Principal Service Desk Analyst

The posting

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

The Principal Service Desk Analyst, like the Senior and Service Desk Analyst, is there to achieve the resolution (both reactive and proactive) of problems throughout the information system lifecycle, including classification, prioritisation and initiation of action, documentation of root causes and implementation of remedies to prevent future incidents. They also process and coordinate appropriate and timely responses to incident reports, including the channelling of requests for help to appropriate functions for resolution, monitoring resolution activity, and keeping customers appraised of progress towards service restoration.

The Principal Service Desk Analyst is an escalation point for the Service Desk Team and is required to deliver advanced problem resolution, working with internal and/or external resources where necessary. In addition, they will assist with analysis of trends and patterns across the IT environment and lead Service Desk projects assigned to them. The Principal Service Desk Analyst will deputise for the Service Desk Team Leader at times of high workload or absence.

Accountabilities:

· Timely answering of support queries from both customers and colleagues

· Maintain ownership of escalated issues through to resolution

· Help junior colleagues use various sources to find potential solutions

· Discuss resolution of complex problems with colleagues to help them successfully resolve similar issues in the future

· Communicate relevant updates in daily ‘stand ups’ and as requested

· Collaborate with peers across the wider organisation to bring additional knowledge into Managed Services

· Share knowledge with team members

· Support the development of junior colleagues by modelling desirable behaviours

· Ensure patch management is effective and all customer assets within our scope of responsibility are updated with the latest patches

· Provide updates, status, and completion information to management

Responsibilities:

· Provide consistent high-quality support to internal and external customers, taking ownership of user problems and proactively dealing with any issues preventing resolution.

· Maintain awareness of all relevant Service Level Agreements

· Systematically interpret user problems and identify solutions, interrogating data sources to expand knowledge considering contextually relevant information.

· Troubleshoot advanced issues in all scenarios including but not limited to end user compute, server and infrastructure components, and cloud platforms, and proactively identify and investigate potential wider impact

· Provide support services for Microsoft related technologies: Windows Server, Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, etc.

· Provide support services for Microsoft cloud related technologies: Azure, Modern Workplace / Office 365, Power Platform, etc.

· Proactively identify and communicate current and potential issues using a variety of methods including monitoring and service management tools

· Identify and communicate opportunities for upstream process changes and/or system configuration changes

· Create, use and share PowerShell scripts for device, server, account, and resource configuration and management tasks

· Deliver a high standard of customer service for all support queries

· Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, capturing sufficiently detailed information from customers.

· Document and share troubleshooting techniques used to successfully resolve complex problems

· Update records of customer environments to reflect actions taken

· Respond in a timely manner to proactive monitoring alerts to meet contractual Service Level Agreements.

· Stay up-to-date on customers' application landscapes

· Analyse and improve knowledge database to reduce resolution times and improve contact outcomes

· Collaborate with technical resources from both internal and external IT Teams/Business Units/Vendors

· Visit customer sites when required.

· Train and/or mentor Service Desk Analysts and Senior Service Desk Analysts

· Deputise for the Service Desk Manager at times of high workload and/or absence

· Any other duties as and when required commensurate with organisational position

Requirements

Essential Requirements

· Experience of working on a Service Desk

· Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes in complex scenarios.

· Locate and evaluate relevant information effectively and efficiently

· Excellent communication skills via various channels.

· Ability to clearly communicate technical information to a non-technical audience.

· Ability to clearly communicate technical information with a technical audience.

· Learn quickly and keep up to date with the latest technology advancements.

· Use time management techniques to work efficiently under own initiative, while demonstrating effective teamwork.

· Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability to meet the needs of demanding workloads.

· Deliver high quality work within the expected timescale to meet customer service level expectations.

· Have a broad and deep knowledge of server and desktop operating systems, networks and office systems, plus Microsoft cloud offerings.

· Competent in PowerShell programming/scripting

· Demonstrate an ethos of continual business and professional development

· Embrace a passion for IT and technology.

· A proven focus and ability to deliver effective customer service, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction through professional attitudes and consideration towards the customer’s own knowledge.

· Willingness and ability to work during weekends and out‐of‐hours when necessary (additional compensation for these hours of working will apply in line with T&Cs).

Desirable Requirements

· Previous training or mentoring experience

· Experience of remote monitoring and management software

· Advanced knowledge of server administration activities

· Advanced knowledge of Windows server components

· Advanced knowledge of Linux server components

· Advanced knowledge of networking principles and components

· Advanced knowledge of Azure platform components

· Advanced knowledge of Microsoft 365 platform components

· Microsoft Certifications

· Any SQL knowledge

· Any experience of virtualisation i.e. VMWare, Hyper-V

· ITILv4

Benefits

Methods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.

By joining us you can expect:

· Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience

· Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society

· Strong, inspiring, and thought-provoking leadership

· A supportive and collaborative environment

As well as this we offer:

Development – access to LinkedIn Learning, a management development programme, and training

Wellness – 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme

Flexible Working – including home working and part time

Social – office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes

Time Off – 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year

Volunteering – 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation

Pension – Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution

Life Assurance – of 4 times base salary

Private Medical Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Worldwide Travel Insurance – which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay

Travel – season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme

For a full list of benefits please visit our website (www.methods.co.uk/careers/benefits)