ServiceNow Platform Lead (Ref: 198510)

Forsyth Barnes; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive exposure to senior decision‑

Centre of Excellence leadership

Competitive compensation package

Job summary

Forsyth Barnes seeks a Senior ServiceNow Platform Lead to govern and operate the enterprise ServiceNow platform across the organisation. You will translate business demand into a coherent roadmap, establish delivery controls and ensure platform investments improve service quality and risk management.

You will lead the Centre of Excellence, guide prioritisation and release decisions, and build internal capability to sustain mature operating model in Abu Dhabi.

Qualifications

• 10+ years across technology, enterprise platforms or IT service management.
• 5+ years of substantial ServiceNow experience in complex enterprise environments.
• Leadership of ServiceNow implementations or platform transformation programmes.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead a ServiceNow Centre of Excellence with governance and standards.
• Shape the enterprise platform roadmap by prioritising demand and aligning investments.
• Direct release, upgrade and transition planning for operational ownership.
• Provide senior stakeholders with concise insights into platform performance and risks.
• Oversee platform health, security, data quality and integrations.

Skills

ServiceNow

ITIL

Governance

Demand management

Roadmap development

Stakeholder comms

Education

ServiceNow Certified System Administrator

Certified Implementation Specialist

ITIL 4 Foundation

Tools

ServiceNow ITSM

CMDB

CSDM

ITOM

Job description

About Us

Operating across finance and banking, our client supports the secure, controlled delivery of technology and service capabilities within a regulated enterprise environment. Its focus on dependable operations, governance and digital service improvement creates a strong setting for a ServiceNow leader to influence platform strategy and business outcomes.

Job Description

The ServiceNow Platform Lead will define how the platform is governed, developed and operated across the organisation. This senior role will translate business demand into a coherent roadmap, establish effective delivery controls and ensure that platform investments improve service quality, operational visibility and risk management.

Success will require a balanced focus on strategy and execution. You will lead the ServiceNow Centre of Excellence, guide prioritisation and release decisions, oversee partners and platform health, and build the internal capability required to sustain a mature operating model in Abu Dhabi.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and lead a ServiceNow Centre of Excellence covering governance, standards, demand intake and continuous improvement.
• Shape the enterprise platform roadmap by evaluating demand, prioritising the backlog and aligning investment with business and technology objectives.
• Direct release, upgrade and transition planning, ensuring changes are controlled, documented and ready for operational ownership.
• Provide senior stakeholders with concise insight into platform performance, delivery progress, capacity, risks and decision requirements.
• Maintain alignment with Enterprise Architecture, cybersecurity, information security, process owners and governance functions.
• Oversee platform access, configuration standards, technical debt, data quality, integrations and overall platform health.
• Manage supplier performance, delivery partners, commercial dependencies and augmented resources against agreed outcomes.
• Coordinate with Service Operations, observability teams and risk and compliance stakeholders to strengthen end-to-end service management.
• Define BAU procedures, ownership models, service acceptance criteria and escalation routes for new and changed capabilities.
• Ensure documentation, audit evidence, risk treatment plans and governance decisions remain complete and traceable.
• Develop structured knowledge-transfer activity, including learning pathways and internal ServiceNow capability programmes.
• Promote automation, standardisation and measurable improvements across the platform and the services it supports.

Requirements

• Bring at least 10 years of experience across technology, enterprise platforms or IT service management.
• Offer a minimum of five years of substantial ServiceNow experience in complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrate leadership of ServiceNow implementations, operating models, governance frameworks or platform transformation programmes.
• Show strong command of demand management, portfolio prioritisation, backlog control, release governance and upgrade planning.
• Understand platform administration, access governance, configuration management, technical debt and performance monitoring.
• Have practical experience with ServiceNow ITSM, CMDB, CSDM, integrations and workflow automation.
• Bring experience overseeing vendors, implementation partners and blended internal and external delivery teams.
• Demonstrate success working in regulated banking, financial services or another environment with demanding control requirements.
• Communicate confidently with executives, architects, technical specialists, process owners, suppliers and operational teams.
• Know how to assess solution designs and work with Enterprise Architecture to maintain sustainable platform direction.
• Understand ITOM and Governance, Risk and Compliance capabilities, with direct experience considered advantageous.
• Use reporting and governance measures to evaluate value delivery, platform health, delivery risk and service performance.
• Recognise the importance of automated testing, source control and disciplined development practices in platform delivery.
• Hold or be working towards relevant credentials such as ServiceNow Certified System Administrator, Certified Implementation Specialist, ITIL 4 Foundation or advanced ServiceNow architecture certification.
• Demonstrate the judgement to balance immediate operational needs with long-term platform resilience, security and maintainability.

Benefits

• Work on a high-visibility ServiceNow agenda with direct influence over governance, operating maturity and digital service improvement.
• Gain exposure to senior decision-makers and enterprise-wide priorities within a regulated banking and finance environment.
• Shape a Centre of Excellence, including its standards, roadmap, knowledge model and internal capability strategy.
• Operate in Abu Dhabi within a role that combines strategic ownership, delivery leadership and meaningful platform transformation.
• Access the systems, delivery partners and organisational support required to implement sustainable improvements.
• Receive a compensation package aligned with the seniority, scope and specialist nature of the position.
• Build a broader leadership profile through engagement with architecture, security, operations, risk and business stakeholders.
• Contribute to a professional environment where disciplined governance and measurable outcomes are valued.

Other

Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this opportunity is suited to a senior ServiceNow professional who can combine platform depth with enterprise leadership. The position carries broad accountability for direction, control and capability development, making it particularly relevant to candidates who have worked in banking, financial services or similarly regulated settings.

Applicants should be prepared to operate across strategic planning, delivery oversight and day-to-day governance. The successful individual will bring clarity to competing priorities, establish dependable controls and leave the organisation with stronger internal ownership of its ServiceNow estate.