IT Service Desk Queue Specialist

Job Title: IT Service Desk Queue Specialist

Job Location: Hybrid- Des Moines, IA. USA.

Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future

We are seeking an experienced IT Service Desk Queue Specialist to manage and govern ITSM ticket queues within a large-scale enterprise Service Desk environment. The ideal candidate will be responsible for ensuring the efficient management of Incident, Service Request, and Task queues, maintaining SLA compliance, driving operational excellence, and serving as a key escalation point for ticket management activities.

This role requires strong expertise in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus ITSM, ITIL practices, service desk operations, ticket governance, reporting, and stakeholder communication. The successful candidate will work closely with Service Desk analysts, resolver groups, infrastructure teams, application teams, and business stakeholders to ensure service delivery objectives are consistently achieved.

In this role, you will

Queue Management & Ticket Governance

• Monitor, manage, and govern Incident, Service Request, and Task queues within the ServiceDesk Plus ITSM platform.
• Ensure tickets are appropriately categorized, prioritized, assigned, and routed according to defined support processes and service workflows.
• Proactively monitor queue health, identifying aging tickets, backlog risks, unresolved incidents, and potential SLA breaches.
• Conduct regular queue reviews and drive timely ticket progression through all stages of the incident and request lifecycle.
• Balance workload across Service Desk analysts and support teams to ensure optimal resource utilization.
• Validate ticket quality by ensuring accurate documentation, work notes, resolution details, categorization, and closure codes.
• Ensure compliance with organizational ticket management standards, governance controls, and audit requirements.
• Drive continuous queue optimization initiatives to improve efficiency and reduce resolution times.

SLA Monitoring & Operational Performance Management

• Monitor and track SLA compliance across all service desk queues and service categories.

• Take proactive actions to prevent SLA breaches through queue reviews, escalations, and workload balancing.

• Analyze operational metrics and service trends to identify areas requiring improvement.

• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs), including:

• First Contact Resolution (FCR)

• Mean Time to Respond (MTTR)

• Mean Time to Resolve

• SLA Compliance

• Ticket Aging

• Backlog Volumes

• Reopened Tickets

• Escalation Rates

• Queue Throughput

• Generate and distribute daily, weekly, and monthly operational reports and dashboards.

• Conduct trend analysis to identify recurring incidents, service disruptions, and process improvement opportunities.

• Support management reviews through detailed reporting and service insights.

Escalation & Incident Coordination

• Serve as the primary operational escalation point for ticket queue management issues.

• Coordinate ticket resolution activities across:

• Service Desk Teams

• Infrastructure Support

• Network Operations

• Cybersecurity Teams

• Application Support Groups

• Vendor Management Teams

• Expedite resolution of Priority 1 (P1) and Priority 2 (P2) incidents and business-critical requests.

• Facilitate stakeholder communications during major incidents and service disruptions.

• Ensure escalations follow established ITIL Incident Management and Major Incident Management procedures.

• Participate in bridge calls and incident reviews for high-severity incidents.

• Support Root Cause Analysis (RCA) activities and service restoration efforts.

ServiceDesk Plus Administration & Optimization

• Administer queue configurations, assignment groups, business rules, categories, templates, workflows, and notification settings within ServiceDesk Plus.

• Monitor and optimize ticket routing logic and workflow automation capabilities.

• Support ITSM platform enhancements, process improvements, and automation initiatives.

• Collaborate with ITSM administrators and platform owners to improve:

• SLA Policies

• Queue Structures

• Workflow Automation

• Reporting Frameworks

• Ticket Classification Models

• Leverage ServiceDesk Plus dashboards and analytics to improve operational visibility and service performance.

• Assist in testing and deployment of new ServiceDesk Plus enhancements and upgrades.

Reporting, Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Develop operational dashboards and executive reports using Excel, Power BI, and ServiceDesk Plus reporting capabilities.
• Analyze ticket trends, service performance, workload patterns, and customer experience metrics.
• Identify recurring issues and support Problem Management initiatives.
• Recommend service improvements, process enhancements, and automation opportunities.
• Support knowledge management initiatives designed to improve First Contact Resolution and reduce ticket volumes.
• Contribute to Continuous Service Improvement (CSI) programs and operational transformation initiatives.

ITIL Process Compliance

• Ensure adherence to ITIL best practices and organizational ITSM governance standards.
• Support Incident, Request, Problem, Knowledge, and Change Management processes.
• Maintain documentation, standard operating procedures, workflow guides, and operational runbooks.
• Participate in process audits, reviews, and compliance assessments.
• Assist management in implementing operational dashboards and governance mechanisms.

Required Technical Skills

ITSM Platforms

• ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus
• ServiceDesk Plus Administration
• ITSM Ticket Lifecycle Management
• Workflow Design & Automation
• Queue Management

ITIL Process Expertise

• Incident Management
• Service Request Management
• Problem Management
• Knowledge Management
• Major Incident Management
• Escalation Management
• SLA Management

Reporting & Analytics

• Service Desk KPI Reporting
• Operational Dashboard Development
• Service Desk Analytics
• Trend Analysis
• Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
• Power BI

Operational Governance

• Ticket Quality Assurance
• Queue Governance
• Service Reviews
• Process Compliance
• Continuous Service Improvement

What you'll need to succeed (required skills)

• Bachelor''s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• 5-8+ years of experience supporting enterprise Service Desk and ITSM operations.
• Minimum 3+ years of hands-on experience managing ticket queues in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus or a similar ITSM platform.
• Strong understanding of ITIL service management processes and operational governance.
• Experience working in managed services, outsourcing, public-sector, or large enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing SLA-driven support operations.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and stakeholder communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience supporting public-sector or government clients.
• Experience in large-scale managed services environments supporting 5,000+ users.
• Exposure to service automation and workflow orchestration initiatives.
• Knowledge of ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, or other ITSM platforms.
• Familiarity with PowerShell, scripting, or automation tools.
• Experience with KPI reporting and executive-level dashboard development.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

• 401(k) plan and contributions

• Long-term/Short-term Disability

• Paid Parental Leave

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Work model:

At Cognizant, we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible, and we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid role requiring 3 days a week at client site in Des Moines, IA, USA.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured; we will always be clear about role expectations.

We''re excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don''t hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

"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, state 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.

Additional employment information

Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.

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, state or local laws.

If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email CareersNA2@cognizant.com for roles based in the Americas or CareersIndia2@cognizant.com for roles based in India.