IT Service Support Manager in England

As our IT Service Support Manager, you will be at the heart of our technology operations. This isn't just about 'keeping the lights on'; it's about delivering a stable, predictable, and highly effective IT service that empowers every one of our colleagues to succeed. You will lead the Service Support function, owning and maturing the core processes that ensure our technology services are reliable, resilient, and continuously improving. Your leadership will directly impact the experience of our customers and the productivity of our teams across the whole organisation. Beyond internal operations, you will act as the commercial steward for our IT partnerships. You will bridge the gap between technical requirements and business value by overseeing the entire lifecycle of our third‑party IT contracts. This includes ensuring that every agreement is commercially sound, legally safe, and performing at the high standards required to support Oak Furnitureland's growth. The position is located at our Swindon Head Office and we can offer hybrid working with 3 days in the office and 2 from home.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Service Desk Team – manage, mentor, and develop the IT Service Desk team, fostering a culture of exceptional customer service, accountability, and technical excellence.
• Drive team performance through key metrics such as first contact resolution rate and ticket aging.
• Champion Service Management Excellence – own and evangelise core service management processes across the IT department:

• Incident Management – oversee the restoration of normal service operation as quickly as possible following an incident, minimising business impact and providing clear stakeholder communication.
• Problem Management – lead Root Cause Analysis on major and recurring incidents, identifying and driving the implementation of permanent solutions.
• Change Management – prepare and coordinate the agenda and content for the Change Advisory Board (CAB), ensuring all proposed changes are documented and presented for assessment.
• Release Management – collaborate with development and infrastructure teams to support the planning and scheduling of releases into live environments.

Requirements

• Proven Leadership – demonstrable experience managing and developing a technical support team within a fast‑paced, commercial environment.
• Strong ITSM Expertise – deep, practical understanding of established IT service management frameworks and principles, and how to apply them pragmatically to deliver business value.
• Process‑Driven Mindset – track record of successfully maturing service management processes (Incident, Problem, Change, etc.) through a team‑focused approach.
• Exceptional Communicator – ability to engage with, and manage the expectations of, a wide range of stakeholders, translate technical issues into business impact, and describe highly technical solutions in simple terms.
• Analytical & Decisive – use data and KPIs to measure performance and drive continuous service improvement; comfortable making critical decisions under pressure during major incidents.
• Technical Acumen – experience overseeing a modern, mixed‑OS (Windows 12, macOS, Android) environment, strong administrative knowledge of Microsoft cloud services (Azure, Entra ID, Intune), practical experience with ITSM systems and MDM platforms (SOTI), and working knowledge of AWS and Google Workspace.
• Retail Experience (Desirable) – experience within a multi‑channel retail environment (e‑commerce, physical stores).
• Commercial & Vendor Management – proven experience managing third‑party IT vendors, including SLA monitoring and contract lifecycle management within a commercial environment.
• Financial & Administrative Acumen – strong understanding of IT procurement processes, budget tracking, and billing reconciliation.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration – ability to work effectively with Legal and Compliance teams to navigate complex contractual terms and mitigate business risk.
• Strategic Stakeholder Engagement – experience consulting with business owners to determine the ongoing viability of technical systems and negotiating renewals based on those needs.

Benefits

• Employee discount – amazing discounts available on all Oak Furnitureland products after successful completion of probation.
• Life assurance – free cover of a minimum of two times your annual salary up to the age of 65.
• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays.
• Birthday – an additional day off for you to celebrate your birthday.
• Pension – 4% employee contribution matched by the company.
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to telephone and face‑to‑face counselling services.
• My Rewards Programme – discounts on restaurants, supermarkets, entertainment, and holidays.
• Free on‑site parking.