Service Desk Lead

About Us
Venatore is a woman-owned small business headquartered in Tampa, Florida, providing mission-driven technology and professional services to federal defense and civilian agencies. We deliver expertise in information technology, engineering, logistics, and program support to help our clients achieve operational excellence and mission success.

About the Job
The Service Desk Lead provides technical leadership and operational oversight for Service Desk operations supporting U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in Djibouti, Africa. This role serves as the primary lead and escalation point for a 24/7/365 Service Desk environment, ensuring high-quality IT support, adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), and mission continuity across the Horn of Africa Area of Responsibility (HOA AOR). The Service Desk Lead supervises technicians, coordinates with senior communications leadership, and ensures effective incident, request, and access management in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment. This position is based onsite in Djibouti, Africa.

Responsibilities

Service Desk Leadership & Operations

• Lead, mentor, and supervise a team of Service Desk Technicians providing 24/7/365 IT support across multiple geographically dispersed locations.
• Serve as the primary intake and escalation point for enterprise IT incidents and service requests.
• Coordinate shift coverage, workload distribution, and operational priorities to ensure continuous mission support.
• Foster a professional, customer-focused service desk culture aligned with mission requirements.

Incident & Request Management

• Oversee incident and request lifecycle management from intake through resolution using the ServiceNow ITSM platform.
• Direct triage, troubleshooting, and resolution of complex or high-impact incidents beyond Tier I scope.
• Ensure timely escalation to appropriate IT service tiers or enterprise support teams when required.
• Monitor SLA performance, identify trends, and implement corrective actions to maintain service excellence.

Technical Oversight & Support

• Provide expert guidance on desktop support, application troubleshooting, and infrastructure-related issues.
• Oversee account creation, modification, and administration using Microsoft Identity Manager, Active Directory, and related DoD systems.
• Ensure proper use of DoD enterprise tools, including DEPO and GFUD, for user provisioning and email services.
• Validate documentation of resolutions and maintain accurate knowledge bases for both users and staff.

User Account & Onboarding Management

• Manage large-scale onboarding and account activation for rotating units and personnel, including MEB, ACE, and SECFOR elements.
• Ensure timely access to systems and resources for supported users, workstations, and peripherals.
• Coordinate closely with leadership to support mission surges and rotational requirements.

Reporting & Stakeholder Coordination

• Communicate effectively with senior Communications Officers, Directors, and command leadership.
• Provide metrics, reports, and status updates on service desk performance, trends, and risks.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership on service desk operations and continuous improvement opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Currently hold and maintain an adjudicated Secret security clearance.
• Active DoD 8570 IAT Level II certification (CompTIA Security+ or equivalent or higher).
• Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate, Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows 10, or equivalent Microsoft/Azure certification.
• 7+ years of experience in service desk or related IT support roles, including leadership or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading IT support teams in a fast-paced or mission-critical environment.
• Experience with desktop support, administration, and troubleshooting of Microsoft Windows 11 systems.
• Experience with Active Directory and Microsoft Identity Manager for account administration.
• Experience using ServiceNow or similar ITSM ticketing systems.
• Experience with DoD enterprise systems, including DEPO and GFUD.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerShell.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of operational command.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience supporting AFRICOM, CJTF-HOA, or deployed/OCONUS operations.
• Experience managing 24/7/365 IT operations or shift-based technical teams.
• Strong performance metrics history related to SLA compliance and customer satisfaction.
• Experience supporting large user populations across multiple locations.
• ITIL Foundation or higher certification.

Benefits
Venatore offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the well-being of our employees, including:

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 10 Federal Holidays
• 401(k) with company matching
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Paid military leave

Venatore is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to disability or protected veteran status.