IT SERVICE LEAD

Reports To: CIODepartment: Group Information TechnologyLocation: Dubai, UAE, with regular travel to construction sites across the UAEJob Type: Full-time, permanentExperience Required: 10+ years in IT service delivery, endpoint management, enterprise application support, and multi-site operations, preferably within the construction or contracting industry, including at least 3 years leading a distributed support team.Certifications: ITIL 4 Foundation or higher required. ManageEngine Certified Professional (ServiceDesk Plus or Endpoint Central), CompTIA Security+, CrowdStrike Certified Falcon Administrator, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), and CCNA are advantageous.Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.ABOUT THE ROLEA large multi-entity group operating in the UAE construction and engineering sector is seeking an IT Service Lead to own the quality, governance, and continuity of IT services across its head office and construction sites. This is a mid-senior IT management position responsible for the operational platforms that keep the business running, from the service desk and endpoint estate through to site connectivity and business application support.The role leads a distributed team of site-based engineers, acts as the senior escalation point for complex incidents, and coordinates endpoint management, cybersecurity controls, application support, and third-party vendors to deliver reliable and secure service at every location. It suits someone who is comfortable operating between head office governance and the practical realities of a live construction site.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESService Management and GovernanceOwn and operate ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Cloud, including workflow configuration, SLA management, escalation rules, knowledge base, and performance dashboards.Define and monitor service level agreements across all support tiers and business units, and produce periodic service performance reporting for IT leadership.Apply ITIL 4-aligned practices consistently across incident, problem, change, and request management, and lead continual service improvement initiatives that reduce repeat incidents.Team Leadership and EscalationLead, manage, and develop site-based IT engineers across multiple emirates, setting daily priorities, escalation paths, coverage arrangements, and performance standards.Act as the primary escalation point for complex incidents and service failures beyond site engineer capacity, and coordinate major incident response and communication.Conduct regular team reviews, identify skills gaps, and support structured professional development aligned with IT operational goals.Endpoint, Asset, and Patch ManagementDeploy and manage ManageEngine Endpoint Central across the full device estate, enforcing compliance policies, encryption standards, and configuration baselines.Oversee the complete asset lifecycle from procurement to decommission, maintaining accurate and auditable inventory and software license records at all times.Execute patch management cycles across operating systems and third-party applications, ensuring coverage targets are consistently met across head office and all sites.Cybersecurity CoordinationCoordinate CrowdStrike endpoint protection operations, including deployment, policy management, alert triage, and remediation follow-up across the organization.Ensure consistent application of patching, antivirus, and endpoint hardening controls in line with group information security policy.Support periodic security audits, user access reviews, and compliance assessments, and escalate active threats promptly to IT leadership or the designated security function.Infrastructure, Systems, and Business ApplicationsProvide server access administration and first-line infrastructure support for head office and site environments, escalating to senior resources as required, and maintain Active Directory user and group administration, DNS, and DHCP in coordination with the infrastructure team.Configure and maintain VPN connectivity for site locations and remote users, and administer access control and staff attendance systems such as HikCentral.Administer Autodesk and Aconex platforms, managing licenses, user access, and first-line support in coordination with project and engineering teams.Lead IT delivery for the workforce management system and the web-based HR and payroll application, and serve as IT lead for business application onboarding, user training coordination, and issue resolution across internally managed platforms.Vendor Management and Stakeholder EngagementManage third-party IT vendor relationships, monitor performance against contractual commitments and service levels, and coordinate support engagements to minimize operational disruption.Maintain vendor documentation including contracts, service agreements, escalation contacts, and renewal schedules in an accurate and accessible format, and provide structured performance data to support renewals and procurement decisions.Serve as the primary IT contact for HR, operations, and project management teams, translating business requirements into actionable IT deliverables.Communicate service status, planned maintenance windows, and operational risks clearly and in good time, and represent IT operations in planning discussions, project reviews, and steering meetings.SKILLS AND COMPETENCIESProven expertise in IT service management platforms, specifically ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Cloud and Endpoint Central, with hands-on ownership rather than oversight alone.Hands-on experience with CrowdStrike endpoint protection, patch governance, and asset lifecycle management at scale across dispersed locations.Working knowledge of VPN configuration, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Windows Server environments, and of network fundamentals sufficient to triage site connectivity issues.Demonstrated ability to lead distributed teams, set standards remotely, and hold both engineers and vendors to them.Familiarity with Autodesk, Aconex, and access control platforms such as HikCentral in a construction or project-delivery environment.Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving ability under pressure, with sound judgment on when to escalate.Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences, and the credibility to represent IT in business forums.CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTSBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, and ITIL 4 Foundation or higher.Minimum 10 years in IT service delivery and operations support, including at least 3 years leading a team.Demonstrable experience running a service desk against defined SLAs in a multi-site organization, with reporting to management.Practical experience managing an endpoint estate, patch compliance, and IT asset and license records through to audit.Experience in construction, contracting, engineering, or another multi-site operational industry is strongly preferred. UAE or wider GCC experience is an advantage.Additional certifications in security, cloud, or networking, such as CompTIA Security+, CrowdStrike Certified Falcon Administrator, AZ-900, or CCNA, are advantageous.