Manager, IT Service Desk

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International manages the Pokémon property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing and marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at corporate.pokemon.com and pokemon.com.

Get to know the role

Job Title: Manager, Information Technology

Job Summary: The Manager, IT Service Desk leads TPCi’s North America Service Desk, providing reliable technology support to more than 1,400 employees. The role is accountable for daily operations, service performance, and ongoing improvement. The manager will help the Service Desk keep pace with business growth and changing needs by making smart use of the team, technology, automation, and service partners. Building a strong, collaborative team is critical to delivering those results.

This manager sets clear expectations, gives direct and thoughtful coaching, builds trust, and creates opportunities for people to grow. Success means a capable and engaged team, consistent service, less technology friction for employees, and enough capacity to support the business as it grows.

FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt

People Manager: Yes

What You Will Do

• Own Service Desk operations and performance
• Own the overall performance of the North America Service Desk, setting operational priorities and holding the team accountable for consistent, effective employee support.
• Oversee daily operations, escalations, and service quality, partnering with technical owners to resolve recurring issues.
• Use service performance, employee feedback, and demand trends to identify gaps, communicate results and risks, and prioritize improvements that reduce employee downtime and improve resolution times, informing capacity and spending decisions.
• Lead and develop the Service Desk team
• Lead and develop Service Desk professionals by setting clear expectations, giving direct and thoughtful coaching, and holding individuals and the team accountable for results.
• Plan staffing, support coverage, and team development to meet service demand and support business growth.
• Build a trusted, collaborative culture where people share ownership, work well together, and have opportunities to grow.
• Define and scale Service Desk services
• Develop the Service Desk as a clear, consistent service to the business, with defined offerings, support channels, service expectations, and ownership.
• Improve processes, knowledge, self service, automation, approved AI capabilities, and service partnerships to increase capacity and reduce repetitive demand.
• Manage technology assets, spending, and vendors
• Oversee technology purchasing, inventory controls, and budget tracking for employee hardware and Service Desk services.
• Manage vendor service delivery, holding partners accountable for cost, quality, and performance, and partner with IT leadership and Procurement on purchasing and service agreements.

What You Will Bring

• People leadership and team development
• 4+ years leading an IT Service Desk or comparable technical support team, with direct responsibility for people management, staffing and coverage, team priorities, and service performance.
• A record of building healthy team culture and developing people with different strengths and experience levels through clear expectations, candid feedback, coaching, and meaningful growth opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to earn trust, lead with empathy, address performance issues, and balance employee needs, team capacity, operational risk, and business priorities.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in enterprise IT support, providing a strong foundation in employee support needs and service operations.
• Service ownership and business judgment
• Experience owning and scaling enterprise Service Desk operations, including service definition, demand management, incidents, requests, escalations, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Clear, practical communication and sound judgment when working with technical teams, business partners, and leaders on performance, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations.
• Technical knowledge and judgment
• Strong working knowledge of Windows, macOS, Microsoft 365, identity and access, endpoint management, collaboration tools, and IT service management practices.
• Technical judgment to assess complex issues, challenge recommendations, guide escalations, and lead technology or process changes through adoption and ongoing support.
• Service improvement and resource management
• Experience evaluating and implementing one or more new support models, such as self service, automation, AI enabled support, or external service partnerships, with measurable improvements to capacity, cost, quality, speed, or employee experience.
• Experience managing technology assets, purchasing, budgets, vendors, and service agreements as part of a cohesive support model.

Education and preferred qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience; ITIL certification

Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between $120,000.00 - $158,000.00 per year. The full range is $120,000.00 - $214,000.00 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. The final base salary is directly related to the candidate’s qualifications and professional experience uniquely.

#LI-PS #LI-Hybrid

How you’ll be successful

Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.

Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.

Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.

Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve.

Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.

Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience.

What to expect

An innovative culture driven by impact, delivering meaningful outcomes.

Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon.

Competitive cash-based compensation programs.

100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you.

Generous paid family leave.

Employer-paid life insurance.

Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.

US Employees: 401k Employer Matching.

UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions.

Fitness reimbursement.

Commuter benefit.

LinkedIn learning.

Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles.

Hybrid work environment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work.

In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

The Pokémon Company International is committed to the inclusion of all qualified applicants for consideration in our job application process. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, or a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].