Team Leader, IT Service Desk

A Snapshot  

The IT Service Desk Team Lead – Japan is responsible for leading the delivery of high-quality, customer-focused IT support services across all Japanese sites. This role ensures the effective day-to-day operation of the local service desk, manages Level 1 and Level 2 support activities, and drives continuous improvement in service delivery. The Team Lead provides hands-on leadership, technical guidance, and performance management to the local support team, while ensuring alignment with global IT service management standards. Fluency in Japanese and a strong understanding of Japanese business culture and norms are essential to ensure effective communication and stakeholder engagement. 

Your Day to Day 

 Service Desk Operations 

• Lead the local IT service desk team, ensuring timely and effective resolution of incidents and service requests. 
• Monitor ticket queues, prioritise workloads, and ensure adherence to SLAs and KPIs. 
• Provide hands-on support and escalation management for complex technical issues. 

Team Leadership & Development 

• Supervise and mentor service desk analysts, fostering a culture of accountability and customer service excellence. 
• Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, and training to uplift team capability. 
• Support onboarding and knowledge transfer for new team members. 

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Act as the primary IT contact for local business users, ensuring clear communication and responsive support. 
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across departments, adapting communication style to Japanese business norms. 
• Collaborate with regional and global IT teams to ensure consistency and alignment. 

Process & Knowledge Management 

• Ensure service desk processes are followed and continuously improved. 
• Maintain and contribute to the IT knowledge base, ensuring documentation is accurate and accessible. 
• Promote self-service and automation where appropriate. 

Reporting & Continuous Improvement 

• Track and report on service desk performance, user satisfaction, and operational metrics. 
• Identify trends and recurring issues, driving root cause analysis and long-term remediation. 
• Recommend and implement improvements to enhance service quality and efficiency. 

Requirements   

 Essential:  

• Proven experience leading IT support or service desk teams in a corporate environment.  
• Fluent in Japanese (spoken and written) with strong English communication skills.  
• Deep understanding of Japanese business culture and workplace norms.  
• Strong technical knowledge of end user computing, desktop support, and ITSM tools (e.g., ServiceNow).  
• Experience with incident, request, and problem management processes.  
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills.  
• Effective communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical teams. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.  
• Experience working in Agile, hybrid, or traditional project delivery environments.  

Desirable:  

• ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent service management training.  
• Experience working in a regional or global IT support model.  
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365, endpoint management tools, and AV/meeting room technologies.  
• Exposure to hybrid work environments and smart workplace technologies.  

Qualifications:   

• Bachelor’s in IT or related discipline;   
• 7+ years in Technology roles;   
• Global or APAC experience a benefit.