Program Manager

Role Summary
The Service Desk Delivery Lead is accountable for end-to-end delivery of Service Desk operations across one or more client engagements, ensuring contractual SLAs, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence. This VP-level role owns the P&L, governance, and strategic relationship for assigned accounts, acting as the primary escalation point between the client and internal delivery teams.
Key Responsibilities
Delivery & Operations
- Own end-to-end Service Desk delivery (L1/L2 support) across assigned client accounts, ensuring SLA/KPI adherence (response time, resolution time, CSAT, FCR, abandonment rate)
- Drive operational reviews (daily/weekly/monthly) to track performance, capacity, and quality metrics
- Lead incident, problem, and major incident management processes in line with ITIL best practices
- Ensure staffing, shift planning, and resource utilization align with contracted volumes and seasonality
Client & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact for client stakeholders on delivery matters; build trusted, long-term relationships
- Lead governance calls, QBRs, and steering committee meetings, presenting performance, risks, and improvement plans
- Manage escalations, ensuring timely resolution and root-cause communication to clients
- Identify and pursue account growth opportunities (upsell/cross-sell) in partnership with sales/account management
P&L and Commercial Ownership
- Own the delivery P&L for assigned engagements, managing costs, margins, and productivity targets
- Support contract renewals, pricing discussions, and commercial negotiations
- Track and report utilization, attrition, and cost-to-serve metrics
Process Improvement & Transformation
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives (automation, self-service, knowledge management, AI/chatbot deployment) to improve efficiency and reduce cost-to-serve
- Champion adoption of ITSM tools (ServiceNow, Remedy, Jira Service Management, etc.) and reporting/analytics platforms
- Benchmark performance against industry standards and lead maturity assessments
Team Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-layered team (Team Leads, Shift Managers, Analysts) across geographies
- Build succession plans and drive engagement, retention, and capability-building initiatives
- Foster a culture of accountability, customer-centricity, and continuous learning
Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Ensure adherence to information security, data privacy, and client-specific compliance requirements
- Support audits (internal/external) and ensure timely closure of findings
Required Qualifications & Experience
- 15+ years in IT service desk / infrastructure support delivery, with 5+ years in a leadership/P&L-owning role
- Proven experience managing large, multi-shift service desk operations (500+ FTEs preferred) for global clients
- Strong background in ITIL processes (Incident, Problem, Change, Major Incident Management); ITIL certification preferred
- Demonstrated experience in client relationship management at senior stakeholder level (CIO/IT Director)
- Experience driving automation/AI-led transformation in service desk operations
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent management qualification preferred
Skills & Competencies
- Strong executive presence and stakeholder management skills
- Data-driven decision making; comfort with dashboards, SLA reporting, and analytics
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills
- Ability to manage ambiguity and multiple concurrent client engagements
- Strong commercial acumen and P&L management experience