It Service Desk Manager

Location: Toronto, Canada

Thales people architect solutions that support 85 million mainline and suburban passenger journeys, worldwide, every day. Our Rail Signalling and Communication systems are used on metro lines across major cities, and 72,000 kms of route, 52,000 trains per day in 16 countries are controlled by our Traffic Management Systems. Together We deployed the first-ever nationwide ticketing system which processes over 50 million ticketing transactions in 100 cities daily.

Thales provides world-leading Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) and interlocking for mass rail transit applications globally. The Centre of Competence for Urban Rail Signalling is located right before you at mid-town Toronto. As the largest office in Canada, we house a department for every step of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)! This includes Software, Hardware, Systems Design, Verification & Validation, Operations, etc. The supporting corporate shared services teams in Finance, Human Resources and IT is also located at the office. Our office space was designed to provide a sustainable, healthy workplace that expresses TRSS’s brand while increasing collaboration. Features include Greenguard furniture, EnergyStar appliances, low-emitting adhesives, sealants, and sliding glass doors on internal offices provide daylight and views to the outside. Come join the big Transport family, here in Toronto!

The Service Desk Manager’s role is to oversee all Service Desk staff and ensure that end users are receiving the appropriate assistance. This includes the responsibility of managing all procedures related to identification, prioritization and resolution of incidents, including the monitoring, tracking and coordination of Service Desk functions. The Service Desk Manager is also responsible for planning, designing, and analyzing the organization’s service desk according to best practices, while ensuring high levels of customer service quality and availability. This individual will develop, implement, and oversee policies and procedures to ensure consistent service levels and quick resolutions. The Service Desk Manager is also responsible for staffing capacity planning, service process design, performance analysis, and developing proactive resolution plans. The Service Desk Manager will also contribute to escalated problem resolution by giving in-person, hands-on support to end users when necessary

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Planning

• Plan and conduct performance appraisals of Service Desk staff, administer disciplinary action, raises, bonuses and promotions when necessary.
• Develop Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to establish problem resolution expectations and timeframes.
• Develop policies and procedures that outline how problems are identified, documented, assigned and corrected.
• Analyze performance of Service Desk activities and documented resolutions, identify problem areas, and devise and deliver solutions to enhance quality of service and to prevent future problems.

Acquisition & Deployment

• Conduct research on emerging products, services, protocols and standards in support of service desk technology procurement and development efforts.
• Purchasing and deployment tasks.
• Ensure appropriate training initiatives for new and existing staff.
• Collaborate with other departments to identify and/or procure Service Desk software for internal staff and external clients.
• Prepare budget proposals and operational expenditure statements.
• Liaise with vendors for the procurement of new systems technologies; oversee installation and resolve adaptation issues.

Operational Management

• Develop and enforce request handling and escalation policies and procedures.
• Manage the processing of incoming calls to the Service Desk via both telephone and ITSM platform (ServiceNow) to ensure courteous, timely and effective resolution of end user issues.
• Assess need for any system reconfigurations (minor or significant) based on request trends and make recommendations.
• Contribute to escalated problem resolution by giving in-person, hands-on support to end users when necessary.
• Manage the overall desk activities and staff.
• Provide uninterrupted 24x7 technical support by managing and coordinating shift rotations, on-call schedules, and phone coverage.
• Identify, recommend, develop and implement end user training programs to increase computer literacy and self-sufficiency.
• Attend training seminars, conferences and trade shows to broaden knowledge of current and future Service Desk issues and technologies.
• Oversee the development, implementation and administration of service desk staff training procedures and policies.
• Attend Change Advisor Board (CAB) meetings.
• Train, coach and mentor Service Desk Technicians and other junior staff.
• Track and analyze trends in Help Desk requests and generate statistical reports.
• Oversee development and communication of help sheets, usage guides and FAQs for end users.

Key Requirements:

• College diploma or university degree in the field of computer science and/or 5 years equivalent work experience.
• Experience with desktop and server operating systems, including Windows 7, 10 and 11, Windows Server 2016, 2019
• Extensive knowledge of computer hardware, including Intel based laptops/desktop, printers and other computer peripheral
• Working knowledge of a range of diagnostic utilities, including Microsoft SCCM, ManageEngine Desktop Central
• Familiarity with the advanced principles of ITIL
• Demonstrated progressive experience in the management of a technical support team.
• Proven track record of developing, maintaining, and providing SLAs and Service Desk deliverables.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong relationship management and customer service skills
• Solid ability to contingency plan and mitigate potential technical issues
• Proven analytical and problem-solving abilities to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Certification in the advanced principles of ITIL

Thales is required to follow mandatory customer policies as well as Federal and Provincial legislation, now and in the future. This includes, but is not limited to, vaccination mandates and travel requirements. This role requires you to work on a customer site and/or travel. Therefore, you must follow all mandatory customer policies, Federal, and Provincial legislation as a condition of employment.

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.