IT Service Desk Manager

Magnetic Technologies Corporation•Rochester, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Arnold Magnetic Technologies is seeking a Service Desk Manager to lead and continuously improve our global end-user support operations. Reporting directly to the CIO, this role manages internal desktop support technicians, oversees outsourced support resources, and ensures consistent, high-quality IT support across the global organization. This role focuses on standardizing service desk operations, procedures, and service levels, aligning support delivery to ITIL best practices, and improving the overall end-user experience. The Service Desk Manager will partner closely with IT leadership to implement an outsourced Tier 1 support model, establish SLAs and KPIs, and operationalize performance management across internal and external support teams. This is a hands-on leadership role combining people management, operational execution, and direct end-user support responsibilities. The role is based in Rochester, NY, and because there is no dedicated on-site support technician at this location, the Service Desk Manager will personally provide local end-user support while managing the broader service desk function. Scope and responsibilities may expand as global service desk operations mature, additional regions are onboarded, and support capabilities evolve.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Proven experience managing an IT Service Desk or end-user support function in a multi-site or global environment.
Experience managing or working with outsourced or third-party IT support providers.
Strong hands-on technical background supporting end-user devices, operating systems, and common enterprise applications.
Experience applying ITIL-aligned service desk processes.
Strong leadership, coaching, and performance management skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
U.S. Citizenship required due to access to export-controlled technology and data under ITAR, EAR, and FCI/CUI regulations.

Nice To Haves

ITIL Foundation or higher certification.
Experience supporting manufacturing or industrial environments.
Familiarity with ITSM platforms such as ServiceNow, Freshservice, or Jira Service Management.
Experience building or maintaining service desk KPI dashboards and operational reporting.
Experience supporting users across multiple global time zones.

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day operations of the IT Service Desk, ensuring timely, professional, and effective end-user support.
Manage and mentor internal desktop support technicians, including workload management, performance reviews, coaching, and professional development.
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex, high-impact, or sensitive end-user issues.
Own all hands-on end-user support needs at the Rochester, NY location, personally providing on-site support when required and assigning issues that can be resolved remotely to the appropriate team member.
Partner with the CIO and IT leadership to implement and operationalize an outsourced Tier 1 support model, including onboarding, escalation workflows, knowledge transfer, and ongoing operational integration.
Serve as the primary operational point of contact for outsourced Tier 1 support providers.
Monitor outsourced Tier 1 performance against established SLAs and KPIs, escalating issues and driving corrective actions as needed.
Ensure effective coordination and escalation between outsourced Tier 1 resources and internal desktop support technicians.
Standardize global service desk operations and service levels by identifying regional gaps and driving adoption of established procedures and tools.
Ensure consistent intake, escalation, resolution, and communication practices across all supported locations.
Partner with regional stakeholders to reinforce adherence to service desk standards and continuously improve the end-user experience.
Apply ITIL-aligned practices within Service Desk operations, including Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Problem Management, and Knowledge Management.
Define, document, and continuously improve service desk workflows, procedures, and escalation paths.
Identify recurring issues and trends, drive root-cause analysis, and coordinate corrective actions with other IT groups.
Partner with the CIO and IT leadership to define service desk SLAs, then execute, monitor, and continuously improve performance against those SLAs across internal and outsourced support resources.
Partner with the CIO and IT leadership to establish service desk KPIs, then execute, maintain, and refine reporting and performance management aligned to those expectations.
Track and report on metrics such as SLA attainment, first-contact resolution, mean time to resolution, backlog aging, and end-user satisfaction.
Use performance data to drive accountability, coaching, and continuous service improvement.
Leverage AI-enabled tools and automation to improve service desk efficiency and user experience (e.g., knowledge article creation, ticket triage/routing, self-service support, and trend analysis), aligned to IT leadership standards and security requirements.
Promote a culture of responsible AI usage within the service desk, ensuring technicians regularly leverage approved AI tools to support troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and documentation.
Partner with business stakeholders and IT leadership to surface, document, and evaluate AI or automation-related ideas and opportunities that emerge through end-user support interactions, serving as an intake point for potential business improvements.
Improve and maintain service desk documentation, including standard operating procedures, escalation guides, and a searchable knowledge base to support consistent global operations and increased first-contact resolution.
Ensure documentation remains accurate, accessible, and aligned to evolving tools, processes, and support models.
Promote knowledge reuse across internal and outsourced support teams.
Act as the primary point of contact for service desk performance, trends, and end-user experience.
Partner with business stakeholders to understand support needs, identify recurring pain points, and prioritize service improvements.
Communicate clearly with IT leadership and business stakeholders regarding service issues, improvements, and operational metrics.
Collaborate closely with Infrastructure, Security, and Applications teams to ensure effective escalation and resolution of issues.