Job Title: IT Engineer 1st Line – Team Lead (Bristol)
Salary: c£33,000 per annum (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package
Jisc grade: TGE2
Job Type: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week
Reports into: Workplace IT service Desk Manager
Working style: Hybrid - A blend of working from home and the Bristol hub office.
Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to other offices. Due to the nature of the role, applicants should live within Bristol or within easy commuting distance.
About Jisc:
For 30 years Jisc has pioneered digital solutions for UK education and research, transforming how knowledge is created, shared and used.
We are uniquely positioned to protect, promote and lead the sector in digital and data transformation, making a difference to students, communities and society. Together, we are
working to build a better digital future for education and research.
Raise your potential at Jisc through our culture of lifelong learning. At Jisc, we\'re all about growth, so embrace new challenges, sharpen your skills and shape a career that excites you.
The Team
Jisc operates through several specialist directorates, each driving key areas of our work. This role sits within our Group CTO directorate, the hub for innovation, technology leadership, and the development of new digital products that support our members today and in the future. Most of our technical expertise lives here, giving us the capability to deliver Jisc’s digital vision with impact and ambition.
Within the Group CTO directorate, the Workplace IT department provides essential technology services to colleagues and visitors. You’ll be joining our Service Desk team, whose mission—guided by ITIL principles—is to maintain normal operations, respond to user requests, and resolve incidents and problems across a range of services and configuration items.
The role:
We’re looking for an experienced and motivated 1st Line Service Desk Team Lead to guide, support, and develop our frontline IT support team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on technical work.
In this blended role—split 50% team leadership and 50% technical support—you will ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of first line IT services. As the first point of contact for users, you and your team will diagnose faults, resolve incidents, and support installation and maintenance across core IT and videoconferencing technologies.
What you’ll be doing:
In this dual focus position—50% leadership & commercial oversight / 50% technical support—you will ensure high-quality service delivery, smooth ticket management, and a customer centric culture within the team.
* Lead, motivate, and support the 1st Line Service Desk team, creating a positive and customer focused environment
* Track and analyse performance against SLAs and KPIs, offering coaching and constructive feedback
* Manage daily workload distribution to ensure efficient and timely ticket handling
* Serve as an escalation point for complex or high priority incidents
* Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including automation and self-service opportunities
* Collaborate with 2nd Line and other IT teams to ensure smooth, joined up service delivery
1st Line Technical Support (50%)
* Manage and triage all incoming tickets via the ITSM platform
* Accurately identify, categorise, prioritise, diagnose, and progress Incidents and Service Requests
* Communicate clearly and professionally with users throughout the ticket lifecycle
* Provide technical and administrative coordination to ensure service continuity
* Diagnose and resolve first line incidents and service requests
* Develop technical skills through training, documentation, and hands on experience
* Apply strong analytical thinking to assess issues and identify effective solutions
* Escalate issues promptly to the appropriate team or specialist
* Maintain user accounts according to access control and account management policies
What we are looking for:
We’re looking for someone who brings strong people skills, a customer first mindset, and solid technical understanding. You’ll ideally have experience across the following areas:
Foundational
* Proven experience leading or mentoring a team in a customer focused environment
* Background in a customer facing role with strong communication skills
* Experience handling basic commercial or administrative tasks
* Ability to motivate and guide a team in a hybrid working environment
* Understanding of common end-user devices, operating systems, and workplace technologies
Experienced
* Broader capability across all foundational requirements
* Demonstrated delivery of 15+ outcomes from the role’s key deliverables
* Proficiency using an ITSM (IT Service Management) platform
* Experience with electronic record and information management systems, such as:
* HR systems
* Asset management tools
* P2P / D365 finance systems
* Knowledge of operating and maintaining video conference equipment
* Understanding of core networking concepts, including firewalls, routers, and switches
Qualifications & training
Foundational
Evidence of professional development
Experienced
One or more of the following:
* Industry recognised certification in one or more core technologies used by Jisc
* SDI Service Desk Manager
We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but if you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!
Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value, so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.
Why work for us?
At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.
Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.
Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:
* Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
* 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
* Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
* A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
* A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
* Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
* Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
* A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
* Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
* Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave
Equity, diversity and inclusion:
Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.
We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.
Application process:
Please let us know how we can best accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. We’re committed to making our process accessible and comfortable for everyone - just tell us what works best for you.
Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it. However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls!
We’re really looking forward to getting to know the real you. While we encourage the use of AI tools to help you get started on your CV or cover letter, we encourage you to review your application before submitting. Make sure it truly reflects your own voice, experiences, and personality.
If you are currently a Jisc employee, please apply through your Dayforce Employee profile.
We have a thorough background screening process that verifies the details you share with us in your CV and your application. Any inaccurate information supplied during the application stages can lead to a job offer being withdrawn.
Sponsorship:
Please note that this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. This decision is based on current Home Office eligibility criteria, which require specific conditions to be met in terms of job type, salary level, and other factors. As such, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this position.
#J-18808-Ljbffr