Grant Thornton

Global Service Management Lead (Associate Director)

Grant Thornton$152K — $230K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of ITSM / IT Operations experience, with 5+ years in global leadership roles.
  • Proven leadership in enterprise ITSM transformations, especially within ServiceNow ecosystems.
  • Deep expertise in optimizing Incident and Request Management, focusing on automation and reporting.
  • Strong grasp of ITIL (v3/v4) applied within rapidly scaling environments.
  • Experience overseeing multi-region/global service desk operations.
  • Track record of implementing large-scale process and operational improvements.
  • Excellent executive communication skills to translate data into actionable insights.
  • Bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field (or equivalent experience).
  • ITIL certification required; advanced certifications preferred.
  • Familiarity with AI-driven service operations and automation is advantageous.

Responsibilities

  • Define and govern a global ITSM framework aligned with ITIL best practices.
  • Establish enterprise-wide standards and policies for consistency across regions.
  • Own the ITSM maturity roadmap to drive standardization and measurable improvements.
  • Implement SLAs, OLAs, and KPIs to ensure accountability and quality of service.
  • Lead the strategic development of ServiceNow as the global IT service management system.
  • Drive optimization and transformation of Incident and Request Management with automation.
  • Oversee the governance of a multi-region Global Service Desk ensuring 24/7 support coverage.
  • Define and operationalize a follow-the-sun delivery model for seamless service.
  • Enhance reporting and analytics for real-time service performance visibility.
  • Act as the global voice of the customer to align IT services with business needs.

Benefits

  • Leadership development opportunities.
  • Access to a collaborative and innovative work environment.
  • Support for professional certifications and further education.
  • Defined career progression pathways within the organization.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Global Service Management Lead (Associate Director) is accountable for defining and executing a unified, enterprise-wide IT Service Management (ITSM) strategy that enables consistent, scalable, and high-quality service delivery across a rapidly expanding global organization.

This role serves as the central authority for ITSM governance, driving standardization, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across all regions. As the organization scales internationally, this position is critical to aligning global service delivery with business priorities while maintaining a seamless and customer-centric support experience.

The Global Service Management Lead will oversee the strategy, launch, and ongoing optimization of a follow-the-sun Global Service Desk model spanning India, Poland, and Latin America, ensuring consistency in processes, performance, and outcomes.

This leader will also own the strategic evolution of ServiceNow, with a strong emphasis on Incident and Request Management transformation, automation, and data-driven insights, to improve efficiency, transparency, and user experience.

This role reports directly to the Global Head of Support & ITSM.

Key Responsibilities

Global ITSM Strategy & Governance
  • Define and govern a global ITSM framework spanning Incident, Request, Problem, and Knowledge Management aligned to ITIL best practices.
  • Establish enterprise-wide standards, controls, and policies to ensure consistency and scalability across regions.
  • Own ITSM maturity roadmap, driving standardization, adoption, and measurable improvement.
  • Implement and enforce SLAs, OLAs, and KPIs to ensure accountability and service quality.

ServiceNow Platform Leadership
  • Lead the strategic evolution of ServiceNow as the system of record for global IT service management.
  • Drive transformation of Incident and Request Management through workflow optimization, automation, and AI-driven capabilities.
  • Partner with engineering and platform teams to design, test, and scale solutions that improve operational efficiency.
  • Enhance reporting, analytics, and dashboards to provide real-time visibility into service performance and trends.

Global Service Desk Leadership
  • Provide governance and oversight for a multi-region Global Service Desk operating across India, Poland, and LATAM.
  • Define and operationalize a follow-the-sun delivery model, ensuring 24/7 seamless support coverage.
  • Establish a standardized operating model for regional delivery pods aligned to global ITSM frameworks.
  • Drive improvements in first contact resolution, response times, and customer satisfaction (CSAT).
  • Foster strong alignment and collaboration across regional leadership teams.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
  • Champion automation-first and shift-left strategies to reduce volume and improve service efficiency.
  • Leverage data and analytics to identify trends, eliminate recurring issues, and drive proactive problem management.
  • Deliver executive-level reporting and insights on service performance, risks, and improvement initiatives.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance global service consistency and operational efficiency.

Customer Experience & Stakeholder Alignment
  • Act as the global voice of the customer, ensuring IT services evolve with business needs.
  • Partner with business and IT leaders to align service delivery with organizational priorities.
  • Provide strategic recommendations on ITSM processes, tooling, and support models.
  • Ensure seamless cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, InfoSec, HR, and Facilities for end-to-end service delivery.

Leadership & Organizational Development
  • Lead and develop globally distributed ITSM and Service Desk teams, fostering a culture of accountability and service excellence.
  • Provide clear governance, coaching, and performance management aligned to global standards.
  • Balance centralized process ownership with regional execution excellence.
  • Collaborate with senior IT leadership to ensure cohesive global operations strategy.

Qualifications
  • 10+ years of ITSM / IT Operations experience, including 5+ years in global leadership roles.
  • Proven experience leading enterprise ITSM transformations, particularly within ServiceNow ecosystems.
  • Deep expertise in Incident and Request Management optimization, including automation and reporting.
  • Strong understanding of ITIL (v3/v4) and applying it pragmatically in fast-scaling environments.
  • Experience leading or governing multi-region / global service desk operations.
  • Demonstrated success in driving large-scale process and operational improvements.
  • Strong executive communication skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
  • Bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field (or equivalent experience).
  • ITIL certification required; advanced certification preferred.
  • Exposure to AI-driven service operations and automation is a plus.

The base salary range for this position is between $152,000 and $230,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton's discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

About Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton LLP is the American member firm of Grant Thornton International, the seventh largest accounting network in the world by combined fee income. Grant Thornton LLP is the sixth largest U.S. accounting and advisory organization. The firm operates 59 offices across the US with approximately 8,500 employees, 550 partners, and produces annual revenue in excess of US$1.9 billion. During the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, The Times reported that Grant Thornton is in line to earn millions of pounds for acting as trustees in a bankruptcy case on behalf of the Russian state-owned DIA, who bypassed sanction regimes to obtain funds and assets from abroad in order to fund the war in Ukraine.
Learn more about Grant Thornton

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