IT Help Desk ManagerLocation: Richmond, VADepartment: Information Technology OVERVIEW:The IT Help Desk Manager is responsible for leading all end-user support operations at Davenport & Company, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality, responsive, and secure IT services. This role oversees Help Desk personnel, manages service performance, and drives continuous improvement of support processes to enhance the overall customer experience for both employees and clients.
The Manager serves as both a technical leader and operational owner of Help Desk services, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and IT best practices.
RESPONSIBILITIES:Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
Leadership & Team Management- Lead and manage Help Desk Technicians and interns, providing direction, coaching, and performance management
- Conduct hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing professional development of staff
- Establish staffing plans to ensure appropriate coverage for 7am-7pm daily service hours and on-call rotation
- Foster a customer-first culture focused on responsiveness, professionalism, and service excellence
Service Delivery & Operations- Own and manage Help Desk service delivery, including SLAs, KPIs, and overall service quality
- Monitor and report on service performance metrics (e.g., response time, resolution time, backlog, customer satisfaction)
- Develop and lead service improvement initiatives based on data and user feedback
- Ensure consistent execution of ticket handling processes, prioritization, and escalation procedures
Incident & Problem Management- Lead the response to major incidents, including communication, coordination, and resolution
- Conduct root cause analysis on recurring issues and implement preventive measures
- Partner with Infrastructure, Security, and Development teams to resolve systemic issues
Tools, Process & Knowledge Management- Administer and optimize the Help Desk ticketing/workflow system
- Define and enforce standards for ticket documentation, categorization, and lifecycle management
- Develop and maintain knowledge base content and self-service resources to improve efficiency
Customer Experience- Promote a high level of customer satisfaction through effective communication and support delivery
- Establish feedback mechanisms (e.g., surveys) to measure user satisfaction and identify improvement opportunities
- Build strong relationships with business units to understand and support operational needs
Security & Compliance- Ensure Help Desk operations align with company security policies and regulatory requirements
- Support endpoint security practices, including patching, encryption, and access controls
- Coordinate with Information Security on incident response, compliance audits, and risk mitigation efforts
- Oversee adherence to asset management and secure device disposal procedures
Asset & Vendor Management- Oversee procurement and lifecycle management of end-user hardware and related assets
- Coordinate support activities with third-party vendors and service providers
- Contribute to budgeting and planning for Help Desk-related tools, systems, and equipment
Collaboration & Communication- Act as the primary liaison between the Help Desk and other IT teams
- Provide regular updates and reporting to the CTO and senior leadership
- Lead service review meetings and communicate trends, risks, and improvement plans
REQUIREMENTS:- Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience
- Minimum 3 years of direct managerial or supervisory experience
- Minimum 5 years of Help Desk or end-user support experience in a professional environment
- Strong technical proficiency with Windows-based endpoints and common enterprise applications
- Demonstrated experience managing service delivery, metrics, and operational performance
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on customer service
- Experience working within structured ticketing/workflow systems
- Ability to coordinate multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Professional demeanor
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:- ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent experience with IT service management frameworks
- Experience in financial services or other regulated industries
- Familiarity with endpoint management tools and asset management systems
- Exposure to networking concepts, VPN technologies, and Cisco-based systems
- Experience managing distributed or multi-location support environments
SALARY & BENEFITS:We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefit program, including safe harbor 401(k) contribution, profit sharing plan, disability and life insurance, high-deductible health plan with an HSA, an on-site Health Center, Paid Time Off and elective dental benefits. We offer wellness programs and support a friendly and collegial culture, with company sponsored volunteer opportunities during business hours.
