Position Description
The Director of Client Services & Telecommunications provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Manhattan University's end-user technology services, ensuring the delivery of responsive, high-quality support to faculty, staff, and students. This position is responsible for leading the University's client services function, including the Help Desk, desktop support operations, student technology support program, telecommunications services, and end-user training initiatives.
The Director supervises the Help Desk Manager, IT Operations Specialist, and IT Support Specialist – Operations while maintaining an active role in daily service delivery. This position participates in Help Desk operations by responding to support requests, providing onsite technical assistance, and serving as an escalation point for complex issues. The Director is responsible for ensuring the University's IT Service Management (ITSM) platform operates efficiently, service level agreements (SLAs) are consistently achieved, and customer satisfaction remains a primary focus of the department.
Additionally, the Director oversees the University's telecommunications environment, including current and future voice communication technologies, and develops technology training programs that promote effective use of University-supported systems and services.
Job Responsibilities
Leadership & Client Services:
- Provide strategic leadership for the University's client services and end-user support operations.
- Supervise and mentor the Help Desk Manager, IT Operations Specialist, and IT Support Specialist – Operations.
- Oversee the student-run Help Desk program, including staffing, scheduling, training, mentoring, and performance management.
- Foster a culture of exceptional customer service, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, and operational priorities aligned with the University's strategic objectives.
- Conduct staff evaluations, provide coaching, and support professional development initiatives.
Help Desk & Service Delivery:
- Direct the daily operation of the University's Information Technology Help Desk.
- Ensure support requests are appropriately prioritized, assigned, and resolved in accordance with established Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Monitor Help Desk performance through service metrics, dashboards, and customer satisfaction surveys.
- Develop, implement, and maintain Help Desk policies, procedures, workflows, and service standards.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex technical or customer service issues.
- Participate in Help Desk operations by responding to support tickets, providing onsite technical assistance, and assisting with high-priority or high-volume support requests as needed.
- Conduct regular reviews of ticket trends to identify recurring issues and implement proactive solutions.
- Promote continuous improvement of service delivery processes and customer experience.
IT Service Management:
- Administer and oversee the University's IT Service Management (ITSM) platform and associated support processes.
- Ensure the ticketing system remains fully functional, properly configured, and optimized to support departmental operations.
- Maintain service catalogs, workflows, automations, queues, and reporting dashboards.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including response times, resolution times, SLA compliance, backlog management, and customer satisfaction.
- Produce regular operational reports for ITS leadership highlighting service performance, trends, and recommendations for improvement.
- Collaborate with other ITS teams to streamline service delivery and improve operational efficiency.
Telecommunications:
- Provide leadership and oversight for the University's telecommunications infrastructure and services.
- Administer the campus telephone system, voicemail services, call routing, and related communication technologies.
- Lead planning, implementation, upgrades, migrations, and modernization efforts for current and future telecommunications platforms.
- Coordinate with telecommunications vendors regarding system maintenance, service requests, and technology enhancements.
- Maintain accurate documentation for extensions, departmental call routing, emergency communication configurations, and telecommunications assets.
- Evaluate emerging communication technologies and recommend improvements that enhance reliability, efficiency, and user experience.
End User Support:
- Provide advanced technical support to faculty, staff, and students across a broad range of technologies.
- Troubleshoot hardware, software, mobile device, printing, account, and collaboration platform issues.
- Support classroom and conference room technology as needed.
- Assist with major technology deployments, system upgrades, and campus-wide initiatives.
- Maintain a visible presence across campus to promote responsive and accessible technology support.
Training & User Engagement:
- Develop, coordinate, and deliver technology training programs for faculty, staff, student employees, and campus departments.
- Conduct workshops and instructional sessions covering University-supported technologies, including Microsoft 365, collaboration platforms, cybersecurity awareness, classroom technologies, and other enterprise applications.
- Create and maintain user guides, technical documentation, knowledge base articles, and self-service resources.
- Promote technology adoption through proactive outreach and educational initiatives.
- Collaborate with campus departments to identify training needs and develop customized instructional programs.
Customer Experience & Continuous Improvement:
- Champion a customer-first approach throughout Information Technology Services.
- Monitor customer satisfaction through surveys, feedback mechanisms, and service analytics.
- Develop initiatives to improve customer engagement, communication, and overall service quality.
- Analyze operational data to identify opportunities for process improvement and increased efficiency.
- Recommend and implement best practices for IT service delivery based on industry standards and institutional needs.
- Support strategic planning initiatives related to client services, technology support, and digital transformation.
Cross-Department Collaboration:
- Serve as the primary liaison between Information Technology Services and University departments regarding end-user technology services.
- Collaborate with Infrastructure, Systems Administration, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Applications, Academic Technology, and Administrative departments to coordinate technology initiatives.
- Participate on University committees, technology governance groups, and strategic planning initiatives as assigned.
- Build strong partnerships across campus to ensure technology services effectively support the University's academic and administrative mission.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in information technology support or client services.
- Minimum of three (3) years of supervisory or leadership experience managing technical support teams.
- Experience managing Help Desk or desktop support operations.
- Experience administering IT Service Management (ITSM) platforms and ticketing systems.
- Experience supporting enterprise telecommunications or Voice over IP (VoIP) systems.
- Demonstrated commitment to exceptional customer service and continuous process improvement.
- Excellent organizational, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Supplemental Information
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working in higher education.
- Knowledge of ITIL or IT Service Management best practices.
- Experience with Microsoft Teams Phone, Cisco, Mitel, Avaya, RingCentral, Zoom Phone, or similar enterprise telecommunications platforms.
- Experience with TeamDynamix, Freshservice, ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, or similar ITSM platforms.
- ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent.
- Experience developing and delivering technology training programs.
- Experience managing customer satisfaction initiatives and service metrics.
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