Head of IT Service Desk

Department: IT & Change

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Manchester, UK

Description

We are recruiting a Head of IT Service who will be responsible for the design, delivery, and continual improvement of IT services across six locations.

Leading a geographically distributed team, this role sets the standard for service quality, colleague experience, and operational excellence — ensuring technology enables the business to perform at its best.

This is a hands-on leadership role that balances strategic thinking with practical delivery, building a high-performing team whilst maintaining a genuine focus on the end-user experience for all colleagues, from first-line staff to senior Executives and Executive Assistants.

We would be open to applications from either Manchester or London as this position has responsibility over both, alongside occasional travel to international offices where required.

Key Responsibilities

Own end-to-end IT service delivery across six global sites (London, Manchester, White Plains, Luxembourg, Jersey, Dubai), ensuring consistent standards and a white-glove support experience for Executives and EAs.
Lead and develop the London and Manchester IT teams, setting performance objectives, coaching direct and indirect reports, and driving a culture of ownership and customer focus.
Drive continual service improvement — championing ticket quality, building self-service capability, and owning service management tooling to deliver meaningful KPIs and MI.
Manage stakeholder relationships across all sites, acting as the primary escalation point for major incidents and representing IT Service at senior governance and leadership forums.
Embed a security-first culture, supporting the cyber security agenda, overseeing compliance checks, and ensuring colleagues are well-supported on phishing, MFA, and security hygiene.
Own the patch management schedule across devices and infrastructure, balancing security compliance with minimal business disruption.
Manage the IT Service budget and vendor contracts, ensuring value for money, accurate asset/licence records, and well-evidenced investment cases.
Lead the IT workstream for the upcoming London office move, partnering with Facilities to ensure a seamless day-one experience.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Proven experience in a senior IT service management or IT operations leadership role, ideally in a multi-site, international environment.
Track record of leading and developing IT support teams, including remote or geographically dispersed staff.
Strong knowledge of ITIL principles and experience applying them in a practical, pragmatic way.
Demonstrable experience managing IT service budgets, vendor relationships, and commercial contracts.
Experience implementing or improving self-service and knowledge management capabilities.
Good working knowledge of cyber security fundamentals, patch management, and compliance requirements.
Confident communicator with the ability to engage credibly from first-line staff to Board-level Executives.
Experience supporting Executive-level users and understanding the heightened expectations this requires.

Arrow Global Group

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Head of IT Service Desk