Services Manager - Life Sciences

Job description

Position Overview : We are seeking a Pod Services Manager to oversee the successful delivery of managed services and support operations for a portfolio of clients within our Life Sciences Specialization. Within the Healthcare Practice Area, the Life Sciences Pod supports pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and clinical research clients whose environments carry regulatory obligations beyond standard IT service delivery. The Pod Services Manager owns the operational engine of the Life Sciences Pod: service delivery quality, technician utilization, SLA and PSA discipline, and the day-to-day management of the pod's technical support staff (help desk technicians, support specialists, and field technicians). This role reports to the Healthcare Practice Area Director and works in lockstep with the Pod-CIO (Harbor IT’s internal client executive owner) and the CSM (customer success manager who owns day-to-day client operations). Given the client base, the role requires working knowledge of the compliance and operational realities of life sciences environments such as HIPAA, GxP(GMP/GLP/GCP), and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 validated systems and be able to make informed service delivery decisions and hold technical staff to the right standard. Key Responsibilities: • Own service delivery quality and client experience within the Life Sciences Pod • Own client recovery when service delivery falls short: take ownership immediately, engage the client directly, and drive a recovery plan through to a confirmed-intact relationship. • Partner with the Pod-CIO (executive relationship owner) and CSM (day-to-day relationship owner) ensuring operational execution supports the account strategy without duplicating or stepping on that relationship. • Maintain working knowledge of the life sciences regulatory landscape (HIPAA, GxP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 validated systems) sufficient to guide technical delivery decisions and flag compliance-relevant risk to the Pod-CIO. • Monitor and enforce SLA compliance, ticket quality, and billing accuracy across the pod's client portfolio, and drive remediation of root causes behind ticketing and incident trends. • Drive operational efficiency of the service delivery for the Life Sciences Pod including technician utilization (target of 75%) and capacity planning. • Lead regular client service reviews (monthly/quarterly) to discuss performance metrics, incident trends, improvement opportunities, and upcoming initiatives. • Manage escalations: Act as the point of contact for critical client issues, coordinating cross-functional teams to resolve incidents quickly and satisfactorily. • Manage client communications during major incidents, planned maintenance, and other impactful events. • Support onboarding of new clients by coordinating service handover from projects to operational support. • Work with internal technical teams (Service Desk, Infrastructure, Cloud, Security) to ensure service delivery meets or exceeds client expectations. • Build, enforce, and continuously improve SOPs, escalation frameworks, ticket documentation standards, and closure checklists inside the PSA • Maintain accurate client service documentation, including contacts, service guides, escalation paths, and technical environments. • Lead internal service improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, quality, and client satisfaction. • Mentor and coach technical staff in customer service best practices and operational excellence. Qualifications & Skills: • 5+ years of IT service delivery, service management, or account management experience within an MSP environment, with direct exposure to healthcare or life sciences clients strongly preferred. • 2+ years of demonstrated direct people management experience — real accountability, genuine interest in growth and development, and creating an environment of ownership • Hands-on PSA/RMM experience (e.g., ConnectWise, N-able) with a track record of building workflow automation, SLA configuration, board hygiene rules, and reporting. • Working familiarity with life sciences/healthcare regulatory frameworks; HIPAA, HITECH, GxP (GMP/GLP/GCP), and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 • A defined, structured personal system for catching problems before they become client facing using specific tools, cadences, and PSA-as-source-of-truth discipline. • Ability to interpret technical information and explain it to non-technical stakeholders. • Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal. • Strong understanding of MSP metrics and KPI’s and willingness to adhere to organizationally set targets Education and Experience: • Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business Management, or a related field (or equivalent work experience). • 5+ years in IT service management, service delivery, or account management, preferably within an MSP environment. • Strong understanding of ITIL framework and service management principles, ITIL 5 Foundations or willingness to obtain within 6 months. Work Environment: • Reports to the Healthcare Practice Area Director; partners with the Pod-CIO and the CSM. • Directly manages the technical support staff assigned to the Life Sciences Pod. • Direct, regular exposure to life sciences clients — pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and clinical research — operating under HIPAA, GxP, and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance obligations, with occasional travel for client escalations and onboarding. Benefits: • Competitive salary commensurate with experience • Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance. • 401(k) retirement plan with company match • Unlimited PTO and holidays • Professional development opportunities Harbor IT is a leading Managed Service Provider (MSP) specializing in delivering cutting edge Cybersecurity, IT, and Cloud Services to a diverse portfolio of clients. We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Harbor IT is backed by investment firm Worklyn Partners since 2022 and has built a national platform through acquisition and rapid organic growth. Our mission is to manage our clients’ technology and mitigate their cyber risks, so that they don’t have to.