The Service Desk Manager, under direction of the Deputy CIO, is responsible for leading and managing the IT Service Desk team, which serves as the universityâ™s first point of contact for IT support. This role oversees Tier 1 service delivery through phone, walk-in, and online channels while ensuring a high-quality support experience for the university community. The Manager also manages the universityâ™s relationship with a third-party call center vendor, monitoring service-level agreement (SLA) compliance and ensuring alignment with university support standards. 

 

The Manager, Service Desk provides operational leadership for the universityâ™s central IT support desk. This includes oversight of daily service desk functions, staff supervision, performance measurement, user experience improvement, and ITSM system utilization. The position plays a key role in ensuring timely and effective resolution of support requests and manages the performance of both internal teams and outsourced call center services. 

Position is in-office and located on the Tarleton State University main campus in Stephenville, Texas. Work hours are Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work requirements indicate.

Must have the ability to work remotely at the request of the university in times of inclement weather or other special circumstances.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Service Desk Operations & Leadership

• Oversees daily operations of the IT Service Desk, ensuring timely and effective resolution of support requests.

• Recruits, hires, and supervises technical staff and student workers. Enforces ethical, regulatory, and performance standards. Oversees and manages personnel issues.

• Manages and develops a team of service desk staff, including full-time employees and student workers.

• Facilitates the analysis of project needs, risks, and recommended solutions.

• Prioritizes, schedules, and directs activities of a project team.

• Directs the development of project or task plans, resource estimates, and schedules.

• Coordinates activities with the management of other organizational units and vendors.

• Directs the preparation of project documentation and reports for clients and management.

• Oversees and coordinates the evaluation, selection, and purchase of computing resources and consulting services.

• Monitors and analyzes key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess service effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.

• Develops and maintains service-level agreements (SLAs) and ensure compliance with response and resolution time targets.

• Maintains knowledge base documentation and self-service resources for end users.

Vendor Management & Call Center Outsourcing

• Serves as the primary liaison between the university and the outsourced call center vendor.

• Monitors vendor performance against contractual SLAs and key performance metrics.

• Assists in the development of project or area budgets. Tracks expenditures and revenues.

• Coordinates the evaluation, selection. and purchase of computing resources and consulting services.

• Develops project or area budgets. Tracks expenditures and revenues.

• Ensures a seamless integration between the vendorâ™s operations and the universityâ™s internal IT support structure.

• Provides feedback to the vendor and recommend process improvements to enhance service quality.

• Facilitates regular review meetings with the vendor to address challenges, track performance, and align on service expectations.

User Experience & Support Excellence

• Fosters a culture of customer service excellence, ensuring a positive and productive user experience.

• Acts as an escalation point for complex or high-priority support issues.

• Gathers feedback from faculty, staff, and students to refine support processes.

• Promotes the use of self-service tools and knowledge bases to improve efficiency.

Technology & Process Improvement

• Identifies opportunities to streamline workflows and enhance service desk efficiency.

• Ensures integration of the service desk with other IT support functions (Tier 2 and Tier 3).

• Leverages IT Service Management (ITSM) tools (e.g., TeamDynamix) to improve ticket tracking, reporting, and automation.

• Oversees, designs, and controls the processes for supporting the delivery of IT services. Monitors and analyzes operations metrics. Implements continuous improvement methodologies to include corrective actions.

• Performs limited advanced technical duties in support of large or multiple project teamsâ™ projects and operations. Serves as a technical resource for other staff members.

• Stays current with IT support trends and recommend improvements aligned with industry standards.

Training & Staff Development

• Trains and mentors service desk staff to ensure high-quality support and professional growth.

• Develops onboarding and training programs for new hires and student workers.

• Participates in training and professional development with a special emphasis on leadership development, management, industry related acumen, and project and operations management.

• Encourages collaboration with other IT teams to enhance problem-solving and technical knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications
Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelorâ™s degree in applicable field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Three years of related experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet applications.

• Knowledge of basic project and operations management including decision making, scheduling, prioritizing, quality assurance, delegating, monitoring work tasks, reporting, negotiating, basic vendor relations, advanced customer relations skills, proposal writing, business acumen, persuasive communication, and adaptability to change.

• Knowledge of team leadership skills including motivating team and group processes, team collaboration, empowering, coaching, mentoring, training, ethical integrity, and supervising staff.

• Industry related skills to include knowledge of the IT industry and trends, knowledge of IT security regulations, and proficiency with the Information Technology Interface Library (ITIL).

• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.

• Excellent written communication, analytical, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three years of experience in IT support or service desk management, preferably in a higher education environment, or a related role.

• Bachelorâ™s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• Strong computer skills.

• Knowledge of applicable industry and market trends.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.

• Experience managing IT service teams in a higher education or similar environment.

• Strong knowledge of IT Service Management (ITSM) best practices (e.g. ITIL framework).

• Experience managing vendor relationships or outsourced IT support services.

• Proficiency with ticketing systems and remote support tools.

• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

• ITIL certification or experience implementing ITIL-based processes.

• Experience with TeamDynamix or similar ITSM platforms.

• Experience managing student workers in a university IT setting.

Salary:

Commensurate with experience

Salary Range:

The target base annual salary is commensurate with experience and may be negotiable based on funding availability and candidate experience/skillset in relation to the minimum requirements of this position. Tarleton State University offers a career filled with purpose and opportunity in addition to competitive wages. As part of the Tarleton family, the following benefits are also available to full time and qualifying part time employees:

Educational Benefits - employee perks that help enrich, grow, and foster career and professional development:

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  About Tarleton State University

  Tarleton’s VisionTarleton State University will be the premier comprehensive regional university in the nation, dedicated to education, service and research. It is committed to being a university of opportunity for all students and believes it has a responsibility to drive regional innovation and job creation for all graduates.About Tarleton State UniversityTarleton’s innovative and transformative approach provides more than knowledge. Through real-world experiences and effective teaching, research, scholarship and service, students gain the know-how for promising careers, no matter their field of study.Tarleton has evolved into the near-perfect model of size, academic scope and affordability. Founded in 1899 and part of The Texas A&M University System since 1917, it combines the resources of a major public institution — more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, cutting-edge academic facilities, faculty experts — with its own brand of personal attention, history and community to be a first-choice destination for students across North Texas and beyond.Students can choose to study in one of seven colleges — Agricultural and Environmental, Business Administration, Educ...ation, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences and Human Services, Liberal and Fine Arts, and Science and Technology.The primary campus is in Stephenville, which consistently ranks as one of the best small towns in America. Additional locations are in Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian and Bryan, complemented by a fully online Global Campus.Students come to Tarleton from around the world, representing some 30 countries and nearly every state in the U.S., and leave as moral, ethical thinkers with civility and integrity who contribute meaningfully to a global society.Tarleton State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer. Students may select areas of study from six colleges: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences and Human Services, Liberal and Fine Arts, and Science and Technology.More than 60 bachelor's programs and 30 graduate degrees, featuring doctoral studies in educational leadership, have led more than 13,000 students from 45 states and more than 20 foreign countries to make Tarleton State their collective choice for a college education.Tarleton's research centers are daily searching for solutions to global problems. For instance, the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research conducts analyses to address environmental issues facing the state and nation, while the Southwest Regional Dairy Center, using an almost $1 million grant, is working on ways to turn animal waste into a viable energy source.Tarleton's blueprints for a brighter-than-ever future include a new applied sciences building with engineering laboratory space on campus in Stephenville, a new academic building on the university's planned 80-acre Fort Worth campus near Chisolm Trail Parkway, and $24 million in upgrades and improvements to the institution's venerable Memorial Stadium.Tarleton State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

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