Service Desk and Smart Bar Team Manager in Northampton

Permanent position in Milton Keynes with a salary range of £45,800 - £52,000. Hybrid working: 4 days in the office each week.

Do you enjoy leading people, improving services, and making sure colleagues get the support they need to do their best work? At AQA, our Service Desk teams play a vital role in keeping the organisation running smoothly and operate a Smart Bar - think Genius Bar but better! We are looking for a confident, people-focused manager who enjoys balancing day-to-day delivery with developing others and improving how services work.

You will lead a team of Service Desk Analysts across multiple sites - Milton Keynes and Guildford - acting as the link between front-line support and senior technology colleagues. You will help shape how support is delivered, making sure incidents and requests are handled effectively, fairly and within agreed targets. You will set clear expectations, coach and develop your team, and create an environment where people feel supported to do great work. You will also take the lead on escalations, service improvements, and making sure resources are used in the right way to meet business needs.

This is a hands-on leadership role where your decisions and approach will directly affect colleague experience across AQA. Please note that you will be primarily based in the Milton Keynes office but you will need to travel to the Guildford office each week as the team are split across both sites.

You will enjoy this role if you:

• Have experience of leading and developing people through clear objectives, feedback and coaching
• Take pride in managing the delivery of a high-quality customer experience
• Are confident managing workloads, priorities and performance in a busy support environment
• Enjoy improving processes and finding better ways of working
• Are comfortable acting as an escalation point and taking ownership of issues through to resolution

You will also work closely with colleagues across Enterprise Technology, helping to build strong relationships and ensure services continue to evolve as AQA grows and changes. We value people who show accountability, sound judgement and a step-up mindset, especially when things are busy or complex.

By joining AQA, a leading independent education charity, you actually make a difference in the lives of millions of learners. There are lots of company benefits, including private medical insurance, a fantastic pension (up to 11.5% employer contributions), a 35 hour working week, 25 days annual leave with additional office closure in December and bank holidays on top, the opportunity to join lots of network groups (LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, disAbility, empowering women, wellbeing, ethnic minority and more), an extensive online learning platform, days for volunteering and more.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement: At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone - regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background - is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

What you will be doing:

• Managing and supporting a team of Service Desk Analysts, including performance reviews, development and day-to-day guidance
• Monitoring service performance and making sure targets are met
• Managing call and ticket flow so support is provided when and where it is needed
• Leading knowledge-sharing sessions to build capability across the team
• Taking ownership of escalations and complaints, and putting improvement plans in place
• Supporting access management processes and ensuring security standards are followed
• Driving service improvements using recognised service management good practice

What you will bring:

• Experience of managing and developing people
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Confidence working in a service desk or support environment with experience of ITIL
• The ability to communicate clearly and build trust with a wide range of colleagues
• A professional and discreet approach when handling confidential information

If you want to lead a supportive, customer-focused team and have a real impact on how technology services are delivered at AQA, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help us provide a reliable, high-quality service that makes a difference to colleagues across the organisation. Please upload your most recent CV with a cover letter outlining your suitability for this role at AQA. Applications will close at 23:59 on Sunday 10 May 2026. Interviews will be over 2 stages: a Teams interview in the week beginning 18 May followed by a face-to-face interview in the Milton Keynes Office in the week beginning 25 May. Please note that there will be shortlisting following the first stage. All applications will be responded to.