Sr. Manager, IT Service Desk

Overview

As Sr Manager of Service Desk at Blackhawk Network you will be responsible for half our global service desk operations, maturing it into a metrics-driven organization that delivers high-quality customer service by creating a foundation of automated ticket solutions and leveraging A.I. solutions. Our Service Desk team of approximately 25 people handles 4,000+ monthly tickets globally; you ll focus on our US and El Salvador operations, establishing comprehensive performance metrics, partnering with technical teams for automated solutions, and creating exceptional customer experiences.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manager passionate about creating exceptional outcomes through repeatable, scalable processes. You genuinely care about customer satisfaction and view every interaction as an opportunity to build loyalty and trust. Driven by operational excellence, you identify optimization opportunities everywhere and have the leadership skills to transform those insights into measurable business improvements that benefit both customers and the organization.

Position is located in Pleasanton, CA. Must be able to come into the office 2x a week. We are open to remote work; however, candidates must work standard hours within the CST, MST or PST time zones.

• Management & Service Desk Operations
• Transform service desk teams across US operations and El Salvador call center into high-performing, customer-focused groups
• Establish clear accountability standards and performance expectations while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and customer service excellence
• Develop and nurture a geographic team lead program to organize and optimize work distribution, providing mentorship and career development guidance
• Oversee multi-location operations including US-based in-person support, workstation management, and El Salvador call center serving all company users
• Establish comprehensive metrics framework including customer satisfaction targets (4+ out of 5 rating), first-call resolution rates, response times, and quality assurance measures that drive continuous improvement with zero orphaned tickets or calls
• Facilitate PCI compliance requests and work directly with auditors and compliance teams
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including ETI, HR, Legal, Compliance, and other departments on technology initiatives
• Present regular updates on transformation progress and service metrics to leadership
• Participate in the work of the Service Desk wherever necessary to facilitate the team mission
• Other Assigned Duties

• Partner with Cloud Services team to identify and implement AI and automation solutions for common service desk requests, targeting 5% automation rate within first 90 days
• Collaborate with technical teams to deploy intelligent chatbots, automated ticket routing, self-service portals, and AI-powered resolution tools for routine requests
• Serve as subject matter expert on customer experience requirements, ensuring automated solutions maintain high service quality while freeing agents for complex, high-value interactions
• Establish data-driven processes using Service Now that provide comprehensive metrics, trending analysis, and continuous improvement insights
• Create systematic documentation and knowledge management processes that support both human agents and AI automation tools
• Work with cross-functional teams to translate operational excellence goals into technical automation requirements

• Bachelor s degree in Information Technology , Computer Science, or related field; or equivalent experience
• 10+ years leading service desk or technical support operations with proven track record of transforming teams
• 3+ years configuring and implementing automation solutions (chatbots, automated workflows, self-service portals) in enterprise environments
• Experience managing international teams across multiple time zones and cultures preferred
• Demonstrated success establishing KPIs and driving accountability in metrics-driven management environments

• A.I. & Automation:
  Strong working knowledge of low-code automation platforms such as Atlassian, Workato , Okta Workflows; experience creating and implementing ticket deflection programs
• Service Now:
  Strong working knowledge of incidents, request, change, and asset management modules, or equivalent ITSM platform expertise with ability to implement systematic workflows. Atlassian JSM a plus
• Enterprise IT Tools:
  Familiarity with Active Directory (user account, group, and policy management), SCCM (software deployment, patch management, endpoint compliance), Intune, Microsoft 365, JAMF (Apple device management and administration), Zoom, Okta, Okta Workflows, and Workato
• Operating Systems:
  Advanced knowledge of Windows 11 and MacOS configuration, troubleshooting, and support
• Documentation & Knowledge Management:
  Experience with documentation systems and knowledge management platforms
• ITIL & Service…