At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and develop our IT Service Desk team to deliver exceptional tech support.
- Company: Join Oak Furnitureland, a beloved British furniture retailer with a passion for quality.
- Benefits: Enjoy employee discounts, life assurance, 25 days holiday, and more!
- Why this job: Make a real impact on our technology operations and empower your colleagues.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in technical support and strong IT service management expertise.
- Other info: Dynamic retail environment with opportunities for growth and development.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Oak Furnitureland is a beloved British furniture retailer with a passion for helping people create their dream homes. We are committed to providing exceptional quality and stylish furniture at accessible prices. As we continue to grow and evolve, we are seeking a talented and passionate IT Service Support Manager to join our growing IT team. The position is located at our Swindon Head Office and is fully office-based.
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.
Key Responsibilities- Lead the Service Desk Team: You will manage, mentor, and develop our IT Service Desk team, fostering a culture of exceptional customer service, accountability, and technical excellence. You will drive team performance through key metrics (e.g. first contact resolution rate, ticket aging).
- Champion Service Management Excellence: You will be the owner and evangelist for our core service management processes, ensuring these functions are embedded, governed, and matured across the IT department.
- Incident Management: Oversee the process for restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible following an incident, ensuring your team minimises business impact and provides clear stakeholder communication.
- Problem Management: Drive the team to look beyond immediate fixes by leading Root Cause Analysis (RCA) on major and recurring incidents, identifying and driving the implementation of permanent solutions.
- Change Management: Play a pivotal part in our Change Management process by preparing and coordinating the agenda and content for the Change Advisory Board (CAB), ensuring all proposed changes are effectively documented and presented for assessment.
- Release Management: Work collaboratively with our development and infrastructure teams to enable your team to effectively support the planning and scheduling of releases into our live environments.
- Govern Our Technology Assets: You will be accountable for maintaining the definitive record of our IT landscape. Your team will manage and develop our IT service management system, ensuring it is the single source of truth for our IT services and assets, and will oversee the lifecycle of all IT hardware and software.
- Drive User Adoption and Capability: You will be a key driver in ensuring our colleagues get the most from our technology. By analysing trends in service desk requests, you will actively identify training needs and work in close partnership with our Organisational Development team to facilitate the creation of resources that improve user productivity and confidence with our core systems, and with our Cyber Security team to champion and support initiatives that foster a culture of high security awareness and protection across the entire business.
- Proven Leadership: Demonstrable experience managing and developing a technical support team within a fast‑paced, commercial environment.
- Strong ITSM Expertise: A deep, practical understanding of established IT service management frameworks and principles, and how to apply them pragmatically to deliver business value.
- Process-Driven Mindset: A track record of successfully maturing service management processes (Incident, Problem, Change, etc.) through a team-focused approach.
- Exceptional Communicator: The ability to engage with, and manage the expectations of, a wide range of stakeholders, from end-users to senior business leaders. You can translate technical issues into business impact, and describe highly technical solutions to our internal customers in simple and understandable terms.
- Analytical & Decisive: You use data and KPIs to measure performance and drive continuous service improvement. You are comfortable making critical decisions under pressure, especially during major incidents.
- Technical Acumen: Demonstrable experience overseeing a modern, mixed‑OS (Windows 12, macOS, Android) technical environment, with strong administrative knowledge of Microsoft cloud services (Azure, Entra ID, Intune), practical experience with ITSM systems and MDM platforms (SOTI), and a working knowledge of AWS and Google Workspace.
- Retail Experience (Desirable): Experience within a multi‑channel retail environment (e‑commerce, physical stores) would be a significant advantage, giving you an immediate understanding of our unique challenges and priorities.
- 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: gives all employees access to both telephone and face‑to‑face counselling services.
- My Rewards Programme: offers discounts on everything from restaurants and supermarkets, to entertainment and holidays.
- Free on‑site parking.
Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
Employment type: Full‑time
Job function: Information Technology
Industries: Furniture and Home Furnishings Manufacturing
IT Service Support Manager employer: Oak Furnitureland
Contact Detail:
Oak Furnitureland Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land IT Service Support Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the IT world, especially those who might have insights into Oak Furnitureland. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching the company culture and values. Oak Furnitureland is all about creating dream homes, so think about how your experience aligns with their mission and be ready to share examples.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills during the interview. Talk about how you’ve managed teams and improved processes in the past. Remember, they’re looking for someone who can drive performance and foster a culture of excellence!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and shows your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it’s a great way to reiterate why you’d be a perfect fit for the team.
We think you need these skills to ace IT Service Support Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experience mentioned in the job description. Highlight your leadership experience and IT service management expertise to show us you’re the right fit for the role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you’re passionate about the role and how your background aligns with our mission at Oak Furnitureland. Be genuine and let your personality shine through!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your past roles, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead teams and improve IT services. Use metrics where possible to quantify your impact – we love numbers!
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 don’t miss out on any important updates from our team.
How to prepare for a job interview at Oak Furnitureland
✨Know Your ITSM Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of IT service management frameworks. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these principles in previous roles, especially in incident and change management. This will show that you understand the core processes that are crucial for the IT Service Support Manager position.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed and developed a technical support team. Highlight specific metrics you've improved, like first contact resolution rates or ticket aging. This will demonstrate your ability to lead and mentor a team effectively.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Practice explaining complex technical issues in simple terms. You’ll need to engage with various stakeholders, so being able to translate technical jargon into business impact is key. Consider role-playing with a friend to refine your communication skills.
✨Be Data-Driven
Familiarise yourself with key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to IT service management. Be prepared to discuss how you've used data to drive continuous improvement in your previous roles. This will show that you're analytical and can make informed decisions under pressure.