Senior Lead, Service Delivery - IT Service Desk

About Northern Trust

As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.

Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.

With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Senior Lead, Service Delivery - IT Service Desk

Work Location – Pune, India

Job: Information Technology

The Sr Lead, Service Delivery - IT Service Desk is responsible for managing global IT Service Desk operations and ensuring the delivery of high-quality support services to Northern Trust employees and contractors. This role combines operational leadership, service governance, stakeholder management, and continuous improvement, with a focus on enhancing user experience, improving service performance, and driving efficiencies through process optimization, self-service, knowledge management, and automation.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery & Operations

• Lead day-to-day IT Service Desk operations, ensuring high-quality support, service reliability, and positive user experiences.
• Manage and continuously improve SLAs, KPIs, and experience‑based metrics to drive service quality and accountability.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for critical operational issues, major incidents, and executive‑level support needs.
• Lead and participate, as required, in Incident, Problem, Change and Critical Incident Management processes related to IT Service Desk operations.
• Provide operational insights and reporting to leadership, highlighting trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure operational readiness for new services and products by partnering with technology teams on support models, communications, knowledge management, and training.

Automation, Self-Service & Continuous Improvement

• Proven experience with driving automation, self-service, AI-enabled support, and service improvement initiatives that enhance user experience and reduce support demand.
• Identify opportunities to eliminate repetitive work, reduce contact volumes, improve first-contact resolution, and simplify support processes.
• Identify opportunities for workflow optimization, intelligent routing, knowledge improvements, and proactive support.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on service quality, operational efficiency, process maturity, tooling optimization, and operational resilience.
• Partner with technology teams to deliver scalable solutions that create measurable business value through automation and operational improvements.

User Experience & Enablement

• Build strong relationships with business stakeholders, technology teams, vendors, and support end users.
• Act as a trusted advisor on service delivery, ensuring transparency, alignment, and effective communication.
• Champion a customer-first culture focused on service excellence and continuous improvement.

Technical Skills & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in technology operations, including leadership of IT Service Desk, End User Services, or Help Desk functions.
• Willingness and ability to work a flexible schedule covering part of North America business hours, including regular overlap with U.S. teams and stakeholders. 
• Expected to collaborate with other SDMs and stakeholders to provide adequate coverage for operations across time zone as necessary.
• Strong knowledge of ITSM practices including Incident, Problem, Change, Request, and Major Incident Management.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and driving automation, self-service, or service improvement initiatives that resulted in measurable reductions in contact volume, manual effort, or support costs.
• Experience utilizing operational data and service insights to identify opportunities for automation, contact reduction, and improved user experience.
• Experience with call center management tools such as Cisco CUIC, Verint, and/or Avaya.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft enterprise technologies including Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID, ServiceNow, Copilot, VDI/Citrix, and Windows 365.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Data‑driven mindset with the ability to leverage ITSM reporting and service metrics to drive decisions and outcomes.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment.

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

About Our Pune Office

The Northern Trust Pune office, established in 2016, is now home to over 3,000 employees. The office handles various functions, including Operations for Asset Servicing and Wealth Management, as well as delivering critical technology solutions that support business operations across the globe.

Our Pune team takes our commitment to service to heart. In 2024, they volunteered more than 10,000+ hours into the communities where they live and work. Learn more.