1st Line IT Service Desk Engineer

Full Job Description

In 2025, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Job Title: 1st Line Service Desk Engineer 
Location: Bolton Office | Hybrid (2 days per week)
Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Monday–Friday
Salary: Up to £25,837.50 per annum (dependent on experience)
Contract: Permanent | Full Time
UK applicants only | No sponsorship

About the Role

We’re looking for a proactive and customer-focused 1st Line IT Service Desk Engineer to join our Central IT Team. You’ll be the first point of contact for technical support across our wide network of schools, offices, and care homes—helping to keep our people connected, supported, and able to deliver incredible outcomes for children and young people.

You’ll investigate and resolve a wide range of incidents and service requests, escalating where needed, while ensuring users receive friendly, efficient, and professional support at every step. This role is hybrid, based at our Bolton office for two days per week, with occasional travel to other sites.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the first point of contact for all IT-related incidents and service requests
• Provide timely fixes and updates to end users
• Escalate complex issues to 2nd Line Engineers or the IT Service Desk Manager
• Log and document incidents, requests, and resolutions accurately and promptly
• Support hardware and software troubleshooting across devices and applications
• Configure and maintain user accounts and permissions
• Install and set up applications, software, and user devices
• Support printers, mobile devices, tablets, and laptops
• Assist with connectivity and hardware at remote sites
• Help maintain the IT knowledge base and share expertise across the team
• Identify and recommend process improvements to increase efficiency

You will have:

• 1–2 years’ experience in a 1st line support or technical service desk role (preferred)
• Basic understanding of IT infrastructure and diagnostic processes (essential)
• Strong customer service and communication skills (essential)
• Experience supporting hardware, software, and operating systems
• Ability to work under pressure and manage a varied workload
• Attention to detail and the ability to follow processes accurately
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work proactively
• Experience with service desk tools (preferred)
• Understanding of ITIL principles (preferred)
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Azure (preferred)
• Familiarity with networking, virtualisation, and cloud concepts (preferred)
• Knowledge of Intune and/or Jamf (preferred)

Desirable:

• Working towards or holding a professional IT qualification
• Experience creating or contributing to knowledge base articles
• Broad technical knowledge of PC/peripheral architecture
• Basic server environment experience (Windows)

Why Join Us?

Outcomes First Group is the UK’s largest independent provider of high-quality special needs education, operating across England, Scotland, and Wales. 

Our divisional brands include Acorn Education, Options Autism, Blenheim Schools, and Momenta Connect.

By joining our central teams, you’ll help shape strategy, provide expert support, and drive continuous improvement across a growing organisation renowned for quality, impact, and innovation. We value collaboration, professionalism, and creativity, offering the opportunity to influence change at scale while staying true to our core values of care, aspiration, and inclusion.

Benefits

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with flexible contribution options
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental and physical health support
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Flexible benefits via Vista, including discounts, Cycle to Work, Electric Car Scheme, critical illness cover, and more

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of suitable applications is received. Outcomes First Group is committed to a fair, thorough, and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. While we aim to keep applicants informed, we do not accept liability for any loss of earnings or costs incurred due to delays or changes in compliance processes. All stages are subject to safeguarding checks and statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.