Service Desk Manager

Job Title

Service Desk Manager

Agency

Tarleton State University

Department

Client Services

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Stephenville, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Tarleton State University, a distinguished Doctoral National Comprehensive University, invites applications for the position of Service Desk Manager in Information Technology - Client Services . As part of a vibrant academic community dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service, this role offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to a university that values innovation, collaboration, and inclusive growth. Join us in advancing knowledge and transforming lives—on campus and beyond. Tarleton State University continues to grow its impact across Texas, with four distinct campuses located in Stephenville, Fort Worth, RELLIS-Bryan and Waco , along with a robust online community that extends our reach even further.

At the heart of it all is Stephenville , where Tarleton State offers a dynamic environment for faculty and staff. From a lively live music scene and numerous local festivals to rich traditions rooted in the surrounding community, Stephenville provides a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

No matter where you're located—on campus or online—you are part of a mission that transforms lives and makes a difference across the state of Texas and beyond.

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Important Immigration Information:

A Presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Please be advised that Tarleton State University will NOT pay this fee. Therefore, if you need immigration sponsorship for your employment, we recommend that you consult with your private immigration counsel at your own expense to ascertain whether your current immigration status would make a potential offer of employment from Tarleton State University subject to this fee.

In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbot issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if you will now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status this moratorium may affect our ability to employ you should you be selected as the final candidate.

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The Service Desk Manager, under the direction of the Director of Client Services, is responsible for leading and managing the IT Service Desk team, which serves as the university’s first point of contact for IT support. This role oversees Tier 1 service delivery through phone, walk-in, and online channels while ensuring a high-quality support experience for the university community. The Manager also manages the university’s relationship with a third-party call center vendor, monitoring service-level agreement (SLA) compliance and ensuring alignment with university support standards.

The Service Desk Manager provides operational leadership for the university’s central IT support desk. This includes oversight of daily service desk functions, staff supervision, performance measurement, user experience improvement, and ITSM system utilization. The position plays a key role in ensuring timely and effective resolution of support requests and manages the performance of both internal teams and outsourced call center services. The Manager supports responsible use of university-approved artificial intelligence (AI) tools and automation to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.

The position is in-office and located on the Tarleton State University main campus in Stephenville, Texas. Work hours are Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work requirements indicate. Serves as a Campus Security Authority (CSA).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Service Desk Operations & Leadership

• •Oversees daily operations of the IT Service Desk, ensuring timely and effective resolution of support requests.
• •Recruits, hires, supervises, and develops service desk staff, including full-time employees and student workers. Enforces ethical, regulatory, and performance standards. Oversees and manages personnel issues.
• •Facilitates the analysis of project needs, risks, and recommended solutions.
• •Prioritizes, schedules, and directs activities of a project team.
• •Directs the development of project or task plans, resource estimates, and schedules.
• •Coordinates activities with the management of other organizational units and vendors.
• •Directs the preparation of project documentation and reports for clients and management.
• •Oversees and coordinates the evaluation, selection, and purchase of computing resources and consulting services.
• •Monitors and analyzes key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess service effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• •Develops and maintains service-level agreements (SLAs) and ensures compliance with response and resolution time targets.
• •Maintains knowledge base documentation and self-service resources for end users, using approved AI-assisted tools where appropriate and reviewing generated content for accuracy.

Vendor Management & Call Center Outsourcing

• •Serves as the primary liaison between the university and the outsourced call center vendor.
• •Monitors vendor performance against contractual SLAs and key performance metrics.
• •Develops project or area budgets and assists with budget development as needed. Tracks expenditures and revenues.
• •Ensures a seamless integration between the vendor’s operations and the university’s internal IT support structure.
• •Provides feedback to the vendor and recommends process improvements to enhance service quality.
• •Facilitates regular review meetings with the vendor to address challenges, track performance, and align on service expectations.

User Experience & Support Excellence

• •Fosters a culture of customer service excellence, ensuring a positive and productive user experience.
• •Acts as an escalation point for complex or high-priority support issues.
• •Gathers feedback from faculty, staff, and students to refine support processes.
• •Promotes the use of self-service tools and knowledge bases to improve efficiency.

Technology & Process Improvement

• •Identifies opportunities to streamline workflows and enhance service desk efficiency.
• •Uses university-approved AI tools, where appropriate, to identify recurring support issues, analyze service trends, and recommend improvements to service desk workflows and processes. Reviews AI-generated findings for accuracy and protects sensitive information in accordance with university requirements.
• •Ensures integration of the service desk with other IT support functions (Tier 2 and Tier 3).
• •Leverages IT Service Management (ITSM) tools (e.g., TeamDynamix) to improve ticket tracking, reporting, and automation. Uses approved AI-assisted capabilities, where appropriate, to support ticket classification, routing, summarization, and analysis of service trends, with staff review of outputs.
• •Ensures AI-assisted support activities comply with university information security, data privacy, and technology governance requirements.
• •Oversees, designs, and controls the processes for supporting the delivery of IT services. Monitors and analyzes operations metrics. Implements continuous improvement methodologies to include corrective actions.
• •Performs limited advanced technical duties in support of large or multiple project teams’ projects and operations. Serves as a technical resource for other staff members.
• •Stays current with IT support trends and recommends improvements aligned with industry standards.

Training & Staff Development

• •Trains and mentors service desk staff to ensure high-quality support and professional growth.
• •Develops onboarding and training programs for new hires and student workers. Provides guidance on responsible use of approved