At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a global team in IT operations and ensure seamless service delivery across time zones.
- Company: Join Norstella, a leader in life sciences data and AI solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, pension match, and health benefits.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth and learning.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in healthcare by improving patient access to therapies.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in IT operations with leadership experience and strong technical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Norstella is a premier and critical global life sciences data and AI solutions provider dedicated to improving patient access to life-saving therapies. Norstella supports pharmaceutical and biotech companies across the full drug development lifecycle — from pipeline to patient. Our mission is to help our clients bring therapies to market faster and more efficiently, ultimately impacting patient lives.
The Global L2 Manager is a senior operational leader responsible for overseeing Norstella’s Level 2 IT Operations function across multiple time zones, including India and North America. This role extends beyond technical escalation management and serves as a foundational pillar in maintaining operational stability, endpoint governance, identity administration, and office infrastructure reliability.
The L2 Manager leads a distributed team of engineers who handle complex escalations from L1, advanced onboarding and offboarding tasks, Entra ID administration, and cross-system troubleshooting. This individual ensures seamless global coverage, consistent SLA performance, and strong escalation governance between L1, L2, and L3 teams.
In addition to escalation leadership, the role owns the lifecycle of end-user devices globally, ensures compliance with endpoint standards, and maintains operational readiness across all Norstella office locations. The L2 Manager acts as both a technical authority and an operational strategist, driving efficiency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Responsibilities- Global L2 Operations Leadership: Oversee a globally distributed team, ensure 24/5 coverage across regions and continuity of service across time zones. Be accountable for queue health, SLA compliance, ticket aging, and overall operational performance. Proactively identify bottlenecks, manage workload distribution, and ensure high-quality resolution of escalated incidents.
- Escalation & ServiceNow Governance: Own the escalation workflow within ServiceNow, ensure proper triage, categorization, and documentation of advanced incidents. Review all escalations to L3 for completeness and technical validity. Drive root cause analysis and collaborate with engineering to reduce repeat incidents through better documentation, automation, or systemic fixes.
- Identity & Access Oversight (Entra ID / Azure AD): Govern advanced identity-related escalations, including account provisioning, access control validation, and complex onboarding/offboarding workflows. Collaborate with Security and Infrastructure to ensure identity processes align with compliance standards and policy.
- End-User Device Lifecycle Management: Own global device lifecycle, including procurement coordination, imaging standards, provisioning, shipping logistics, recovery, and asset tracking. Ensure endpoint compliance (Intune, encryption, security agents) and precise onboarding/offboarding processes.
- Office IT Infrastructure Ownership: Ensure operational readiness of all Norstella office environments globally, including internet circuits, ISP relationships, networking equipment, conference room AV systems, and local IT hardware. Coordinate with facilities and external vendors to ensure uptime and professional workplace technology experiences.
- Onsite Leadership – London Office: Serve as the primary onsite IT leader for Norstella’s London office. First point of escalation for in-person technical support, office infrastructure stability, conference room systems, executive support, and local user experience. Requires a strong physical presence in the office with a minimum expectation of four days per week onsite to ensure operational readiness, hands-on troubleshooting, vendor coordination, and direct partnership with business stakeholders.
- Knowledge Management & Documentation Governance: Establish and enforce knowledge base standards for the L2 organization. Ensure documentation is updated, peer-reviewed, and used to reduce ticket volume and improve first-touch resolution. Facilitate knowledge transfer from L3 to L2 and foster continuous learning.
- Metrics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement: Develop and track operational metrics (SLA adherence, escalation rates, reopen trends, queue aging, first-touch resolution). Identify automation opportunities and process improvements. Provide regular reporting to IT leadership.
- 5–8+ years of IT Operations or ServiceDesk experience
- 2–4+ years of leadership experience managing distributed teams
- Deep understanding of ServiceNow incident and request workflows
- Strong experience with Entra ID / Azure AD administration
- Experience managing device lifecycle and endpoint compliance programs
- Familiarity with office network infrastructure and ISP/vendor management
- Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills
Success in this role is demonstrated through sustained SLA performance, reduced unnecessary L3 escalations, mature and accurate knowledge documentation, strong endpoint compliance posture, stable global office infrastructure, and a highly capable, accountable L2 engineering team.
Guiding Principles- Bold, Passionate, Mission-First
- Integrity, Truth, Reality
- Kindness, Empathy, Grace
- Resilience, Mettle, Perseverance
- Humility, Gratitude, Learning
- 25 days annual leave, 4 days for volunteering and a personal day
- 5% pension match
- Group Life Assurance (100% employer funded)
- Group Income Protection (100% employer funded)
- Other voluntary benefits such as: Dental, Cash Plan, PMI Excess Cover, Health Screening & Critical Illness
Norstella is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability or age. Our ethos is to respect and value people’s differences, to help everyone achieve more at work as well as in their personal lives so that they feel proud of the part they play in our success. We believe that all decisions about people at work should be based on the individual’s abilities, skills, performance and behavior and our business requirements. Norstella operates a zero tolerance policy to any form of discrimination, abuse or harassment.
Tech Lead, Service Desk employer: Norstella
Norstella is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth, offering a supportive work culture in the heart of London. With generous benefits including 25 days of annual leave, a strong pension match, and opportunities for volunteering, employees are encouraged to thrive both personally and professionally. The company fosters a collaborative environment where innovation is celebrated, and team members are empowered to make impactful contributions to life sciences and patient care.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Tech Lead, Service Desk
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at local meetups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their mission and values, especially how they relate to patient access and AI solutions. This will help you connect your experience to what they care about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your responses to common interview questions, but keep it natural. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers, especially when discussing your leadership experience in IT operations.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance of landing that Tech Lead role!
We think you need these skills to ace Tech Lead, Service Desk
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Tech Lead role. Highlight your experience in IT operations and leadership, especially with distributed teams. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Norstella!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for improving patient access to therapies and how your background makes you a perfect fit for our team. Let us know why you’re excited about this opportunity!
Showcase Your Technical Skills:Don’t forget to highlight your technical expertise, especially with ServiceNow and Entra ID/Azure AD. We’re looking for someone who can lead our L2 operations effectively, so make sure we see that in your application.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Norstella
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Tech Lead, you'll need to demonstrate a solid understanding of IT operations and ServiceNow workflows. Brush up on your knowledge of Entra ID and Azure AD administration, as well as device lifecycle management. Be ready to discuss specific examples from your past experiences that showcase your technical expertise.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires managing a distributed team, so it's crucial to highlight your leadership experience. Prepare to share how you've successfully led teams in the past, tackled challenges, and ensured high performance. Think about specific instances where you improved team dynamics or resolved conflicts.
✨Understand Norstella's Mission
Familiarise yourself with Norstella's mission to improve patient access to therapies. Be prepared to discuss how your role as a Tech Lead can contribute to this mission. Showing that you align with their values will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving skills and operational strategies. Think through potential challenges you might face in the role, such as managing escalations or ensuring SLA compliance, and prepare structured responses that demonstrate your analytical thinking and decision-making process.