Service Desk Lead

Serves as the primary ARTEMIS VI SMS Service Desk representative for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Rocket Lab specialized IT Support Team at Edwards AFB, CA. This role supports the day-to-day IT operations and mission continuity of the organization by ensuring reliable, secure, and responsive end-user technology services.

As a dynamic systems integrator, SMS offers proven solutions in engineering, operations, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. With expertise in modernizing and optimizing legacy infrastructure and systems, ensuring operational efficiency, and designing, implementing, and managing secure environments, SMS supports business and mission goals with proficiency, quality, and integrity.

SMS has been serving the advanced information technology needs of the federal government since 1976, delivering talented teams and innovative, cost-effective solutions and services to support our customers' missions for more than 45 years. SMS is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with offices and on-site operations at customer locations throughout the United States. For additional information on SMS, visit www.sms.com .

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Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee daily operations of the Service Desk, ensuring timely, high-quality support to end users in accordance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contractual requirements.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop Service Desk technicians; assign workloads, conduct performance evaluations, and provide coaching and corrective guidance as needed.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex incidents, service disruptions, and user-impacting issues.
• Ensure adherence to ITIL best practices for Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Problem Management, and Knowledge Management.
• Coordinate closely with Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III teams to ensure efficient issue resolution and handoffs.
• Monitor Service Desk metrics and KPIs and provide regular reporting to management and government stakeholders.
• Maintain and continuously improve Service Desk Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), workflows, and knowledge base articles to support consistency and continuity.
• Ensure compliance with DoD policies when handling incidents, user access, and system interactions.
• Support onboarding and training of new personnel, including tools, procedures, and customer service expectations.
• Participate in change management activities, outage communications, and after-action reviews.
• Act as a customer advocate, ensuring professional, courteous, and mission-focused support experience for all users.

Qualifications

• • 5+ years of experience in IT Service Desk or End User Support roles.
  • 5+ years of experience with managing or leading Service Desk tasks.
  • IAT Level II Certification (CompTIA Security+ certification).
  • ITIL 4 Foundation certification.
  • Help Desk Institute Support Center Manager certification.
  • Strong working knowledge of ITIL-based service management processes.
  • Experience using ITSM tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Remedy, Web Help Desk, or equivalent).
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and customer service skills.
  • Proven ability to manage escalations and operate effectively in a high-availability environment.
  • Familiarity with DoD IT environments, policies, and security requirements.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, Visio, Word).
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Clearance or higher.
• Preferred:
  • CompTIA A+, Linux+, or Network+ certifications.
  • Prior experience supporting a DoD or federal government contract.
  • Experience developing knowledge bases and continuity documentation.
  • Familiarity with incident response coordination and cybersecurity principles.
  • Experience supporting Microsoft Enterprise Environment (Windows, Active Directory, O365).
  • Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum, or other leadership/project management certification.

SMS is a dynamic systems integrator established in 1976, delivering talented teams and innovative, cost-effective solutions and services to support our customers' missions for more than 47 years. Our ability to hire and retain quality people in a rapidly evolving IT market is proven through our employee retention rate averaging over 3 years. At SMS, we place a high value on quality of service, customer satisfaction, and best-of-breed policies and practices, resulting in CMMI Level 3 certification and ISO registrations including 9001:2015, 20000-1:2018, and ISO/IEC 27001:2013. SMS is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with offices and on-site operations at customer locations throughout the United States.

SMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employmen t without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.