Director of IT Service Desk - St. Louis, MO

Position Summary · Focus is seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of IT Service Desk to lead the global end-user support function. This role oversees all frontline support operations—including Service Desk (L1/L1.5/L2), onsite support, new hire onboarding, executive support, and ...

Job description

Position Summary

Focus is seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of IT Service Desk to lead the global end-user support function. This role oversees all frontline support operations—including Service Desk (L1/L1.5/L2), onsite support, new hire onboarding, executive support, and all intake channels (chat, portal, phone, email, walkup).

The ideal candidate is a modern IT leader with a strong customer‑centric mindset. You will drive service‑delivery excellence, standardize processes, strengthen operational performance, and continuously elevate the employee experience across the organization.

This role is located in St. Louis, MO.

Primary Responsibilities

Leadership & Workforce Management

• Lead and develop distributed onshore and offshore service desk teams
• Manage vendor and partner relationships
• Establish workforce models, training, and succession planning
• Define and execute the enterprise Service Desk strategy aligned to business outcomes, user experience, and I\&O governance.
• Lead enterprise‑wide Service Desk operations, ensuring reliable daily service delivery, strong workforce performance, and consistent execution of ITSM processes.
• Build, mentor, and scale high-performing teams across regions; promote a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Champion modernization initiatives—including automation, self‑service expansion, knowledge management, and process standardization—to improve efficiency, scalability, and responsiveness.
• Establish clear operating standards, workflows, and performance expectations to drive predictability, service quality, and operational stability.
• Provide operational reporting, performance insights, and data‑driven recommendations to senior leadership to fuel continuous improvement and strategic decision‑making.
• Reinforce a culture of service excellence, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across the support organization.

Service Model Ownership & Transformation

• Own the Digital Workplace Service Model
• Partner with transformation teams to deliver ServiceNow
• Drive ITIL adoption and maturity

Experience, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Define and improve EX, CSAT, NPS, sentiment, and adoption metrics
• Own SLAs, KPIs, and executive dashboards

Operational Excellence

• - Ensure scalable service delivery
• Implement governance and escalation models
• Own day-to-day operations for global Service Desk, including triage, routing, escalations, and major incident communications.
• Ensure reliable 24×7 coverage using a follow-the-sun model; optimize workforce management, shift planning, and on-call rotations.
• Drive rigorous adherence to SLAs/OLAs, Problem Management, Incident/Request quality, and customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS).
• Standardize intake, categorization, assignment, and resolution practices to maximize First Contact Resolution (FCR) and MTTR reduction.
• Champion effective use of ServiceNow ITSM, including Incident, Problem, Request, Knowledge, and Change Management.
• Govern Service Catalog design, approvals, and fulfilment; ensure requests map to operational capability and business expectations.
• Partner with the ServiceNow platform team to increase automation, and quality of Virtual Agent experiences.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Collaboration, Desktop, and Application Engineering teams
• Represent the service model in executive forums
• Partners closely with I\&O, Enterprise Platforms, Security, IT Governance and Product/Engineering leaders to drive service delivery, knowledge-centered support, and customer experience excellence at scale.
• Lead the Knowledge Management program using KCS principles—content lifecycle, article quality, usage analytics, and deflection.
• Collaborate with ITSM to the self-service portal experience; drive intuitive navigation, effective search, and a continuously improving service catalog.

Qualifications

• 10 years in IT Service Management with 5 years leading a high-volume, multi-regional Service Desk or contact center at enterprise scale.
• Demonstrated expertise with ServiceNow ITSM (Incident, Problem, Request, Knowledge, Change, and Service Operations Workspace.
• Proven success improving KPIs (FCR, MTTR, SLA compliance, CSAT/NPS, backlog aging, abandon rate, speed to answer).
• Deep understanding of ITIL practices and process maturity, including Major Incident and Problem Management.
• Experience with workforce management (WFM), queue design, and omni-channel support (chat/virtual agent/portal/phone/email).
• Excellent communication and executive presence; able to translate operational metrics into business outcomes.
• Demonstrated success managing multi‑site or geographically distributed support operations.
• Proven track record of improving operational efficiency, service consistency, and customer satisfaction.

The annualized base pay range for this role is expected to be between $90,000- $140,000 base salary compensation range. Actual base pay could vary based on factors including but not limited to experience, subject matter expertise, geographic location where work will be performed, and the applicant's skill set. The base pay is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include an annual cash bonus and a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, life and 401(k). Please note that the job title is subject to change based on the selected candidate's experience and education.

About Focus Financial Partners

Focus is a leading financial services firm comprised of integrated wealth management, family office, and business management services. Blending deep expertise and expansive resources with a boutique, client-first fiduciary philosophy, Focus helps individuals, families, and institutions navigate complex financial situations with highly personalized solutions tailored to their unique needs. To learn more about Focus, visit or follow the company on LinkedIn.

The following language is for US based roles only

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For Indiana Applicants: It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of status as a veteran by refusing to employ an applicant on the basis that they are a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, a member of the Indiana National Guard or a member of a reserve component.

For Maryland Applicants: I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER MARYLAND LAW, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT REQUIRE OR DEMAND, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYMENT OR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL SUBMIT TO OR TAKE A POLYGRAP OR SIMILAR TEST. AN EMPLOYER WHO VIOLATES THIS LAW IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $100.

For Massachusetts Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

For Montana Applicants: If hired, the employment relationship is governed by the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act. Mont. Code Ann. Section

For Rhode Island Applicants: Focus is subject to Chapters 29-38 of Title 28 of the General Laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law. If you willfully provide false information about your ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, you may be barred from filing a claim under the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act of the State of Rhode Island if the false information is directly related to the personal injury that is the basis for the new claim for compensation. The Company complies fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act.