Job Description – IT Service Desk Lead/Manager
Position Title IT Service Desk Lead
Location – Des Moines, IA
Experience - 8–10 Years
Team Size 20+ Service Desk Analysts and Senior Analysts
Job Summary
The IT Service Desk Lead is responsible for leading and managing a 24x7 global IT Service Desk operation supporting end users across multiple locations. The role is accountable for service delivery excellence, SLA compliance, team leadership, customer satisfaction, incident management, continuous service improvement, and operational governance. The Service Desk Lead acts as the primary escalation point for critical issues and drives operational efficiency through process optimization, automation, and knowledge management initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Service Delivery & Operations
- Lead daily operations of the IT Service Desk supporting enterprise users globally.
- Ensure adherence to contractual SLAs, KPIs, OLAs, and customer experience targets.
- Manage incident, request, problem, and major incident processes in accordance with ITIL practices.
- Act as the primary escalation point for critical and high-priority incidents.
- Ensure timely resolution and customer communication for service-impacting issues.
- Monitor queue health, workload distribution, and workforce utilization.
Team Leadership
- Manage a team of approximately 20 Service Desk professionals.
- Conduct regular team huddles, coaching sessions, and performance reviews.
- Drive employee engagement, motivation, and career development initiatives.
- Identify skill gaps and execute training and development plans.
- Manage staffing, shift planning, leave management, and resource allocation.
Customer & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the primary operational interface for customer stakeholders.
- Participate in operational reviews, governance meetings, and customer escalation calls.
- Build strong relationships with business users, resolver groups, and third-party vendors.
- Drive customer satisfaction and continuous improvement initiatives.
Reporting & Governance
- Prepare and present weekly, monthly, and quarterly service reports.
- Analyze service desk performance trends and recommend improvement actions.
- Conduct root cause analysis and publish improvement plans.
- Track and report SLA compliance, ticket trends, productivity, and customer satisfaction metrics.
Continuous Improvement & Automation
- Identify opportunities for service improvement and automation.
- Enhance knowledge management processes and maintain knowledge articles.
- Drive self-service adoption, shift-left initiatives, and ticket reduction strategies.
- Participate in transition, transformation, and process-improvement programs.
Quality & Compliance
- Ensure adherence to ITIL best practices and organizational standards.
- Conduct quality audits and monitor analyst performance.
- Ensure compliance with security, audit, and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain documentation, SOPs, and operational runbooks.
Required Technical Skills
- ServiceNow or equivalent ITSM platforms
- Incident, Request, Problem, and Change Management
- Microsoft 365, Windows, Active Directory, Azure AD
- Remote Support Tools
- Knowledge Management Platforms
- Service Desk Analytics and Reporting
- Call Center / Omnichannel Support Platforms
- Basic understanding of EUC, Networking, Collaboration, and Infrastructure Services
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- SLA Achievement (%)
- First Contact Resolution (FCR)
- Average Speed to Answer (ASA)
- Abandonment Rate
- Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
- Ticket Backlog Reduction
- Knowledge Article Utilization
- Employee Satisfaction & Attrition Metrics
- Automation and Continual Improvement Deliverables
Required Soft Skills
- Strong leadership and people management
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Executive-level stakeholder management
- Conflict resolution and escalation management
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to perform under pressure in critical situations
- Continuous improvement mindset
Acerca de Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) es un creador de soluciones de IA y proveedor de servicios tecnológicos que conecta la inversión en IA con el valor empresarial mediante el desarrollo de soluciones de IA full‑stack para sus clientes. Su profundo conocimiento de la industria, junto con su experiencia en procesos e ingeniería, permite incorporar el contexto único de cada organización en sistemas tecnológicos que amplifican el potencial humano, generan resultados tangibles y mantienen a las empresas a la vanguardia en un entorno en constante cambio. Más información en cognizant.ai o @cognizant.
Información adicional sobre el empleo
La información sobre la compensación es exacta en la fecha de publicación de este anuncio. Cognizant se reserva el derecho de modificar esta información en cualquier momento, de conformidad con la legislación aplicable.
Es posible que se solicite a los solicitantes que asistan a entrevistas de forma presencial o mediante videoconferencia. Asimismo, durante cada entrevista, los candidatos podrán estar obligados a presentar un documento de identidad válido emitido por el estado o por el gobierno.
Cognizant es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. Su solicitud y candidatura no se evaluarán en función de la raza, el color, el sexo, la religión, el credo, la orientación sexual, la identidad de género, el origen nacional, la discapacidad, la información genética, el embarazo, la condición de veterano ni cualquier otra característica protegida por las leyes federales, estatales o locales.
