IT Service Desk Manager

The role

We are seeking an experienced and proactive IT Service Desk Manager to lead our front-line support function. This role is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the IT Service Desk, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused support to the firm.  You will lead a team of five Service Desk Analysts, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong technical oversight, people management, and a commitment to delivering a seamless support experience to legal professionals and business services teams.

Role responsibility

Team Leadership & Performance

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of five Service Desk Analysts to ensure consistent, high-quality support.
• Set clear objectives, conduct regular 1:1s, and manage performance through reviews and regular input to call and ticket management
• Promote a culture of ownership, professionalism, and first-time resolution.

Service Delivery & Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day running of the IT Service Desk, ensuring timely and effective resolution of incidents and requests.
• Monitor and manage the ITSM platform (Halo), ensuring accurate ticket categorisation, prioritisation, and reporting.
• Analyse service trends and recurring issues to drive improvements and reduce repeat incidents.
• Maintain and improve knowledge base articles, FAQs, and self-service resources to empower colleagues and reduce demand.

Process & Quality Improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline support processes, introduce automation, and enhance service efficiency.
• Ensure adherence to ITIL-based best practices and contribute to the development of service management policies and procedures.
• Support the implementation of new technologies and upgrades by coordinating Service Desk readiness and colleague support.

Communication & Incident Management

• Ensure clear, timely communication around service incidents, planned maintenance, and system changes.
• Act as the escalation point for complex or high-impact issues, ensuring swift resolution and stakeholder updates.
• Collaborate with other IT teams to ensure seamless end-to-end service delivery.

Technology and Change

• Lead and support the implementation of new technologies and system changes by coordinating with IT teams, ensuring service desk readiness, updating support documentation, and effectively communicating changes to colleagues to minimise disruption and maximise adoption.

About you

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing an IT Service Desk or similar support function, ideally within a legal or professional services environment.
• Strong leadership and team development skills, with a track record of building high-performing support teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain technical issues clearly to non-technical colleagues.
• Hands-on experience with ITSM tools (e.g., Halo, ServiceNow) and service reporting.
• Working knowledge of ITIL principles; ITIL Foundation certification preferred.
• Familiarity with legal technology platforms such as iManage, Elite 3E, and time recording tools is advantageous.

Key Competencies

• Customer Focus: Committed to delivering a responsive, colleague-centric support experience.
• Problem Solving: Analytical and solutions-oriented, with a focus on root cause resolution.
• Attention to Detail: Maintains high standards in service quality and documentation.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of service outcomes and team performance.
• Collaboration: Works effectively across IT and business teams to ensure aligned service delivery.
• Communication:  Demonstrates exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, and to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Adaptability: Comfortable in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.  Demonstrates flexibility in working beyond standard hours to support key priorities where required. 

At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we’re committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.

We understand that every candidate’s needs are different If there’s anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable— whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding—please let us know. We’ll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you. 

Contact our recruitment team at recruitment@howardkennedy.com to discuss any support you might need.

Agency Introductions

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.