. Experience with application packaging and deployment. Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis and escalation management skills. Experience working within Incident, Change and Problem Management processes and ITSM platforms such as Freshservice or ServiceNow. Knowledge of endpoint security and Microsoft security technologies. PowerShell experience for administration and automation. Excellent communication, coaching and stakeholder management skills, with a strong focus on customer service and service quality.
Desirable: Experience with MECM/SCCM, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Patch My PC, SCEPman, application virtualisation, Azure Virtual Desktop/DaaS or mobile device management, as well as Higher Education experience. Relevant Microsoft, ITIL or Azure certifications are also advantageous.
Why Academia? At Academia, we are redefining the landscape of IT services across education, business, public sector and nonprofit sectors. As an innovative and rapidly expanding technology company, we’re not just a supplier- we’re a trusted partner to thousands of clients nationwide. With over 20 years of expertise, double-digit growth, a team of 300+ professionals and revenues exceeding £150 million in FY26, we’ve earned a reputation as a top‑tier IT solutions provider. Our dedication has been recognised with prestigious industry accolades, including the coveted CRN Reseller of the Year award. Our ethos is simple: by delivering outstanding technology and ensuring it works seamlessly, we empower our clients to maximise our tech investments. Their IT success is our business. We foster a culture rooted in our people, teamwork, innovation, integrity, ambition and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Backed by Strive Capital since 2020, we’re continuously expanding, exploring new frontiers with a strong financial and strategic foundation. Our dedicated Lifecycle Services division exemplifies our promise to sustainability, offering comprehensive IT lifecycle solutions that reduce environmental impact. At Academia, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find an opportunity to be part of one of the UK’s most exciting tech success stories. If you’re passionate about technology, eager to make an impact and ready to grow with a dynamic, supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.
For more information on opportunities with Academia, visit our website.
Benefits include gym membership contribution, health cash plan, increased annual leave with length of service, free annual leave on your birthday, length of service bonus, free will writing service and more!
Endpoint Support Team Lead in Cardiff employer: Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc
At Academia, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that values teamwork, innovation, and integrity. Located on a university campus in Cardiff, this role not only allows you to make a tangible impact on the lives of students and staff but also provides ample opportunities for professional growth and development within a rapidly expanding technology company. With benefits such as gym membership contributions, health cash plans, and increased annual leave with length of service, we ensure our employees feel valued and supported in their careers.
Contact Details:
Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc Recruitment Team
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We think this is how you could land Endpoint Support Team Lead in Cardiff
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We think you need these skills to ace Endpoint Support Team Lead in Cardiff
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc.
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Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
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How to prepare for a job interview at Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
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IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
