IT Service Design & Transition Manager

IT Service Design and Transition Manager
Contract Duration: 6 monthsPay Range: £650.00 - £750.00 per day (Inside IR35)Location: Central London (Hybrid - 1-2 days per week onsite)Start Date: ASAP
Job OverviewThe IT Service Design & Transition Manager is responsible for ensuring that new and changed IT services are designed, introduced and assured in a controlled and sustainable way. Working across technology, operational teams, service providers and business stakeholders, the role protects live service quality, supports effective technology adoption and ensures services align with the organisation's IT strategy and target operating model.Key Responsibilities
Manage the controlled introduction of new and changed IT services into the live environment.Define and assure service designs that align with the IT strategy, target operating model and operational requirements.Assess transition risks and coordinate actions to protect the quality and continuity of live services.Plan and oversee hyper-care and transitional support arrangements following implementation.Work with service providers, operational teams and other stakeholders to ensure each service has an effective and sustainable support model.Verify operational readiness, including support processes, ownership, reporting, documentation and service acceptance criteria.Lead cross-functional teams through service transition and technology adoption activities.Use performance data, reports and dashboards to monitor outcomes, identify issues and support informed decisions.Build strong stakeholder relationships and communicate progress, risks and decisions clearly to peers and senior leaders.Contribute to the development and delivery of functional strategy and continuous service improvement.
Skills & Experience
Significant experience in IT service operations, service transition or retail technology deployment.Strong technical grounding with the ability to understand how technology works, not just coordinate delivery at a programme level.Systems thinking, with the ability to understand how applications, infrastructure, integrations, services and support models interact across an enterprise environment.Experience working with cloud-based technologies, with exposure to AWS being highly desirable.Knowledge of enterprise applications, including Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms such as Microsoft Dynamics 365.Experience with ServiceNow or comparable IT service management platforms.Good understanding of IT infrastructure, including servers, networks and supporting technologies.Experience of telephony and contact centre technologies is desirable.Strong understanding of data integrations, interfaces, dependencies and the operational impacts of system change.Awareness of hardware and end-user devices, with the ability to support services spanning software, infrastructure and physical technology.Ability to translate technical solutions into operational support models, including support processes, ownership, incident management, knowledge articles and operational readiness criteria.Experience managing teams that support operational service delivery and technology adoption in a retail or field-service environment.ITIL Foundation certification or an equivalent service management qualification.Proven experience managing hyper-care or transitional support phases.Strong data-driven decision-making skills, including proficiency with reporting tools and dashboards.Excellent communication, leadership and people-management capabilities.Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams in a fast-paced operational environment.Experience working with service teams and supporting technology adoption at scale.Proven ability to collaborate with peers and senior managers to shape and deliver functional strategy and business objectives.Substantial experience establishing successful cross-functional stakeholder relationships.Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.