Live Services Manager

Job summary

We are MHCLG Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people's lives.
Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we're all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you're thinking of joining us, there's never been a more exciting time.

MHCLG is improving how it creates, delivers and supports its digital services. As more services are developed and managed in-house, we are building stronger live service management practices to make sure services are reliable, easy to use, well managed and continually improving. Digital Connect uses Microsoft Power Platform to build and run services that help the department manage contact information, conversations, risks and delivery reporting.

We are looking for an experienced Live Services Manager to lead the day-to-day operation and ongoing improvement of two key services: Managing Local Conversations (MLC) and the Risk and Reporting Platform (RRP). Working closely with product managers, delivery teams, analysts, designers, suppliers and the wider Live Services team, you will help ensure these services run smoothly and effectively.

You will manage risks, oversee service performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and support the transition of new features and services into live operation. You will also make sure services continue to meet user needs and deliver the outcomes expected by the department.

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description

As a Live Service Manager you'll:

• Lead the day-to-day operational management of MLC and RRP, ensuring services are reliable, secure and meet agreed performance targets
• Establish and maintain clear processes for incident, problem, change and service continuity management, aligned to recognised best practice
• Coordinate the investigation and resolution of incidents and problems, identifying root causes and implementing improvements to prevent recurrence
• Support the transition of new products, features and enhancements into live operation, helping teams move from delivery into sustainable business-as-usual support
• Implement and manage service governance, including change approvals, escalation routes, risk management and decision-making processes
• Monitor, analyse and report on service performance using operational metrics, user feedback and service data to drive continuous improvement
• Work closely with product managers, delivery teams, users, service desks and suppliers to ensure services are well-supported, accessible and meet user needs
• Maintain service documentation and contribute to commercial, financial and supplier management activities, helping ensure services deliver value for money and remain fit for purpose
• Monitor licence usage, service adoption and demand trends, using data and analytics to forecast future requirements, optimise costs and ensure services remain scalable and sustainable

Person specification

As a Live Service Manager You'll have:

• Experience managing live digital services, including incident, problem, change and service performance management in a multi-disciplinary environment
• A good understanding of service management best practice (such as ITIL) and the ability to apply it pragmatically within agile digital teams
• Experience working with product, delivery, design, technical, operational and supplier teams to run and continuously improve services
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use service data, KPIs, trends, user feedback and operational metrics to inform decisions, identify risks and drive improvements
• Experience defining, documenting and maintaining service processes, standards, governance arrangements and operational documentation
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate work across teams, take ownership of issues and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences
• The ability to balance operational stability with continuous improvement, introducing effective governance and controls without slowing delivery
• Experience managing service costs, licences, supplier arrangements and demand forecasting, including using data to understand service adoption, predict future demand, and demonstrate service value for money Desirable
• A recognised service management qualification (for example ITIL v3 / v4 at Foundation level or above)
• Familiarity with Model Driven Power Apps, Dataverse and GOV.UK Notify
• Experience running a live service within an agile team working environment

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Technical

Please ensu