Senior Service Operations Manager – to £65k plus benefits – mainly remote with travel to Carlisle office approx. twice a month

My forward-thinking Financial Sector client is a genuinely a great place to work. As an employer they value how they treat both their employees and their customers in an ethical and responsible manner.  As a business, they have been on a journey of modernisation and change to deliver new products and services using great technologies. They are still on that journey and this role is a key management / leadership role within the IT Service Operations Team.

What will you be doing?

As a Service Operations Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the IT services to ensure smooth delivery and optimal performance. The successful candidate will have the following responsibilities.

• Lead and manage the Technology Service teams, ensuring timely resolution of incidents and service requests while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Monitor service performance metrics, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies to enhance service quality and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain service level agreements (SLAs) and Operational level agreements (OLA) with stakeholders and ensure adherence to agreed service levels.
• Supporting the continuous improvement of IT services across the organisation
• Responsible for maximising the number of successful IT changes by ensuring that risks have been properly assessed authorizing changes to proceed and managing the change schedule.
• Incident Management: Oversee and respond to Technology incidents and emergencies. Develop and maintain an effective incident response plan, ensuring that the team can quickly address and resolve issues to minimise downtime and maintain business continuity.
• Strategic Planning and Innovation: Contribute to the overall IT strategy and lead initiatives that drive technological innovation and operational improvements. Stay informed about technological trends and advancements to recommend solutions that enhance productivity and efficiency.
• Team Leadership and Development: Manage and develop high-performing service teams. Provide leadership, set clear objectives, offer training and development opportunities, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Vendor and Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with external vendors and internal stakeholders. Manage service agreements, ensure that service levels meet organisational needs, and communicate effectively with stakeholders to align IT services with business objectives.
• Develop, update, and enforce IT policies and procedures in alignment with industry standards and organisational goals.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and service providers, ensuring compliance with contractual agreements and service expectations.

What skills and experience do you need to be successful in the role?

This role, whilst being technology based, requires a balance of technical and managerial / leadership skills.

• Strategic mindset -this is a leadership role.
• Strong leadership skills – taking your team on a journey to excellence.
• Strong vendor management skills – delivery is through many partnerships with vendors.
• An overarching technical understanding – managing the team that will drive operational excellence across the service offering.

You will need to be able to demonstrate your knowledge and experience across many different areas that are important in the delivery of excellence in IT Service Operations.

• Proven experience in IT Service Management.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of ITIL framework and practices to ensure effective IT operations.
• Experience of working in technical teams delivering and supporting complex solutions.
• Experience of creating, developing and managing cross functional technology teams
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation and influencing skills and experience of liaising with senior stakeholders to deliver activities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to identify process bottlenecks and implement improvements.
• Excellent management skills with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to convey complex technical information clearly to various stakeholders.
• Be able to demonstrate evidence of delivering successful target operating model improvements.
• Adept at using relevant software tools and platforms for asset management, knowledge base management, project management, and ITSM.

Qualifications and Experience

• Previous experience of working in an IT Service Management role with stakeholder management responsibilities.
• Proven experience using a range of agile project management methods
• Proven experience balancing multiple priorities and dealing with ambiguity
• Demonstrable knowledge of operations management, including staffing, infrastructure, technological and change management.
• First degree or equivalent, preferably in a science or technology discipline, or substantial relevant business experience.

What is in it for you?

This is a business who strive to create a Financial Service experience that’s kinder to people and planet. Unlike banks, they don’t have public or private shareholders which means they can invest 100% of their profits back into the business. As a result, the business is purpose-led, financially strong, socially responsible and always focused on their people, planet and communities.

Presently they are about to begin an exciting transformational journey with their people firmly at the forefront of their plans.  If you want to work for a team integral in helping to drive cultural change, a team where you can bring your whole self to work bringing your energy and creativity to make a positive difference, then this is the job for you. 

• Competitive salary - up to £65k p.a. depending on skills and experience.
• Holidays - 25 days holiday plus public holidays and the opportunity to buy and sell up to 2 days. Your holiday entitlement goes up with years of service.
• Pension – a generous pension where the employer contribution goes up with years of service
• Death in Service – four times salary.
• Learning and Development opportunities - We want you to grow in your role. We’ll work together to support your personal and professional development.
• Hybrid Working - the tools and equipment you need to be able to work from home when you need to, depending on your role.
• Health and Wellbeing - a calendar of events and activities throughout the year, Mental Health & Wellbeing champions and Cycle to Work scheme.
• Community Day - We offer our people an extra paid day off every year to help local charities and community organisations.