Service Desk Lead – North America
Location : Atlanta GA ( 100% Onsite )
*Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future*
Responsibilities
Lead day-to-day Service Desk delivery across North America.
Manage performance using SLA, XLA, customer satisfaction, quality, productivity, and backlog measures.
Ensure effective incident intake, triage, prioritization, assignment, escalation, communication, and closure.
Coordinate monitoring and service-health awareness to improve proactive support.
Own major escalation coordination among the Service Desk, resolver groups, vendors, and customers.
Drive knowledge management, first-contact resolution, shift readiness, coaching, and quality improvement.
Analyze demand, repeat contacts, aged tickets, user feedback, and trends to identify improvements.
Conduct service reviews and communicate risks, actions, and performance outcomes.
Required Knowledge and Experience
16 to 20 years of relevant professional experience aligned with the role responsibilities and technology scope.
Demonstrated experience in the primary and secondary skill areas listed above.
Strong understanding of enterprise service delivery, governance, risk, and change controls.
Ability to work across geographically distributed teams, customers, and delivery partners.
Strong communication, documentation, analytical problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.
Key Stakeholder Interfaces
Customer and business stakeholders.
Infrastructure, engineering, architecture, security, and operations teams.
Service management, project management, commercial, and finance functions.
Technology vendors and delivery partners.
Success Measures
Delivery against agreed service, project, quality, and governance commitments.
Timely management of risks, issues, dependencies, and escalations.
Stakeholder confidence, clear communication, and accurate reporting.
Continuous improvement, standardization, and operational discipline.
Key Skills required :-
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong client-facing capabilities.
Ability to manage high-touch global client stakeholders and maintain strong client relationships.
Strong understanding of Service Desk KPIs, SLAs, performance metrics, and governance, with the ability to prepare, manage, and present performance decks.
Coordinate and oversee overall Global Service Desk operations, working closely with regional Service Desk leads across India, LATAM, and Budapest.
Serve as the primary Cognizant point of contact for client concerns, operational issues, and escalations related to Service Desk services.
Strong understanding of Service Desk transformation initiatives, including AI, automation, self-service, call/contact deflection, and optimization strategies.
Drive initiatives aimed at reducing overall Service Desk contact volumes by 50% or more, supporting the client's long-term vision toward a highly automated or “Zero Desk” operating model.
Ability to collaborate effectively with global client stakeholders, regional delivery teams, and offshore teams across different time zones.
Strong understanding of Service Desk operations and the ability to effectively manage day-to-day operational challenges, escalations, and service delivery nuances.
Demonstrated ability to provide end-to-end Service Desk governance, coordination, and continuous improvement across multiple regions.
Things to know before you apply
- Work authorization: Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
- Accommodations: If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] with your request and contact information.
- AI in hiring: We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help us screen and assess applications more efficiently. Our team performs additional human review and ultimately decides who moves forward in our hiring process.
- Open position: Unless otherwise stated, this job posting is for an open position on our team.
- Language proficiency: We ask that all candidates have basic English proficiency for company-wide communications purposes. For roles based in Quebec, professional English proficiency is required, as you’ll deliver services to and collaborate with stakeholders outside the province who may not speak French.
- Inclusion: Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial or local laws.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
