Service Desk Delivery Lead - Client Engagements

Role Summary The Service Desk Delivery Lead is accountable for end-to-end delivery of Service Desk operations across one or more client engagements, ensuring contractual SLAs, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence. This VP-level role owns the P&L, governance, and strategic relationship for assigned accounts, acting as the primary escalation point between the client and internal delivery teams. Key Responsibilities Delivery & Operations - Own end-to-end Service Desk delivery (L1/L2 support) across assigned client accounts, ensuring SLA/KPI adherence (response time, resolution time, CSAT, FCR, abandonment rate) - Drive operational reviews (daily/weekly/monthly) to track performance, capacity, and quality metrics - Lead incident, problem, and major incident management processes in line with ITIL best practices - Ensure staffing, shift planning, and resource utilization align with contracted volumes and seasonality Client & Stakeholder Management - Serve as the primary point of contact for client stakeholders on delivery matters; build trusted, long-term relationships - Lead governance calls, QBRs, and steering committee meetings, presenting performance, risks, and improvement plans - Manage escalations, ensuring timely resolution and root-cause communication to clients - Identify and pursue account growth opportunities (upsell/cross-sell) in partnership with sales/account management P&L and Commercial Ownership - Own the delivery P&L for assigned engagements, managing costs, margins, and productivity targets - Support contract renewals, pricing discussions, and commercial negotiations - Track and report utilization, attrition, and cost-to-serve metrics Process Improvement & Transformation - Drive continuous improvement initiatives (automation, self-service, knowledge management, AI/chatbot deployment) to improve efficiency and reduce cost-to-serve - Champion adoption of ITSM tools (ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira Service Management, etc.) and reporting/analytics platforms - Benchmark performance against industry standards and lead maturity assessments Team Leadership - Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-layered team (Team Leads, Shift Managers, Analysts) across geographies - Build succession plans and drive engagement, retention, and capability-building initiatives - Foster a culture of accountability, customer-centricity, and continuous learning Risk, Compliance & Governance - Ensure adherence to information security, data privacy, and client-specific compliance requirements - Support audits (internal/external) and ensure timely closure of findings Required Qualifications & Experience - 15+ years in IT service desk / infrastructure support delivery, with 5+ years in a leadership/P&L-owning role - Proven experience managing large, multi-shift service desk operations (500+ FTEs preferred) for global clients - Strong background in ITIL processes (Incident, Problem, Change, Major Incident Management); ITIL certification preferred - Demonstrated experience in client relationship management at senior stakeholder level (CIO/IT Director) - Experience driving automation/AI-led transformation in service desk operations - Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent management qualification preferred Skills & Competencies - Strong executive presence and stakeholder management skills - Data-driven decision making; comfort with dashboards, SLA reporting, and analytics - Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills - Ability to manage ambiguity and multiple concurrent client engagements - Strong commercial acumen and P&L management experience Key Metrics of Success - SLA/KPI compliance across engagements - Client CSAT/NPS scores - Delivery margin and cost-to-serve improvement - Employee engagement and attrition rates - Successful contract renewals and account growth