The Opportunity
We're looking for a driven, decisive Service Desk Manager who's ready to own and elevate our service desk operation. This is a leadership role built for someone who doesn't wait for direction, you identify the problem, build the plan, and make it happen. If you thrive in a fast-paced MSP environment, love developing high-performing teams, and take pride in delivering exceptional client experiences, this role was made for you.
What You'll Do
This role has a clear rhythm. Here's what your day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month will look like:
Daily - Keep the Engine Running
- Start each day reviewing ticket dashboards: new, open, overdue, and SLA breaches.
- Run a daily team huddle covering SLA status, completed tickets, response times, and workload balance.
- Identify and address aging, unattended, and escalated tickets before they become problems.
- Monitor technician workload and availability; jump in to assist with ticket and call overflow as needed.
- Proactively communicate with customers on major or high-impact issues.
- Spot-check ticket updates for quality of communication and ensure proper categorization and prioritization.
- Verify on-call schedule coverage and make adjustments as needed.
Weekly - Spot Trends, Coach the Team, Engage Clients
- Analyze weekly ticket trends: volume, SLA compliance, first response and resolution times, and escalation rates.
- Identify recurring issues and root causes; put policies in place to address negative trends.
- Hold regular client check-ins to review ticket trends, discuss pain points, and identify improvement opportunities.
- Prepare and deliver weekly performance reports for select customers.
- Update the on-call rotation, ensure fair coverage, and communicate the schedule clearly to the team.
- Review individual technician metrics and provide coaching on efficiency, communication, and technical performance.
Monthly - Strategic Review & Continuous Improvement
- Conduct a comprehensive analysis of all tickets: volume, SLA trends, MTTR, escalation rates, reopen rates, worked hours, and cost analysis.
- Review CSAT scores and survey feedback; deep-dive into complaints and negative reviews with follow-up coaching or counseling as needed.
- Deliver monthly reports and QBR-style presentations to the CEO, highlighting performance trends, key incidents, improvements made, and recommendations.
- Identify and implement process improvements across ticket handling, escalation workflows, and communication.
- Evaluate staffing needs and capacity against ticket trends; plan for growth or seasonal demand.
- Review on-call rotation effectiveness and adjust structure to address coverage gaps or burnout concerns.
Quarterly & Annually
- Conduct employee performance reviews and 1-on-1 meetings quarterly.
- Lead annual reviews including goal-setting, and headcount justification.
What We're Looking For
- Proven experience managing a service desk or IT support team or Service Desk Technician experience, ideally in an support environment.
- A natural problem-solver who takes initiative and drives results, you don't wait to be asked.
- Strong people leadership skills, you inspire confidence, set clear direction, and hold the team accountable.
- Excellent communication skills; ability to translate complex technical issues into plain language for clients.
- Data-driven mindset, you know which metrics matter and use them to guide decisions.
- Located in or near Austin, San Antonio, Dallas TX (required.)
- Familiarity with ITIL or IT service management best practices is a plus.
Work Environment
Whitehat is a remote-first company, we've built our culture, tools, and processes around working remotely, and we do it well. This role is 95% remote, giving you the flexibility to do your best work from home. You'll occasionally visit our headquarters in Austin, TX, and may travel to an industry conference or event from time to time. We trust our people to get the job done — wherever they are.
