Senior Global IT Service Desk Manager

The Senior Global IT Service Desk Manager is responsible for leading and optimizing a 24/7 global IT service desk operation across multiple regions and time zones. This role drives service excellence, ensures SLA adherence, and champions continuous improvement initiatives to deliver an outstanding end-user experience for a global workforce. The ideal candidate brings deep ITSM process expertise, hands-on experience applying AI to service desk operations, strong people leadership, and a data-driven mindset.   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Service Delivery & Operations • Own end-to-end global service desk operations across all regions (Americas, EMEA, APAC), ensuring consistent, high-quality support delivery • Define, monitor, and enforce SLAs, OLAs, and KPIs (e.g., CSAT, FCR, MTTR, ticket deflection rates) • Oversee incident, problem, and request management processes aligned with industry best practices • Drive ticket queue management, workload balancing, and escalation protocols across geographies • Partner with IT infrastructure, security, and business application teams to resolve complex, cross-functional issues People & Team Leadership • Lead, mentor, and develop a geographically distributed team of service desk engineers and contractors • Establish team goals, conduct performance reviews, and build career development plans • Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and customer-first culture across all regional teams Continuous Improvement & AI-Driven Innovation • Lead the adoption and maturation of AI-powered tools across the service desk — including virtual agents, AI-assisted triage, automated ticket routing, and generative AI for knowledge creation and agent assistance • Use AI-driven analytics and pattern recognition to identify ticket trends, predict demand, and proactively resolve recurring issues before they impact users • Champion self-service adoption through intelligent service portals and conversational AI, driving measurable improvements in ticket deflection • Implement and grow the global knowledge management program, leveraging AI to keep content accurate, discoverable, and continuously improving • Define and execute a multi-year roadmap for global service desk maturity, with AI integration as a core pillar Vendor & Stakeholder Management • Manage relationships with third-party hardware and software vendors and reseller partners • Partner with senior IT leadership, cybersecurity team, and business stakeholders to align service desk priorities with organizational goals Governance & Compliance • Ensure service desk processes and documentation comply with information security policies and regulatory requirements • Maintain and test business continuity and disaster recovery plans for service desk operations • Conduct regular audits of access provisioning, ticket hygiene, and process adherence   QUALIFICATIONS Required • 8+ years of IT service desk or IT support experience, with at least 4 years in a management or lead role • Demonstrated experience managing global or multi-site service desk teams • Strong working knowledge of core ITSM processes — incident, problem, change, request, and knowledge management — applied in practice • Hands-on experience deploying or managing AI tools in a service desk context, such as virtual agents, AI-assisted triage, automated routing, or generative AI for knowledge and agent support • Proficiency with enterprise ITSM platforms (Jira SM, Remedy, or equivalent) • Experience defining and reporting on service desk KPIs and SLAs • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills • Proven ability to lead through influence across time zones, cultures, and organizational boundaries   Preferred • Experience evaluating and selecting AI/automation tooling for IT support environments • Familiarity with endpoint management platforms (Intune, Jamf) • Background in vendor management and outsourced service desk governance • Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience) Company Statement/Values:   At NETGEAR, we are on a mission to unleash the full potential of connectivity with intelligent solutions that delight and protect. We turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live.   We're a performance-driven, talented and connected team that's committed to delivering world-class products for our customers. As a company, we value our employees as the most essential building blocks of our success. And as teammates, we commit to taking our work to the Next Gear by living our values: we Dare to Transform the future, Connect and Delight our customers, Communicate Courageously with each other and collaborate to Win It Together. You’ll find our values woven through our processes, present in our decisions, and celebrated throughout our culture.  We strive to attract top talent and create a great workplace where people feel engaged, inspired, challenged, proud and respected. If you are creative, forward-thinking, passionate about technology and are looking for a rewarding career to make an impact, then you've got what it takes to succeed at NETGEAR. Join our network and help us shape the future of connectivity.  NETGEAR hires based on merit. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.