Senior Manager, Desktop Support Services

Department

OPS ITS - End User Device (EUD) Support Services

About the Department

IT Services (ITS) collaborates with campus partners to support the mission of the University of Chicago through the consistent delivery of high-quality solutions and services. We provide secure, stable, and reliable infrastructure and applications that support the mission of the University. ITS supports and enables faculty research and teaching with the effective use of technology, simplifies the technology experience for all users, identifies, manages, and mitigates technology risks for the University.

Job Summary

This Senior Manager provides strategic and operational oversight for the Desktop Support Services organization within Information Technology Services (ITS), the University’s central IT division. ITS partners with academic and administrative units across the institution to advance the University’s mission through the delivery of scalable, high-quality technology solutions. The Desktop Support Services organization serves a diverse constituency exceeding 2,000 end users, including executive leadership, administrative leadership, and mission-critical functional teams.

The Senior Manager is accountable for the strategic direction, operational integrity, and continuous improvement of the University’s desktop support service delivery model. This role will champion a culture of service excellence, cultivate cross-functional partnerships throughout ITS and the broader institution, drive compliance with enterprise standards and Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and build a high-performing, future-ready team through intentional coaching, mentoring, and talent development.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for a multidisciplinary team encompassing full-cycle talent management, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, professional development, and succession planning; fosters an inclusive, high-accountability culture aligned with institutional values.
• Thoughtfully assigns and directs personnel across support operations; conducts rigorous performance evaluations, and develops meaningful growth plans that align individual strengths with organizational objectives.
• Designs and oversees targeted training and development programs for departmental staff and end users; establishes, maintains, and enforces PC policies, standards, and procedures in alignment with departmental and institutional goals.
• Cultivates a collaborative, solution-oriented environment that proactively identifies and eliminates barriers to responsive, high-quality service delivery.
• Ensures all phases of enterprise deskside support, including intake, escalation, resolution, and closure, are comprehensively coordinated, monitored, documented, and resolved in accordance with established standards and governance frameworks.
• Assumes full accountability for the identification, triage, prioritization, and resolution of reported service issues, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and customer expectations.
• Architects, implements, and continuously refines service delivery processes and operational frameworks to optimize efficiency, scalability, and end-user experience across the support organization.
• Ensures service teams deliver timely, consistent, and appropriate responses to end-user support needs in full compliance with University security policies and enterprise governance requirements.
• Leads the coordination and resolution of urgent and highly complex technical support situations, mobilizing resources and cross-functional expertise to minimize disruption and restore service continuity.
• Serves as the senior escalation authority for complex, high-impact support issues, exercising sound judgment to drive timely, effective resolution and preserve end-user confidence.
• Conducts root cause analysis of systemic and recurring incidents; synthesizes findings into actionable remediation strategies and communicates organizational impact to senior stakeholders with appropriate urgency and clarity.
• Delivers executive-level reporting on key performance indicators, operational trends, and service-level performance; translates data-driven insights into strategic recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Ensures the rigorous implementation and enforcement of enterprise security protocols; assesses and projects PC resource requirements, including personnel, software, hardware, and facilities, and translates findings into actionable recommendations for senior leadership, adapting departmental plans and priorities in response to evolving operational and resource challenges.
• Maintains an unwavering commitment to confidentiality and the responsible stewardship.
• Maintains comprehensive awareness of the evolving technology landscape; leads the evaluation, planning, and integration of emerging technologies, methodologies, and tools to advance deskside and end-user support capabilities, including systems development, data administration, capacity planning, and technical training.
• Provides authoritative counsel to institutional leadership on the strategic utilization of personal computing assets, mobile technology platforms, and enterprise desktop applications to advance organizational effectiveness.
• Develops and executes business plans to deliver innovative technical solutions that align with institutional strategic priorities and advance the ITS service delivery mission.
• Ensure that the efforts of IT Field Support Services meet or exceed process, workflow, protocol, procedural, and standardization requirements of IT Services. In conjunction with the other units within ITS, lead the exploration of new and/or replacement desktop support, self-service, problem resolution, knowledge base.
• In alignment with campus IT strategy, IT Services' initiatives, research and teaching activities and broader academic goals, foster collaboration, build relationships and maintain partnerships specifically with (but not limited to) other organizations within IT Services, divisional and departmental IT units, vendors, clients, and staff.
• Develop and manage the group's operating budget, create and maintain a staffing plan and professional development program, assess staff performance, and monitor productivity to best apply staff talent and experience to problems and projects. 
• Performs other related work as needed. 

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, electrical engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in enterprise end-user computing and IT support, with a demonstrated track record of delivering high-quality service in complex, large-scale environments.
• Minimum of 2 years of senior supervisory experience leading IT professionals, including demonstrated success driving organizational transformation and change management initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience delivering deskside support services within a higher education or similarly complex institutional setting.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Advanced proficiency in current Windows and Apple operating systems within enterprise environments.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong supervisory acumen combined with demonstrated financial management and resource planning capabilities.
• Exceptional customer service orientation and executive-level communication skills, to build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Deep subject matter expertise in deskside and end-user technology, with a clear understanding of its strategic role within the broader enterprise IT ecosystem.
• Sophisticated analytical and decision-making capabilities; navigate ambiguity and drive effective problem resolution.
• Exemplary time management and organizational skills, with a strong emphasis on precision, accountability, and follow-through.
• Highly developed active listening skills and the capacity to empathize with end users while maintaining focus on service outcomes and institutional objectives.
• Outstanding ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences in a clear, compelling, and accessible manner.
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and effectively oversee the performance of diverse technical teams.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a strong disposition toward initiative and continuous improvement. ​

Working Conditions

• Hybrid, on-site and remote as determined by business needs​.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References Contact Information (3)(required)

Job Family

Information Technology

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$145,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.