ESP Global Services
Head of Service Desks - Reading, UK
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Head of Service Desks - Reading, UK
Head of Global Service Desks
Reading, UK (HQ)
£70,000–£75,000 per annum
About the Role
Lead the Transformation of a Truly Global Service Desk Operation
ESP Global Services is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Global Service Desks to lead and evolve our worldwide service desk capability from our Reading headquarters.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, this is a leading position responsible for driving operational excellence, customer experience, service innovation, and technology transformation across our global support organisation.
You will lead a globally distributed operation delivering 24/7 support to customers in more than 100 countries, through our five service desk centres located in:
- India
- Trinidad
- Romania
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
Our Service Desks combine dedicated and leveraged teams to deliver exceptional IT support and consistently high customer satisfaction.
The Opportunity
This strategic and influential role combines operational leadership with strategic transformation.
Alongside leading an established global operation, you will identify and implement the evolution of technologies that enhance:
- Customer experience
- Analyst productivity
- Operational efficiency
This could involve introducing new contact centre capabilities, modernising service management platforms, and optimising automation to shape the future of our Service Desk.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership
- Define and communicate the vision for ESP's global Service Desk capability.
- Lead, coach, and develop Service Desk managers and operational leaders.
- Contribute to company strategy as a member of the Senior Leadership Forum.
- Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
Operational Excellence
- Lead the day-to-day delivery of a global 24/7 Service Desk operation.
- Ensure consistent achievement of SLA, KPI, and customer satisfaction targets.
- Drive service quality, governance, and operational performance across all regions.
- Ensure compliance with ITIL, ISO, and Information Security standards.
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Technology & Service Transformation
- Lead the evolution of Service Desk technology and customer engagement platforms.
- Identify opportunities to improve:
- Customer journeys
- Analyst experience
- Operational efficiency, through technology.
- Deliver or support implementation of:
- Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS)
- ITSM platforms (e.g., Genesys Cloud or equivalent enterprise solutions)
- Automation solutions.
- Work closely with Technology, Architecture, and Operational teams to implement scalable improvements.
- Champion innovation through:
- AI
- Self-service capabilities
- Workflow automation
- Advanced reporting.
Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build trusted relationships with:
- Enterprise customers
- Senior stakeholders.
- Lead service reviews and customer engagement activities.
- Partner with Sales and Marketing to showcase Service Desk capabilities.
- Represent the organisation during:
- Customer presentations
- Bids
- Service transition activities.
Commercial Leadership
- Support solution design and operational planning for new opportunities.
- Contribute operational expertise during bids and customer proposals.
- Balance service quality with commercial performance and operational efficiency.
Performance & Financial Management
- Manage Service Desk operational budgets (staffing, licensing, platform costs).
- Monitor performance trends and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Present operational performance and strategic initiatives to Executive Leadership.
Requirements
What We’re Looking For
We recognise exceptional leaders come from diverse backgrounds. If you have a strong blend of Service Desk leadership and technology transformation experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Essential
- Significant experience leading enterprise IT Service Desk or Service Operations teams.
- Proven ability to manage multi-site or geographically distributed support functions.
- Experience delivering service improvement and operational transformation initiatives.
- Technical expertise in implementing and optimising:
- Contact Centre technologies (Genesys Cloud, NICE CXone, Five9, Amazon Connect, etc.)
- Strong grasp of IT Service Management and ITIL best practices.
- Experience with enterprise ITSM platforms (ServiceNow or equivalent).
- Strong stakeholder management and customer engagement skills.
- Commercial awareness with experience supporting business growth.
- Strong leadership, communication, and coaching capabilities.
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Desirable
- ITIL certification (Foundation or higher).
- Experience introducing AI, automation, or digital self-service.
- Background in Managed Services or Global Service Provider environments.
- 24/7 globally distributed operations experience.
Why Join ESP?
- Lead one of the industry’s truly global Service Desk operations.
- Influence business strategy alongside Executive Leadership.
- Drive meaningful transformation across people, process, and platforms.
- Shape the future of customer support through technology and innovation.
- Join a growing organisation with ambitious plans for global expansion.
About ESP Global Services
ESP Global Services delivers exceptional IT and business support solutions to customers across more than 100 countries.
With strategically located Service Desk centres in:
- India
- Trinidad
- Romania
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
We provide seamless 24/7 support via dedicated and leveraged models.
Our Service Desks thrive on:
- Industry-leading technology
- ITIL best practices
- Highly skilled professionals, delivering:
- Exceptional customer experiences
- Rapid issue resolution
- Continual service improvement. At ESP, we believe great service is driven by great people supported by outstanding technology. As our Head of Global Service Desks, you’ll shape both.
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