At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead IT support services and ensure top-notch customer-focused support.
- Company: Join one of the UK's top automotive retailers with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, generous leave, and wellness perks.
- Other info: Great opportunities for growth and a supportive team atmosphere.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in IT service management and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
Newcastle upon Tyne, England upon Tyne, United Kingdom; Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom
About us : We are one of the top three automotive retailers in the UK, proudly representing 32 manufacturer brands, selling a huge range of new and used vehicles from over 150 dealerships across the UK and Ireland.
We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we’re committed to recognising the valuable contribution each person makes.
That’s why we continue to invest in a leading rewards and benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, and life outside of work.
Service Desk Manager, Maternity Cover - 15 months FTC.
Purpose of the Role
The Service Desk Manager is responsible for leading the delivery of IT support services across the organisation, ensuring users receive high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused support.
The role provides operational leadership for the Service Desk, 2nd Line Support and User Access teams, while driving continual service improvement, process governance, reporting, automation and technology platform development.
The role is accountable for maintaining service performance, developing team capability, ensuring compliance with IT policies and procedures, managing key suppliers, and supporting the successful delivery of business and IT change initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Service Management
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the Service Desk, 2nd Line and User Access functions.
- Ensure incidents, service requests and escalations are managed within agreed service levels.
- Monitor and improve customer satisfaction and service quality.
- Review service performance metrics and identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
- Act as a senior escalation point for major incidents, customer concerns and service issues.
- Ensure effective communication to stakeholders during incidents and service disruptions.
- Team Leadership and People Management
- Manage Team Leaders and support the development of the Service Desk, 2nd Line and User Access teams.
- Conduct performance reviews, coaching sessions and development planning.
- Set service expectations, objectives and performance measures.
- Drive a culture of accountability, customer service and continuous improvement.
- Support recruitment, onboarding and succession planning activities.
- Manage employee relations matters in line with company policies.
- ITSM and Process Governance
Own and maintain the following IT support processes
- Knowledge Management
Contribute to and support the organisation's Problem Management, Change Management and Major Incident Management processes, working closely with the relevant process owners to ensure the Service Desk, 2nd Line and User Access teams follow agreed procedures.
- Ensure processes are documented, reviewed and followed consistently.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation and workflow optimisation.
- Lead process improvement initiatives arising from audits, service reviews and operational feedback.
- ITSM Platform Management
- Own the roadmap and continual development of the ITSM platform.
- Work with stakeholders to gather requirements and implement new functionality.
- Support automation projects and service management improvements.
- Ensure the platform supports operational reporting, governance and business requirements.
- Manage testing, deployment and adoption of platform enhancements.
- Reporting and Service Performance
- Produce operational, management and executive-level reporting.
- Track service desk demand, ticket trends, service levels and team performance.
- Present service performance updates and improvement plans to leadership teams.
- Analyse operational data to identify opportunities for cost reduction and service improvement.
- Maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks to support decision-making.
- Supplier and Vendor Management
- Manage relationships with third-party support providers and technology partners.
- Monitor supplier performance against agreed service levels.
- Coordinate escalations and service reviews with vendors.
- Drive accountability and service improvements from external partners.
- Support contract and service review activities.
- Access Management and Compliance
- Oversee user access management processes.
- Ensure joiner, mover and leaver activities are completed in line with company policies.
- Maintain compliance with audit and security requirements.
- Review and improve access management controls and governance processes.
- Change and Project Delivery
- Support the delivery of business and IT projects.
- Coordinate operational readiness for new systems, services and acquisitions.
- Develop support models, documentation and transition plans.
- Ensure service teams are prepared to support new technologies and processes.
- Knowledge and Continuous Improvement
- Promote knowledge sharing and documentation standards.
- Develop and maintain support procedures and knowledge articles.
- Drive initiatives to improve user experience and operational efficiency.
- Identify opportunities for automation and self-service capabilities.
Core Benefits
- Competitive salaries with structured pay scales and progression as you grow within the business
- Generous annual leave that increases with your length of service
- Enhanced family leave, including 6 months’ full pay for maternity and adoption leave, and 2 weeks’ full pay for paternity leave
- Access to Techscheme for discounted technology purchases with flexible payments
- Eyecare vouchers to help cover vision care needs
- Smart Health – 24/7 access to GP services to support your mental and physical wellbeing
- Dental insurance for everyday dental care and unexpected treatments
- Optional critical illness cover for peace of mind during life's most challenging moments
Financial Wellbeing
- My View Pay Now – access a portion of your pay as you earn, with features to stream, save, and track your money through a user-friendly app
- Free will writing services to help plan for the future
- Flexible life assurance options and partner life assurance for added protection
- Discounted gym memberships to support an active lifestyle
- Travel insurance to help you explore with confidence
- Access to home and technology vouchers
- b Yond card and a wide range of exclusive retail and lifestyle discounts
We strongly believe in nurturing and providing our people with specific manufacturer brand and management training to enhance career development opportunities.
We have a great bunch of people, and we like to celebrate and encourage success at all levels.
Lookers and Charles Hurst are an equal opportunities employer.
We are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential.
If your application issuccessful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us.
Thesewill includeverifying your recent employment, address, credit historyandastandardcriminal recordcheck.
For roles that require you to drive, adriving licence checkwill also be carried out.
Please note, all offers of employment are made subject to a 6 month probation period commencing from your start date.
We take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and are committed to upholding and respecting your privacy rights.
Information about how we will process your data including the types of data we collect, the purposes for which we use it, who we may share it with and how long we keep it are set out in our privacy notice.
It also includes information about your individual privacy rights.
Please make sure you read our Privacy Notice so that you understand how we may collect and use your data.
Please answer with Yes or No.
( Note
- Selecting “No” will not eliminate you from consideration for this role.)
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
IT Service Desk Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne employer: Lookers
Lookers in Glasgow is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment at GlasgowAudi where skilled Vehicle Technicians can thrive. With flexible hours, competitive salaries, and comprehensive Audi manufacturer training, employees are empowered to enhance their skills and advance their careers while being part of a supportive and high-performing team.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land IT Service Desk Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
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Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges Lookers might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
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We think you need these skills to ace IT Service Desk Manager in Newcastle upon Tyne
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 Lookers.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Lookers. 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.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Lookers
✨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.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
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.
