Service Desk Manager - Hybrid - W2 - Contract/Contract to Hire

Description

The Service Desk Manager will initially assess the current environment, ticket queue, processes, documentation, and support practices and develop a practical plan for improvement. This individual will be responsible for building and developing the Service Desk team, establishing consistent operating practices, improving ticket management and escalation procedures, and creating a reliable support experience that encourages employees to effectively utilize IT support services.

The right candidate will be comfortable operating in a developing environment, identifying what is working well, correcting ineffective practices, and establishing a sustainable Service Desk model. This person must be both a strong people leader and an operational problem solver who can gain buy-in from employees, IT teams, and business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Assume day-to-day ownership and leadership of the Service Desk, including ticket queues, priorities, escalations, coverage, and customer communication.
• Assess the current Service Desk environment and develop a structured plan to stabilize and improve operations.
• Review the existing ticket backlog, identify trends and priorities, and establish an effective approach for resolution and ongoing queue management.
• Build and develop a Service Desk team of approximately four support professionals.
• Participate in interviewing and hiring Service Desk team members and provide onboarding, training, coaching, and ongoing development.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability across the Service Desk.
• Review existing processes and practices, retaining those that are effective while improving or replacing those that are not.
• Establish consistent practices for ticket intake, documentation, ownership, triage, escalation, response, and closure.
• Monitor and audit ticket quality, queue activity, escalations, and overall Service Desk performance.
• Establish practical service levels, KPIs, operating cadences, and management reporting.
• Strengthen relationships between IT and the business and help rebuild employee confidence in utilizing established IT support and ticketing channels.
• Review and improve existing knowledge base articles, SOPs, onboarding and offboarding procedures, and other Service Desk documentation.
• Improve handoffs and escalation procedures between the Service Desk and other IT teams, including Applications and Infrastructure.
• Identify staffing, skill, process, and service gaps and recommend appropriate improvements.
• Provide direct support for escalated issues when necessary while maintaining primary responsibility for leadership and management of the Service Desk.
• Establish documented processes, reporting, and operating practices that can support the long-term growth and sustainability of the Service Desk.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing a Service Desk, Help Desk, IT Support, or IT Service Delivery function.
• Demonstrated experience building, rebuilding, stabilizing, or materially improving a Service Desk operation.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, train, and develop technical support professionals.
• Experience managing ticket queues, backlogs, escalations, service levels, and customer communications.
• Strong understanding of IT service management and Service Desk best practices.
• Experience developing and implementing operational processes, SOPs, knowledge management practices, KPIs, and service-level expectations.
• Ability to assess an existing support environment, identify gaps, and translate findings into an actionable improvement plan.
• Strong customer-service mindset with demonstrated ability to build trust and productive relationships between IT and business users.
• Ability to balance strategic process improvement with hands-on operational leadership.
• Experience working with IT ticketing/service management platforms; SolarWinds Service Desk experience is a plus but not required.
• ITIL 4 certification is a plus but not required.
• Strong communication, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work onsite in Houston as part of a flexible hybrid schedule.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate has previously stepped into a Service Desk environment that needed significant improvement and can demonstrate measurable results. They will understand how to assess the current state, prioritize immediate issues, reduce ticket backlog, develop a team, implement practical service management practices, and rebuild confidence in IT support.

This role requires someone who is comfortable rolling up their sleeves when needed but whose primary focus will be leading the team, managing the operation, developing employees, improving processes, and establishing a sustainable Service Desk function.

For the right individual, this engagement may offer the opportunity to continue longer term and potentially expand into broader IT operations and service delivery leadership responsibilities.

HOW YOU'LL GROW AT EPMA

We believe in the investment of our people. Strong client results and company growth is a direct result of our focus on personal growth for every single employee. With regular reviews and measurable development plans, we help you focus on the skills and knowledge you need to succeed. From on-the-job learning to professional development programs, we help you to grow throughout your career and ready you for the opportunities that lie ahead.

EPMA'S CULTURE

BE INSPIRED our 10 core values are at the forefront of everything we do. We take pride in investing in the development of our people, because they are part of the EPMA family and DNA. Call us old fashioned, but we believe in building talent, and we take pride in preparing our future leaders and innovators. You will find a fun, exciting and rewarding career at EPMA.

ABOUT EPMA

Since 2010, EPMA has quickly earned credibility as a trusted leader in Project and Portfolio Management Services helping local businesses to Global 50 companies deliver projects with greater efficiency and success. Our ability to attract the most talented people and empower them to make a difference for our clients is part of what makes EPMA one of the Top Companies to work for in Texas, and one of the Best and Brightest companies to work for in the nation. We are also on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in America today.

EPMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassments of Any Kind: EPMA is made up of a very diverse group of individuals representing a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. At EPMA, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our services and our community. EPMA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.