At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to ensure smooth IT support for our heroes.
- Company: Join Help for Heroes, a charity dedicated to supporting the Armed Forces community.
- Benefits: Generous salary, 29 days leave, health perks, and volunteer days.
- Other info: Remote work with occasional travel; be part of a collaborative team.
- Why this job: Make a real difference while developing your leadership skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in IT support and strong people management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36800 - 41439 £ per year.
Salary: £36,800 – £41,439
Location: Remote with regular travel to Head Office in Downton, Wiltshire (typically 1 day a week) and occasional travel to other UK locations.
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
We have an exciting opportunity for a Service Desk Manager to join our IT team at Help for Heroes and play a vital role in making sure colleagues have the technology and support they need to deliver life-changing work for the Armed Forces community.
About the Role
As our Service Desk Manager, you’ll lead a small, expert team that keeps Help for Heroes running smoothly every day, making sure colleagues can access the tools, systems and support they need to deliver life-changing support for the Armed Forces community. You will:
- Lead day-to-day service desk operations, ensuring tickets are prioritised well, progressed promptly and communicated clearly through to resolution.
- Act as the escalation point for high-impact incidents, coordinating response and ensuring clear updates for colleagues.
- Use service performance reporting to spot trends and drive continuous improvement.
- Own and embed strong IT service management practices across incident, problem and change, including chairing the Change Advisory Board.
- Line manage and develop the service desk team, creating a positive, resilient culture with clear expectations, coaching and support.
- Lead service improvements and small operational projects, supporting procurement and the smooth onboarding of new services into business as usual.
About You
Are you someone who enjoys turning complex support challenges into calm, consistent service for others? Do you bring a customer-first mindset and the confidence to lead and coach a small team, while also rolling up your sleeves when needed? If you’re motivated by improving how things work, using data to spot patterns, and strengthening IT service management practices, you could be a great fit.
To be considered, you’ll need experience in an IT service desk or support environment and demonstrable people leadership. You’ll also need to be able to travel to our Head Office in Downton around once a week, with occasional travel to other UK locations (including London) where required.
You’ll thrive in this role if you:
- Bring a customer-first mindset and communicate clearly, building trust and managing expectations with empathy.
- Stay calm under pressure, taking ownership of escalations and coordinating effective incident response.
- Enjoy coaching and developing others, creating a positive, resilient team culture.
- Use insight and service performance data to spot trends, prioritise improvements and strengthen ways of working.
- Have a solid understanding of IT service management and a practical approach to continuous improvement.
Please note: You’ll need to be willing and able to travel as required for meetings and service activity, including to Downton (SP5 3RB) and occasionally London or other UK locations. You may also be asked to stay away from home overnight on occasion, where required for the performance of duties.
About the Team
You’ll be part of our IT team, supporting colleagues across the charity with the systems, devices and services they rely on every day. We’re a collaborative, pragmatic group that brings together frontline support and specialist expertise across the full technology function. We work closely together to keep services reliable, secure and continuously improving so the wider charity can focus on delivering support to the Armed Forces community.
In return we can offer you:
- Belonging to a team who make a difference to our community and value equality, diversity and inclusion.
- 29 days’ annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, regardless of service – plus your birthday off to celebrate!
- Opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave per year.
- Added to our free health scheme from day one, including discount on dental, opticians, massages, and more – with the option to upgrade.
- 3 volunteer days per year to support the Help for Heroes community.
- A generous salary sacrifice pension scheme with an 8% employer contribution and a minimum 3% employee contribution, plus life insurance up to 4× salary as an active member.
Interview Process: A competency-based interview via Microsoft Teams. Interviews are expected week commencing 8 June 2026.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of strong applications. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds.
About Us
Help for Heroes believes those who serve our country deserve support when they’re wounded. Every day, men and women have to leave their career in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds. The Charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 26,500 people and won’t stop until every wounded veteran gets the support they deserve.
Help for Heroes – Service Desk Manager in Downton employer: Confederation of Service Charities
Help for Heroes is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and development of its employees while making a significant impact on the Armed Forces community. With a strong focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion, the organisation offers generous benefits such as 29 days of annual leave, a comprehensive health scheme, and opportunities for professional growth within a collaborative and supportive IT team. Working remotely with regular travel to the picturesque Downton office allows for a flexible work-life balance while contributing to meaningful change.
Contact Details:
Confederation of Service Charities Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Help for Heroes – Service Desk Manager in Downton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or even in person. Let them know you're on the lookout for a Service Desk Manager role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on opportunities!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Help for Heroes and understand their mission. Think about how your experience aligns with their values and be ready to share specific examples of your leadership and problem-solving skills.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get a friend to do mock interviews with you. Focus on articulating your customer-first mindset and how you handle escalations. This will help you feel more confident when it’s your turn in the hot seat.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our mission at Help for Heroes.
We think you need these skills to ace Help for Heroes – Service Desk Manager in Downton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Service Desk Manager role. Highlight your experience in IT service management and people leadership, as these are key aspects of the job. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Help for Heroes!
Showcase Your Customer-First Mindset:In your application, emphasise your customer-first approach. Share examples of how you've built trust and managed expectations in previous roles. This will help us see how you can contribute to our supportive culture at Help for Heroes.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to describe your experiences and achievements. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to communicating complex ideas!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at Help for Heroes!
How to prepare for a job interview at Confederation of Service Charities
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on IT service management principles and practices. Familiarise yourself with common service desk operations, incident management, and how to use performance data to drive improvements. This will show that you’re not just a leader but also someone who understands the technical side of things.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led a team in the past. Think about times when you’ve coached others or improved team culture. Be ready to discuss your approach to managing escalations and how you keep your team motivated, especially under pressure.
✨Emphasise Customer Focus
Since this role is all about supporting colleagues, highlight your customer-first mindset. Share specific instances where you’ve built trust and managed expectations effectively. This will demonstrate that you understand the importance of clear communication and empathy in service delivery.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect competency-based questions that may ask how you would handle specific situations, like a high-impact incident or a team conflict. Practise your responses using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers clearly and effectively.
