Service Manager

LA International; Preston; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading ICT consultancy in the UK is looking for a Service Manager to oversee the end-to-end management of services. The role includes ensuring compliance with service levels and KPIs, leading incident management, and acting as the primary contact for stakeholders. Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in service management and a strong understanding of ITIL principles. The position requires strong leadership and communication skills, with an emphasis on continuous service improvement.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in service delivery or management roles.
• Experience in enterprise, public sector, or managed service environments.
• Ability to manage cross-functional technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end lifecycle of assigned services.
• Ensure services meet SLAs, KPIs, and performance targets.
• Act as the primary service contact for customers and stakeholders.
• Identify and implement service improvement initiatives.

Skills

ITIL service management principles

Incident and problem management

SLA and KPI management

Service delivery in production environments

Job description

Job Title: Service Manager

Job Summary

The Service Manager is responsible for the end-to-end management, performance, and continuous improvement of one or more services. This role ensures services are delivered in line with agreed service levels, customer expectations, and business objectives, while maintaining high standards of quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

The Service Manager acts as the primary point of accountability for service delivery, coordinating across technical teams, suppliers, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery & Performance

• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of assigned services
• Ensure services meet agreed SLAs, KPIs, and performance targets
• Monitor service health, availability, and reliability
• Manage service reporting, dashboards, and performance reviews

Incident, Problem & Change Management

• Lead and oversee major incidents and service outages
• Ensure effective root cause analysis and problem management
• Coordinate and approve changes impacting live services
• Drive reduction in incidents and service disruptions

Stakeholder & Customer Management

• Act as the primary service contact for customers and stakeholders
• Manage service review meetings and communications
• Handle service escalations and customer concerns
• Ensure clear communication during incidents and planned changes

Continuous Improvement & Governance

• Identify and implement service improvement initiatives
• Drive service maturity using ITIL best practices
• Ensure services comply with governance, risk, and compliance requirements
• Maintain service documentation, runbooks, and operational procedures

Supplier & Financial Management

• Manage third-party suppliers and service partners
• Track service costs, budgets, and consumption where applicable
• Ensure supplier performance meets contractual obligations
• Support contract renewals and service reviews

Required Skills & Experience

Service Management Skills

• Strong understanding of IT service management principles (ITIL)
• Experience managing live services in a production environment
• Proven ability to manage incidents, problems, and changes
• Experience defining and managing SLAs and KPIs

Professional Experience

• 5+ years' experience in service delivery or service management roles (adjustable by seniority)
• Experience working in enterprise, public sector, or managed service environments
• Experience coordinating cross-functional technical teams

Due to the nature and urgency of this post, candidates holding or who have held high level security clearance in the past are most welcome to apply. Please note successful applicants will be required to be security cleared prior to appointment which can take up to a minimum 18 weeks. LA International is a HMG approved ICT Recruitment and Project Solutions Consultancy, operating globally from the largest single site in the UK as an IT Consultancy or as an Employment Business & Agency depending upon the precise nature of the work, for security cleared jobs or non-clearance vacancies, LA International welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people with diverse experience and backgrounds.