IT Help Desk Manager

Location: Richmond, VA

Department: Information Technology

OVERVIEW:

The IT Help Desk Manager is responsible for leading all end-user support operations at Davenport & Company, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality, responsive, and secure IT services. This role oversees Help Desk personnel, manages service performance, and drives continuous improvement of support processes to enhance the overall customer experience for both employees and clients.

The Manager serves as both a technical leader and operational owner of Help Desk services, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and IT best practices.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

Leadership & Team Management

Lead and manage Help Desk Technicians and interns, providing direction, coaching, and performance management
Conduct hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing professional development of staff
Establish staffing plans to ensure appropriate coverage for 7am–7pm daily service hours and on-call rotation
Foster a customer-first culture focused on responsiveness, professionalism, and service excellence

Service Delivery & Operations

Own and manage Help Desk service delivery, including SLAs, KPIs, and overall service quality
Monitor and report on service performance metrics (e.g., response time, resolution time, backlog, customer satisfaction)
Develop and lead service improvement initiatives based on data and user feedback
Ensure consistent execution of ticket handling processes, prioritization, and escalation procedures

Incident & Problem Management

Lead the response to major incidents, including communication, coordination, and resolution
Conduct root cause analysis on recurring issues and implement preventive measures
Partner with Infrastructure, Security, and Development teams to resolve systemic issues

Tools, Process & Knowledge Management

Administer and optimize the Help Desk ticketing/workflow system
Define and enforce standards for ticket documentation, categorization, and lifecycle management
Develop and maintain knowledge base content and self-service resources to improve efficiency

Customer Experience

Promote a high level of customer satisfaction through effective communication and support delivery
Establish feedback mechanisms (e.g., surveys) to measure user satisfaction and identify improvement opportunities
Build strong relationships with business units to understand and support operational needs

Security & Compliance

Ensure Help Desk operations align with company security policies and regulatory requirements
Support endpoint security practices, including patching, encryption, and access controls
Coordinate with Information Security on incident response, compliance audits, and risk mitigation efforts
Oversee adherence to asset management and secure device disposal procedures

Asset & Vendor Management

Oversee procurement and lifecycle management of end-user hardware and related assets
Coordinate support activities with third-party vendors and service providers
Contribute to budgeting and planning for Help Desk-related tools, systems, and equipment

Collaboration & Communication

Act as the primary liaison between the Help Desk and other IT teams
Provide regular updates and reporting to the CTO and senior leadership
Lead service review meetings and communicate trends, risks, and improvement plans

REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience
Minimum 3 years of direct managerial or supervisory experience
Minimum 5 years of Help Desk or end-user support experience in a professional environment
Strong technical proficiency with Windows-based endpoints and common enterprise applications
Demonstrated experience managing service delivery, metrics, and operational performance
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on customer service
Experience working within structured ticketing/workflow systems
Ability to coordinate multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Professional demeanor

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent experience with IT service management frameworks
Experience in financial services or other regulated industries
Familiarity with endpoint management tools and asset management systems
Exposure to networking concepts, VPN technologies, and Cisco-based systems
Experience managing distributed or multi-location support environments

SALARY & BENEFITS:

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefit program, including safe harbor 401(k) contribution, profit sharing plan, disability and life insurance, high-deductible health plan with an HSA, an on-site Health Center, Paid Time Off and elective dental benefits. We offer wellness programs and support a friendly and collegial culture, with company sponsored volunteer opportunities during business hours.

DAVENPORT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Davenport & Company LLC provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy/childbirth, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability or perceived disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or military status, marital or domestic partner status, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws.

Davenport & Company

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IT Help Desk Manager