Helpdesk Operative

Job Title

Helpdesk Operative

Business Support Manager

The Armada Helpdesk Operative is the first point of contact for all reactive maintenance requests on the Armada PFI contract at HMNB Devonport, playing a critical role in day‑to‑day service delivery. The role is responsible for accurately logging, prioritising, and managing work orders in the Maximo CAFM system, supporting planned maintenance, statutory compliance, and KPI reporting. Working closely with M&E engineers, grounds teams, projects and internal delivery, the Helpdesk Operative ensures clear communication, high data quality and timely progression of works, while delivering a professional, customer‑focused service in a secure and highly regulated defence environment.

• Act as the first point of contact for all reactive maintenance requests, logging calls and emails accurately.
• Create, prioritise, and manage work orders in the Maximo CAFM system in line with contractual SLAs.
• Dispatch and coordinate jobs with M&E engineers, grounds teams, fabric technicians, projects and internal delivery teams.
• Monitor job progress, chase updates, and elevate overdue or high‑risk issues.
• Support planned preventative maintenance (PPM) scheduling and closure with correct evidence.
• Maintain high data quality to support KPI reporting, audits and statutory compliance.
• Provide clear customer communication, keeping users informed of status and resolution times.
• Produce and support daily, weekly and monthly performance and compliance reports.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation for compliance and governance.
• Uphold health, safety and security requirements within a regulated defence environment.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of helpdesk processes and customer service.
• General administrative tasks as directed by the Business Support Manager.

• Helpdesk / CAFM Expertise:
  Demonstrable experience in a facilities management helpdesk or service desk role, including using a CAFM system (ideally Maximo, or similar such as Concept, CAFM Explorer, Planon) to log and manage maintenance requests.
• Customer Service:
  Excellent customer service skills with experience handling high call and email volumes in a professional, responsive manner. Able to remain calm and effective under pressure, especially when dealing with urgent or high‑priority incidents.
• Organisational
  
  Skills:
  
  Strong organisational and multitasking abilities. Able to prioritise a dynamic workload, manage multiple open tasks and meet deadlines. Capable of live‑monitoring ongoing jobs and juggling reactive calls while ensuring planned activities stay on track.
• Attention to Detail:
  Meticulous accuracy in data entry and record‑keeping. Experience maintaining data quality in databases or systems, with the ability to spot and correct errors. Awareness of the importance of accurate data for compliance and performance reporting.
• Communication:
  Clear and confident communicator, both verbally (telephone/radio) and in writing (email, system notes). Able to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders — from engineers on the ground to client representatives and site customers — adapting style to the audience.
• Teamwork:
  Experience working in a team‑oriented, service delivery environment. Willingness to collaborate with a diverse site team (technical staff, managers, client) and contribute to a supportive, one‑team culture.
• Problem‑Solving:
  Proactive mindset in identifying potential issues (e.g. job delays, repeated problems, system glitches) and escalating or following through to ensure resolution.
• Must either hold or be eligible to obtain UK Security Check (SC) clearance.

• Previous experience in a hard FM or estates/facilities helpdesk environment, particularly on a large single‑site contract or PFI.
• Familiarity with the IBM Maximo CAFM system (or formal Maximo end‑user training certification) and understanding of SLA/KPI regimes in maintenance contracts.
• Knowledge of basic technical facilities terminology (e.g. understanding the difference between electrical, mechanical and building fabric issues; priority levels; health and…