Head of service desk

Band 7 · Service desk analyst · 491 job evaluation points

UK GDaD PCF level: Head of service desk

Most often performed at Civil Service grade SEO or G7.

A head of service desk is responsible for managing a team who provides first- and second-line technical support.
At this role level, you will:
ensure support of existing and emerging information and communications technology (ICT) services, and provide technical advice to project teams
ensure that the support team undertakes development so that they can advise on future projects and current issues
manage and monitor service desk service level agreements (SLAs) and performance

Contains public sector information from the UK Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (https://understand-digital-data-roles-skills.service.gov.uk/), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.

Responsibilities

Set the direction for the service desk, including contact channels, self-service, and support for staff working across sites and in the community.
Agree service levels with clinical and corporate services, and report performance to senior leaders.
Make sure the desk can keep working during major incidents, cyber attacks, and system downtime, with clear business continuity procedures.
Advise project teams on how new clinical and corporate systems will be supported before they go live.
Manage the service desk budget, tools, and any outsourced or out-of-hours support contracts.
Lead and develop service desk managers, and build a supportive culture for staff working shifts.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Asset and configuration managementUK GDaD PCF	Awareness (1)	You can: track, log and correct information to protect assets and components
Continual service improvementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: analyse current processes, and identify and implement opportunities to optimise them lead and develop a team of experts to deliver service improvements help to evaluate and establish requirements for the implementation of changes by setting policy and standards
Customer service managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: translate lessons learnt into continual service improvement oversee the full range of customer service functions, including reviewing customer service satisfaction investigate which processes can be automated and the ways to automate them
IT service reportingUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: use prediction methodologies to produce and maintain a holistic view of important trends across multiple processes.
Ownership and initiativeUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: take accountability for issues that occur and be proactive in searching for potential problems achieve excellent user outcomes
Problem managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: ensure that the right actions are taken to investigate, resolve and anticipate problems co-ordinate the team to investigate problems, implement solutions and take preventive measures
Service focusUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: see the bigger picture by taking groups of services and investigating how to get the best of underlying services
Service management framework knowledgeUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: show you have a Level 3 service management framework qualification demonstrate knowledge of the life cycle or capability elements of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
Technical understandingUK GDaD PCF	Working (2)	You can: understand the core technical concepts related to the role, and apply them with guidance
User focusUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: give direction on which tools or methods to use demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: analyse how a service fits into care pathways across organisations work with clinicians, care staff, and patients to shape digital services explain the effect of digital decisions on care, safety, and staff workload
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead data protection impact assessments and information sharing agreements advise teams on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention investigate incidents and recommend improvements
Identity and access managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design and run identity and access services review access regularly and fix problems
Security operationsThis reference	Working (2)	You can: monitor alerts and triage them using runbooks gather evidence and escalate events tune simple detection rules under guidance
Clinical risk managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: take part in hazard workshops and contribute to a hazard log follow the clinical risk management process for your work provide evidence for a clinical safety case, such as test results
People managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: line manage a team, setting objectives and running appraisals support wellbeing and manage attendance, performance, and conduct plan the team's development and succession
Budget managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: track spending against a small budget and raise variances authorise spending within your limit

Typical qualifications and experience

Extensive experience of managing IT support services, including 24-hour services.
An advanced IT service management qualification, or equivalent experience.

Band 7 outline

Knowledge: Highly developed specialist knowledge, typically to master's level or equivalent experience.
Autonomy: Works to organisational policy; decides how results are achieved; is the expert others consult.
Scope: Several products or services, or a specialist function.
Leadership: Leads a team or a professional practice area.
Accountability: Delivery of a service or specialist function, and its budget if held.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	6	Specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (postgraduate diploma level or equivalent).	156
Analytical and judgemental skills	4	Judgements on complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	42
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	3	Developed skills needing speed or accuracy, such as advanced keyboard use.	27
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	3	Implements policies for own area and proposes changes that affect other areas.	21
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	4	Line manages a function or department, designs training programmes as a main duty, or delivers a full range of HR services.	32
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	4	Results are defined, but the job holder decides how to achieve them, within broad policy.	32
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 7: 466 to 539)			491