Assistant Director, Technology Services (EMEA & Asia)

Ryder Reid Legal; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Ryder Reid Legal in London is seeking an experienced Assistant Director, Technology Services to lead IT operations and service delivery across EMEA and Asia. This senior role partners with regional leadership to shape technology strategy, ensure high availability, security and user satisfaction, and drive innovation.

You will oversee regional support teams, manage vendor relationships and budgets, champion ITSM governance (including ServiceNow) and promote AI-enabled solutions while supporting

Qualifications

• Senior IT leadership experience in a complex, international environment.
• Proven ability to manage IT operations and service delivery.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-regional collaboration.
• Experience delivering technology change programmes and process improvements.
• Knowledge of IT service management principles and governance.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders across EMEA and Asia to align technology services with business objectives.
• Oversee IT service delivery, ensuring high availability, performance, security and user satisfaction.
• Drive service improvement initiatives and operational excellence across multiple offices.
• Manage regional technology support teams and vendor relationships, including budgets.
• Lead major technology projects, changes, and AI-enabled technology adoption.
• Champion ITSM governance frameworks and ServiceNow usage.

Skills

IT leadership

Service delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Vendor management

Budget planning

Project management

AI adoption

ServiceNow

Agile delivery

Operations management

Tools

ServiceNow

Job description

Assistant Director, Technology Services (EMEA & Asia)

London | Hybrid Working

A leading international professional services firm is seeking an experienced Assistant Director, Technology Services to play a pivotal leadership role across its EMEA and Asia operations.

This is a highly visible position that sits at the intersection of technology, service delivery, stakeholder engagement, and business strategy. Working closely with senior leadership, you will help shape and deliver technology services that support a diverse international business, ensuring operational excellence while driving innovation and continuous improvement.

The Opportunity

As Assistant Director, Technology Services, you will act as a strategic partner to senior business stakeholders, legal professionals, and operational teams across EMEA and Asia. You will be responsible for helping to define service delivery standards, improving technology operations, enhancing user experience, and driving the adoption of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled solutions.

This role combines leadership, operational oversight, stakeholder management, and transformation initiatives, making it an excellent opportunity for an experienced technology leader looking to make a broad business impact within a complex international environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with senior business and operational leaders across EMEA and Asia to align technology services with business objectives.
• Support the development and delivery of regional and global technology strategies.
• Oversee IT service delivery, ensuring high levels of availability, performance, security, and user satisfaction.
• Lead service improvement initiatives and drive operational excellence across multiple offices.
• Manage and develop regional technology support teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor service performance through KPIs, SLAs, user feedback, and operational reporting.
• Support major technology projects, change initiatives, and process improvements.
• Drive adoption of approved AI, automation, and productivity-enhancing technologies.
• Work closely with regional leadership teams to understand evolving business needs and technology priorities.
• Participate in vendor management, contract negotiations, and budget planning activities.
• Support major incident management, problem management, and post-incident review processes.
• Champion best practice IT service management and governance frameworks, including ServiceNow.

About You

You will be an experienced technology leader with a strong background in IT operations, service delivery, and stakeholder engagement within a professional services or similarly complex environment.

• Significant experience in senior IT leadership, technology operations, or service delivery management roles.
• Strong track record of building relationships with senior stakeholders and business leaders.
• Experience managing geographically dispersed teams and supporting international operations.
• Demonstrable success delivering service improvements and operational change programmes.
• Strong understanding of IT service management principles and frameworks.
• Experience leading technology projects and driving user adoption initiatives.
• Ability to translate business requirements into practical technology solutions.
• Experience within a law firm or professional services environment.
• Exposure to ServiceNow, Agile delivery methodologies, and project portfolio management.
• Understanding of AI-enabled workplace technologies and automation capabilities.
• Experience managing vendors, commercial relationships, and operational budgets.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with excellent commercial awareness.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication abilities.
• Data-driven approach to service improvement and decision-making.
• Highly organised, resilient, and adaptable.
• Naturally collaborative with a customer-focused mindset.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, international environment.

What's on Offer?

• A senior leadership opportunity within a globally recognised professional services environment.
• Significant exposure to executive stakeholders across multiple regions.
• The opportunity to shape technology strategy, service delivery, and innovation programmes.
• International scope with occasional travel across EMEA and Asia.
• A collaborative and inclusive culture focused on continuous development and excellence.