IT Service Readiness Manager (Service Desk Operations)

Job Title: IT Service Readiness Manager (Service Desk Operations) Location: Atlanta, GA (Hybrid) Role Summary The IT Service Readiness Manager is responsible for the seamless migration of new and changed services into the live operational environment. You will coordinate with L1 and L2 Service Desk teams, ensuring they are technically prepared and operationally ready to support our global user base. This role requires a high-level blend of Project Management rigor, ITIL process expertise, and hands-on experience with ServiceNow (SNOW) and Office 365 ecosystems. Key Responsibilities • Service Readiness & Project Integration • Operational Readiness: Act as the primary gatekeeper for new service launches, ensuring all support requirements (training, documentation, and tools) are met before "Go-Live." • Knowledge Management: Lead the Readiness of complex technical knowledge from Project Teams into actionable Knowledge Base (KB) articles for L1/L2 analysts. • Early Life Support (ELS): Oversee the "Hyper-care" phase after implementation, connecting technical product managers, L1/L2 analysts to stabilize the support • Service Desk Operations (L1/L2) • Performance Governance: Manage the daily output of L1 (Service Desk) and L2 (Desktop/App Support) teams to ensure strict adherence to SLA (Service Level Agreements) during Early Life support. • SNOW Optimization: Utilize ServiceNow for advanced reporting, trend analysis, and workflow automation to drive "Shift-Left" initiatives. • Strategy & Continuous Improvement • SLA/OLA Management: Review and renegotiate Service Level Agreements and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) to align with evolving business needs. • Process Excellence: Design and implement ITIL-aligned processes for Incident, Request, and Change Management. • Data Visualization: Skilled in creating impactful visualizations—such as charts, graphs, tables, and dashboards—that transform complex data sets into easily understandable formats. Proficient in utilizing tools like the MS Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Visio). • Meeting Facilitation: Ability to run effective meetings through creating concise agendas, establishing meeting purpose, facilitating conversation through questions and exhibiting good listening skills. Knowing how to read the room. • Team Leadership Lead and mentor Service Onboarding (Project Management team Members), provide guidance and support to ensure team members are productive and motivated. Delegate tasks, resolve conflicts, and foster a collaborative environment. Keep tasks and documents in order to ensure smooth project execution. Motivate and guide Service Onboarding team to achieve project goals Technical & Professional Requirements Requirement Description Experience 10+ years in IT Support, with at least 3 years in a Managerial or Readiness-specific role. ITSM Tools Proficiency in ServiceNow (SNOW), including dashboard creation Ecosystems Deep knowledge of Office 365 (O365) and Windows 10/11 environments. Frameworks ITIL Certification is mandatory. PMP or PRINCE2 certification is preferred. SLAs Proven track record of managing vendors and internal teams against strict performance KPIs. Preferred Attributes • Stakeholder Management: Ability to influence Project Managers and Senior Leadership to ensure supportability isn't sacrificed for speed. • Agility: Comfortable leading teams through high-pressure "crunch" periods during enterprise-wide hardware or software refreshes. • Analytical Mindset: You don't just see tickets; you see patterns and proactively seek to automate recurring issues.