ISC Service Desk Manager

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Job End Date

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Job Summary
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and recently recognized as North America's most international university. UBC is a diverse environment, with almost every industry vertical represented from healthcare, education, food and beverage, legal, media, real estate, etc. and with more than 70,000 members of the community UBC's service providers need to be able to meet a variety of stakeholder needs with both robust and mature operational capabilities combined with the agility and innovation required to meet the ambitious objectives laid out in its new Strategic Plan: Shaping UBC's Next Century.

The Integrated Service Centre (ISC) maintains, continuously improves and enhances the systems and processes that support operational functions of UBC, including human resources and finance (and student services, in the future). Team members within this unit will work cross-functionally with other departments/units across UBC. The vision for the ISC is to provide integrated services that create an enriched user experience for UBC faculty, staff and students.

The Manager, Service Desk provides leadership for the ISC's frontline and advanced support functions across HR, Finance, Payroll, and Student Operations. This role ensures consistent, high-quality service delivery to the UBC community while advancing service optimization through automation and digital tools. As a people leader, the Manager fosters a culture of service excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement, aligning service delivery with ISC and VPFO strategic priorities.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Service Centre Senior Manager. Manages a team of Support Specialists (Tier-1) and Support Analysts (Tier-2/Cross Functional Product team). Works closely with ISC product teams, Change & Communications, Application Sustainment, and operational partners in Central HR, Finance Operations, Payroll Operations and Enrolment Services to ensure aligned service delivery.
Work Performed
Strategic Leadership & Operational Governance

· Designs and governs the long-term service delivery model for the ISC Service Desk, ensuring integration across HR, Finance, Payroll, and Student operations and alignment with institutional strategic priorities.

· Leads the development of multi-year operational roadmaps, including workforce strategies, capacity models, automation trajectories, and service optimization plans.

· Architects the service desk's end-to-end operating framework, establishing the structures, processes, and standards that define how frontline and Tier-2 support functions operate across the university.

· Evaluates and configures resource allocation models, ensuring the effective use of staff, automation, and digital tools to meet current and emerging institutional needs.

· Creates new governance mechanisms for frontline support, including decision rights, escalation models, quality oversight structures, and long-term sustainment processes.

· Leads the design, implementation, and sustainment of cross-functional support processes that enable unified service delivery across major administrative domains.

· Develops enterprise-level service strategies (e.g., Super User operating model, campus partner integration model, Tier-1 to Tier-2 division of responsibilities).

· Identifies and plans new service capabilities, including emerging support channels, automation-enabled workflows, and proactive service models.

· Establishes the ISC's frontline knowledge governance strategy, including content lifecycle management, quality frameworks, and cross-unit alignment mechanisms.

· Creates and maintains long-term process improvement programs, ensuring the Service Desk evolves with system changes, organizational restructuring, and institutional priorities.

· Directs the strategy for AI, chatbot, and automation adoption within the service desk, ensuring alignment with ISC technology roadmaps and broader university digital priorities.

· Designs and oversees the analytics strategy for service performance, quality assurance, SLA governance, workforce planning, and automation ROI.

· Partners at a strategic level with Product Teams and Application Sustainment to influence design decisions and secure operational readiness for new system changes.

· Develops long-term digital sustainment models to ensure frontline operations remain scalable, efficient, and adaptive as UBC's ERP environment evolves.

· Oversees the implementation of operational changes—including process updates and technology enhancements (e.g., ServiceNow, Cisco, and other platforms)—to support effective and efficient Service Desk operations. Ensures Service Desk teams are prepared to adopt, embed, and sustain these changes.

· Coordinates and facilitates change management activities with downstream Tier 2 teams across the ISC, UBC IT, central administrative units, and faculties to ensure alignment and continuity of service.

· Leads alignment on critical issue triaging and stakeholder messaging across UBC customer support teams and business operations to maintain clarity, consistency, and timely communication during service disruptions or major incidents.

· Evaluates the impact of department, portfolio, and UBC-wide initiatives—including shifts in strategic direction—on Service Desk operations. Develops, updates, and standardizes operating procedures to ensure operational readiness and compliance.

· Designs, refines, and maintains ticket triaging processes and workflows between Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams to enhance service quality, consistency, and resolution efficiency.

· Creates and facilitates engagement mechanisms (e.g., advisory forums, working groups) to gather ongoing feedback and ensure evolving UBC organizational needs are reflected in Service Desk service design and delivery.

· Provides strategic advice to senior leadership regarding service risks, operational impacts, workforce considerations, service level agreements, key performance indicators, and long-term service requirements arising from UBC-wide initiatives and strategic directives.

· Builds and stewards high-impact partnerships with central HR, Finance, Payroll, ES, and faculty/administrative units to ensure frontline support aligns with institutional objectives.

· Develops formalized interaction models between the Service Desk and campus units, including service expectations, accountability structures, and feedback loops.

· Represents the Service Desk in strategic planning discussions, governance councils, and cross-functional committees, ensuring service considerations are integrated into institutional decisions.

· Champions a unified, enterprise-wide service vision, ensuring consistent experience and standards across UBC's administrative ecosystem.

· Strategically shapes the structure, roles, and capabilities of the Service Desk to align with evolving institutional needs and future-state operating models.

· Develops workforce plans, including succession strategies, capability roadmaps, and multi-year training and development programs.

· Leads cultural and capability transformation initiatives, advancing service excellence, continuous improvement, and innovation mindsets across the team.

· Establishes performance management frameworks that align individual performance to long-term organizational goals and institutional service standards.

· Builds sustainable talent pipelines by coaching staff, identifying high-potential individuals, and creating advancement pathways that support succession planning and institutional continuity.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Decisions and recommendations may have University-wide financial, contractual and operational implications. Accountable for promoting and fostering a positive atmosphere and relationship between the University and its stakeholders. Balances Service Centre (ISC) objectives within the context of University wide HR, Finance, and Student strategies. Focusing on partnerships and product delivery will ensure optimal functionality and customer satisfaction in support of ISC s strategic goals.
Supervision Received
Reports to and receives direction from the Service Centre Senior Manager. This position works in close communication and partnership across the ISC and relevant stakeholder groups.
Supervision Given
Manages a team of Tier-1 Support Specialists and Tier-2 Support Analysts. Provides leadership and guidance, to the team to ensure a consistent, high degree of customer satisfaction, technical expertise, and timeliness in delivering service is provided. Is responsible for the hiring and performance evaluation of the Support Specialists and Support Analysts to ensure that assigned responsibilities are performed efficiently and effectively.
Minimum Qualifications
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.

• Minimum seven years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Experience leading customer service or support teams in a complex organization.

• Demonstrated ability to manage service standards, SLAs, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant Disciplines include: Business Administration or Computer Science. Demonstrated experience in managing a team of service representatives within an academic environment.

• Experience in supporting Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is preferred. Experience working with Workday and Service Now is an asset.

• Experience working in a complex, academic environment is preferred. UBC experience is considered an asset. Demonstrated success in leading a high-performance Service Centre team to operational service excellence

• Proven experience overseeing core product support services, including customer service, client user experience, product event management, request management and incident management.

• Demonstrated service excellence orientation.

• Experience in setting high standards of performance and holding team members and relevant stakeholders accountable for results and actions. Track record for driving service result improvements in a similar organizational context.

• Proven knowledge of customer service requirements / expectations in an Enterprise Resource Planning solution context.

• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to apply organizational change management methods and approaches.

• Demonstrated leadership that fosters collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and creativity on teams.

• Proven ability to support employees through the team member lifecycle (i.e., onboarding, performance conversations, career mobility, etc.).

• Demonstrated excellence in communicating and building relationships in complex stakeholder landscapes.

• Demonstrated ability to lead in a collaborative and inclusive manner, fostering equitable experiences and a respectful environment through reflection, empathy, sensitivity, and curiosity towards differences across teams.

• Excellent interpersonal skills including active listening, written and verbal communication, conflict management, and the ability to manage diversity across identities, perspectives, and behaviors.

• Demonstrates abilities as a Project Leader: Implementing and managing small to medium scale projects; supervising teams to create an atmosphere of trust; seeking diverse views to encourage improvement and innovation; and coaching staff including leading process workshops and providing performance reviews

• Demonstrates abilities with identifying and addressing client needs: building, maintaining and utilizing networks of client relationships and community involvement; communicating value propositions; managing resource requirements; project workflow; budgets

• Effective leadership, consulting, facilitation, conflict resolution and negotiation and team-building skills are required as well as the ability to coach and mentor staff; the ability to build relationships and to consult with customers and stakeholders; and the ability to interact at all organizational levels

• Experience working with Workday is an asset.

• Lean/6sigma or other process management certification or designation preferred

• Change Management experience and designation preferred

• Project Management experience and designation preferred

• Experience working in a complex, academic environment is preferred.

• UBC experience is considered an asset