Service Desk Lead /Manager– North America

Service Desk Lead – North America

Location : Atlanta GA ( 100% Onsite )

Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day Service Desk delivery across North America.

Manage performance using SLA, XLA, customer satisfaction, quality, productivity, and backlog measures.

Ensure effective incident intake, triage, prioritization, assignment, escalation, communication, and closure.

Coordinate monitoring and service-health awareness to improve proactive support.

Own major escalation coordination among the Service Desk, resolver groups, vendors, and customers.

Drive knowledge management, first-contact resolution, shift readiness, coaching, and quality improvement.

Analyze demand, repeat contacts, aged tickets, user feedback, and trends to identify improvements.

Conduct service reviews and communicate risks, actions, and performance outcomes.

Required Knowledge and Experience

16 to 20 years of relevant professional experience aligned with the role responsibilities and technology scope.

Demonstrated experience in the primary and secondary skill areas listed above.

Strong understanding of enterprise service delivery, governance, risk, and change controls.

Ability to work across geographically distributed teams, customers, and delivery partners.

Strong communication, documentation, analytical problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.

Key Stakeholder Interfaces

Customer and business stakeholders.

Infrastructure, engineering, architecture, security, and operations teams.

Service management, project management, commercial, and finance functions.

Technology vendors and delivery partners.

Success Measures

Delivery against agreed service, project, quality, and governance commitments.

Timely management of risks, issues, dependencies, and escalations.

Stakeholder confidence, clear communication, and accurate reporting.

Continuous improvement, standardization, and operational discipline.

Key Skills required :-

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong client-facing capabilities.

Ability to manage high-touch global client stakeholders and maintain strong client relationships.

Strong understanding of Service Desk KPIs, SLAs, performance metrics, and governance, with the ability to prepare, manage, and present performance decks.

Coordinate and oversee overall Global Service Desk operations, working closely with regional Service Desk leads across India, LATAM, and Budapest.

Serve as the primary Cognizant point of contact for client concerns, operational issues, and escalations related to Service Desk services.

Strong understanding of Service Desk transformation initiatives, including AI, automation, self-service, call/contact deflection, and optimization strategies.

Drive initiatives aimed at reducing overall Service Desk contact volumes by 50% or more, supporting the client's long-term vision toward a highly automated or “Zero Desk” operating model.

Ability to collaborate effectively with global client stakeholders, regional delivery teams, and offshore teams across different time zones.

Strong understanding of Service Desk operations and the ability to effectively manage day-to-day operational challenges, escalations, and service delivery nuances.

Demonstrated ability to provide end-to-end Service Desk governance, coordination, and continuous improvement across multiple regions.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.