Service Transition Manager

Role summary/purpose of job

The Service Transition Manager is responsible for the management and coordination of all Service Design and Transition activities, processes, systems, and functions to deliver assigned projects from idea to live delivery.

Location Overview: Manchester

The Freshfields Global Centre provides both business and legal services to the firm. Our services are delivered in a way which supports the global nature of our firm and our clients, enables our fee earners to deliver exceptional service to our clients and to do that in a way which is efficient and effective.

Function Overview

This role reports into the service management and then Technology Services function that is responsible for the delivery of IT services to the firm.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

Help shape the process and governance around the Service Design and Transition framework.

Contribute to the Service Design & Transition continuous improvement plan, ensuring that improvement opportunities are formally registered and delivered against agreed timescales.

Working closely with Key Project Stakeholders including Product & Service Owners suggesting, collating and validating IT Service to deliver business outcomes.

Producing Service Design Packages which clearly and accurately define service definition, Service Criticality, Support Model, Underpinning Contracts, Support Hours, Staffing and Supplier Management Processes.

Working with Architects, Product Owners, Service and Engineers to understand the changes required to technically implement solutions.

Deliver Service Transition Activities in line with recognised best practice methodology (managing risk, governance, quality assurance, issue resolution, reporting), where the successful implementation of service resource skills and processes are just as critical to project success as technology.

Interface with 3rd party suppliers, involving agreement, planning, timelines and quality of deliverables.

Produce detailed Service Transition plans to manage risks, issues and dependencies.

Adhere to relevant escalation processes to escalate resource issues, support issues, delayed project phases, missed deadlines and other planning issues.

Ensure commercial project milestones are agreed and published and that invoices are raised with reference to these dates and/or on completion of deliverables.

Ensure the Service Design is mapped out with consideration to the existing operating model to determine any gaps and changes / additions which may be required.

Ensure products and services delivered within Service Transition are within time and budget constraints and meet the required level of quality.

Monitor the project ensuring issues are resolved in a timely manner and the appropriate corrective actions are implemented.

Produce support models and all required documentation for project delivery in line with the process.

Review the outcomes of the Service Transition Projects to determine any corrective actions that could be taken to improve future delivery in terms of cost, quality and customer satisfaction.

Own the end the to end delivery of Service Design and Transition activities for projects.

Ensure effective warranty and early life management for project deliveries to Live Service.

Key Requirements

Knowledge & Experience

Forward thinking and detailed and passionate Service Management professional

Process improvement skills

Experience of Customer Insight practices e.g. Voice of the Customer

Experience in developing insight from a variety of data sources including those created by other teams such as data analysis and external research

Experience of assimilating fact-based evidence and recommendation into effective output

Excellent analytical, problem solving and influencing skills

Major Incident Management experience

Experience in holding supplier/service reviews with external vendors

Strong ITIL Experience (Foundation level minimum, or equivalent) and Service Management principle understanding

Technical & People Skills

Applies structured thinking and logical reasoning

Collaborative, professional, accountable and trustworthy

Passion for customer excellence

Ability to translate analysis into insights

Fosters strong connections and works in collaboration with other teams & departments

Knowledge of systems and relevant software applications (ITSM toolsets – ideally ServiceNow)

Service Management process and lifecycle management – previous experience with Service Management communication and interaction channels.

Knowledge of modern approaches to Service Management, including automation.

Proven skills in matrix management

Highly dynamic approach to task management

Able to present at all levels, able to communicate technical findings to non-technical audience in an engaging manner

Ensuring stakeholders and contributors are involved across the change management process, gaining sign off at regular touch-points

Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.

Empathetic – Views from a customer perspective

Ability to influence outside of specific area of management, demonstrating the value and encouraging collaboration

Can generate solutions from complex problems

Excellent facilitation ability

Sound commercial acumen

Decisive and calm in a crisis

Freshfields Overview

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a major international law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for legal advice where it most matters, wherever in the world that may be. The Firm has over 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world, providing a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.

Our people make our firm – we are a people business and want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all can flourish. We see diversity as a strength which creates fresh perspectives and generates new ideas. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job. We deliver best when working in teams. Our culture is a product of the combined mindsets and behaviours of our people which is through the Being Freshfields principles, outlined below:

we show respect to everyone

we are there for one another

we are open with each other

we are positive role models

We think and work globally – we don’t just say we are one firm; we act like one firm right across the world. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Cross-border work isn’t just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge language and cultural gaps.

We aim to add value in everything we do – we are passionate about helping our clients succeed. We use our experience and creativity to help clients make judgements and achieve their goals. In everything we do, we seek to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate.

Freshfields is committed to promoting equality and diversity and to developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds make important and positive contributions to our business a