Senior Director, End User Support

Responsibilities

• Lead a global End User Support organization that includes Help Desk, Technical Support Specialists, Executive Support, and related teams supporting office, hybrid, and remote employees.
• Own day-to-day operations for end user support, ensuring high availability, responsiveness, and quality of service across all time zones.
• Implement, enforce, and enhance the IT Service Management (ITSM) framework (incident, request, problem, change, and knowledge) to drive consistent, repeatable service.
• Define, track, and report on key performance indicators and SLAs for end user support; use data to drive continuous improvement.
• Establish and maintain clear escalation paths and communication channels for major incidents and executive-impacting issues.
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of business needs and workflows to ensure end user support offerings align with organizational priorities.
• Partner closely with other technology teams (Enterprise Applications, Security, Product/Engineering, Newsroom) to provide integrated, end-to-end support for users.
• Manage relationships with other business units to define support expectations, coverage models, and service levels.
• Define and maintain policies, standards, and procedures for end user support, including documentation, runbooks, and knowledge base content.
• Ensure compliance with security, privacy, and compliance requirements in collaboration with Information Security and other governance functions.
• Develop and execute a multi-year roadmap for modernizing end user support, including digital workplace capabilities, automation, and self-service.
• Champion opportunities to leverage AI, automation, and analytics (e.g., virtual agents, automated workflows, proactive monitoring) to reduce friction and improve user experience.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry best practices; recommend and implement improvements to keep the environment current and competitive.
• Lead or co-lead cross-functional initiatives that improve enterprise productivity and employee experience, especially where end user support are a critical enabler.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a diverse, global team of managers and individual contributors across help desk, technical support, executive support, and related functions.
• Set clear goals and expectations for the department; provide regular feedback, coaching, and performance reviews.
• Build a strong, inclusive culture that emphasizes customer focus, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR and leadership to support workforce planning, succession planning, and career development pathways within the End User Support organization.
• Foster strong relationships with union and non-union staff and ensure consistent application of company policies and collective bargaining agreements.
• Develop and manage the annual budget for computer hardware purchases, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and cost-effectiveness.
• Evaluate and manage third-party service providers and vendors that support end user support, including contract negotiations, SLAs, and ongoing performance reviews.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization through process improvements, tooling changes, and sourcing strategies without compromising service quality.
• Collaborate on global and local IT-related projects to ensure end user requirements are represented and effectively delivered.
• Contribute to business continuity and disaster recovery planning for end user support, including remote work readiness and site-specific contingencies.
• Proactively identify operational risks (e.g., single points of failure, skills gaps, process weaknesses) and implement mitigation strategies.
• Ensure adherence to security policies, access controls, and regulatory obligations in partnership with Information Security and Legal.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 8+ years of experience in technology support, infrastructure, or related IT functions, with progressively increasing responsibility.
• 5+ years of management experience leading technical support, help desk, or end user support teams, including multi-level leadership (managers and individual contributors).
• Demonstrated experience owning and operating IT Service Management processes (incident, problem, change, request, and knowledge), ideally with an enterprise ITSM platform such as ServiceNow.
• Proven track record in running large-scale service operations with measurable SLAs and KPIs, and using data to drive continuous improvement.
• Experience managing budgets, including forecasting, cost optimization, and vendor management.
• Strong project and program management skills; ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Experience communicating with IT personnel and business users at all levels, including executive leadership.
• Experience operating in a hybrid/remote environment and supporting geographically distributed teams.