Head of IT Service Management

DfT Operator; Greater London; On-site; GBP 76,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A government rail organization seeks a Head of IT Service Management to lead IT services, ensuring robust, scalable solutions that meet strategic goals. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in IT service management, focusing on process improvement and stakeholder engagement. Responsibilities include overseeing IT management functions, implementing ITIL practices, and leading teams. This position offers competitive compensation of up to £89,600 and supports career development with extensive annual leave and pension contributions.

Benefits

25 days annual leave, increasing to 30

10% employer pension contribution

Learning and networking opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in IT service management leadership roles, ideally in complex environments.
• Strong understanding of ITIL principles and service management tooling.
• Excellent communication skills necessary for engaging with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead DFTO's IT service management function, delivering high-quality IT services.
• Provide leadership and guidance across IT Service Management Professionals.
• Manage the performance of new IT services for TOCs.

Skills

IT service management leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

ITIL

Change management

Job description

Overview

Head of IT Service Management:

About DFTO

DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 – and deliver improvements by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership.

DFTO has over 23,000 employees, runs over 6,000 services a day and delivers over 450 million customer journeys across its networks every year. This accounts for 26% of total UK passenger journeys and 30% of passenger miles. Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership – LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeastern, South Western Railway (SWR), c2c and Greater Anglia.

Primary Purpose of Job:

To lead DFTO’s IT service management function, acting as the primary IT partner for corporate functions and group operations. The role is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving IT service management processes—including incident, problem, change, request fulfilment and asset management—while translating business needs into effective technology solutions. This position ensures robust, scalable, and high-quality IT services that support DFTO group’s strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Solutions Partnership: Acts as the primary IT interface for DFTO entity functions, translating business needs into system requirements and solutions (working closely with Head of IT Architecture). Oversees the delivery and support of business applications and platforms.
• Group Leadership: Provide leadership and guidance to IT Service Management Professionals across the group, and foster continuous improvement through knowledge sharing and building a Community of practice.
• Review services across all TOCs in the DFTO groups and optimise processes and service offerings where appropriate, looking to drive value for money, standardisation and best practise across all areas.
• Provide thought leadership and expert input to the evolution and development of IT Service Management during industry reform and integration, helping to input into design and operating models for IT Service Management in GBR.
• Service Management Capability: Develops and leads DFTO’s IT service management function, including incident, problem, change, request fulfilment and asset management processes. Implement and maintain service management tools and reporting frameworks. Ensure continuous improvement of service delivery and user experience.
• DfT Public Ownership Transition Programme (POP) Support: Collaborates with the DfT POP Programme team to ensure IT service readiness for TOC transitions. Provides expert input on service integration and continuity planning during onboarding.
• Group Services for TOCs: Manages the delivery and performance of any new Group IT services provided to TOCs. Ensures services are scalable, secure, and aligned with DFTO’s operational and strategic objectives.

Key Competencies

• People Leadership: Leads by example and takes time to develop their team and coach others. Actively identifies and promotes growth opportunities as part of their teams personal development.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Builds strong relationships across DFTO and with external partners, including DfT Public Ownership Transition Programme stakeholders and Train Operating Companies (TOCs). Demonstrates the ability to influence and collaborate with executives and diverse teams; manages risk pragmatically.
• Business Acumen: Understands the operational needs of corporate functions and translates them into effective IT service solutions.
• Service Management Leadership: Demonstrates deep knowledge of ITIL and service management frameworks, with the ability to build and run scalable service operations in a multi-sourced environment.
• Change Management: Supports organisational change through effective planning, communication, and execution of IT service transitions.
• Strategic Thinking: Aligns service management initiatives with DFTO’s broader strategic goals and public ownership objectives.
• Communication: Communicates clearly and persuasively with technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications

• Proven experience in IT service management leadership roles, within complex or regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of ITIL principles and service management processes and tooling, including modern AI approaches.
• Experience supporting business functions with technology solutions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience in organisational change and service transition programmes.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including building, motivating, and managing high-performing service management teams.

Organisational Context

This role reports directly to the Group CIO, and works closely with DFTO business units, the DfT POP Programme team, and external TOC stakeholders. It is instrumental in shaping DFTO’s IT service landscape as the organisation expands its public ownership footprint and delivers shared services across the Group.

Vacancy Details

• Duration: 2 year Fixed Term contract/secondment
• Location: London Waterloo
• Report to: Group Chief Information Officer
• Salary: up to £89,600
• Closing date: 6 February 2026

DFTO Benefits

• Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days)
• DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution
• Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry

Additional Information

Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.

About our people and the recruitment process - We’re an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone. We encourage flexible working and will support your career development while maintaining a healthy work life balance.

Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact [e-mail]

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