Service Delivery Manager

We’re looking for an experienced Service Delivery Manager who’ll be responsible for overseeing and driving the successful delivery of Focus application services.  As a senior member of the team, you’ll work closely with both the business and Focus value stream teams to ensure that Focus services are delivered in alignment with 1st Centrals goals, providing effective management of escalated Focus incidents, problems, and changes.  

You’ll play a key role in the Focus operational change process, driving improvements, supporting the development of the new function, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. You’ll be responsible for managing Focus Service Level Agreements (SLAs), reporting on service delivery, and ensuring the timely execution of service-related activities. Working within a DevOps environment, you’ll engage with Product owners, Development teams, Architecture, and business teams to deliver seamless Focus services.  As part of a community of practice with other Service Delivery Managers, you’ll collaborate on best practice across Service delivery, looking for opportunities to continually improve the Service delivery practices across 1st Central. 

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.  

 Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role: 

• You’ll have proven experience working within a senior software role, preferably in a high-paced and empowered organisation. 

• You'll have strong experience in service delivery management, including the coordination of cross-functional teams, managing escalations, and overseeing change processes. 

• You’ll have detailed experience working within a DevOps organization, collaborating with Development teams, Architecture, Devops teams, and business teams. 

• You’ll have experience working with Azure cloud services and related platforms (Azure Active Directory, Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, etc.). 

• You’ll have a solid technical background with strong understanding of IT service management processes (incident, problem, change management), especially in cloud and hybrid environments. 

• You’ll have experience working with and managing Service Level Agreements (SLAs), reporting on performance, and driving service improvements. 

• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with technical and business stakeholders. 

• Strong analytical skills, with a focus on identifying opportunities for service improvements and automation. 

• A passion for driving business value through technology and service delivery excellence. 

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects, ensuring the successful delivery of service outcomes. 

What’s involved: 

Service Delivery Management: 

• You’ll lead the day-to-day management of service delivery for the Focus application, ensuring seamless operations and alignment with business priorities. 

• You’ll manage the escalation of Focus application incidents, problems, and changes across the Value stream teams ensuring that service disruptions are minimised, and issues are resolved within agreed SLAs. 

• You’ll collaborate with the Focus cross-functional teams, and business stakeholders, to drive the successful delivery of Focus services 

• You'll facilitate prioritisation and coordination of Focus services, ensuring that business needs are met effectively and efficiently. 

• You'll monitor and report on service performance, ensuring KPIs and SLAs are met and exceeded, and provide regular updates to key stakeholders 

• You'll ensure a robust risk management process is in place to mitigate potential service disruptions and enhance business continuity. 

• You’ll participate in and support the planning, coordination, and execution of Focus releases and IT business planning managing associated communications across Product Eng 

• You’ll work as part of a community of practice with other Service Delivery Managers to share best practices, improve processes, and align on cross-functional service delivery goals. 

• You’ll lead initiatives that drive operational improvements, enhancing the quality and value of services delivered across the organisation. 

• You'll collaborate closely with internal teams and third-party providers to ensure that service delivery objectives are met and continuously improved. 

• You'll champion a culture of continuous improvement across Product Engineering 

•  You’ll identifying areas for optimsation and driving initiatives that enhance operational efficiency. 

• You’ll work as part of a community of practice with other Service Delivery Managers to share best practices, improve processes, and align on cross-functional service delivery goals. 

• You’ll promote the use of automation and self-healing processes to improve service reliability, reduce manual interventions, and enhance overall service delivery performance. 

• You’ll drive automation initiatives to support service delivery processes, leveraging technologies to streamline operations  

• You'll define, manage, and review Focus Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ensuring alignment with business expectations and contractual obligations. 

• You'll regularly assess service delivery performance against SLAs and take corrective actions where necessary to ensure that service levels are met. 

• You’ll conduct periodic reviews with business stakeholders to ensure that services are meeting the evolving needs of the business and to drive service improvements. 

• You'll report on service delivery performance and improvements to Value Stream SteerCo’s & Technology Leadership 

• You’ll lead risk management processes and systems to ensure resilience and business continuity in service delivery. 

• You'll manage escalations related to incidents and problems, ensuring timely resolution and maintaining service quality. 

• You'll oversee post-incident reviews and the implementation of corrective actions to prevent recurrence of issues. 

• You’ll be part of a 365/24/7 on call rota supporting the business on major incidents and other service delivery managers  

• You’ll deputise for the Head of Focus Service 

Core Experience 

• You’ll have proven experience working within a senior software role, preferably in a high-paced and empowered organisation. 

• You'll have strong experience in service delivery management, including the coordination of cross-functional teams, managing escalations, and overseeing change processes. 

• You’ll have detailed experience working within a DevOps organization, collaborating with Development teams, Architecture, Devops teams, and business teams. 

• You’ll have experience working with Azure cloud services and related platforms (Azure Active Directory, Azure Automation, Azure DevOps, etc.). 

• You’ll have a solid technical background with strong understanding of IT service management processes (incident, problem, change management), especially in cloud and hybrid environments. 

• You’ll have experience working with and managing Service Level Agreements (SLAs), reporting on performance, and driving service improvements. 

Technical Skills 

• You’ll be familiar with Azure stack, cloud platforms, and infrastructure, with practical experience in managing Azure services and automation. 

• You'll have hands-on experience with Azure Automation, PowerShell, or similar tools for automating processes and workflows. 

• You'll have knowledge of DevOps practices and Agile software development, with a focus on driving operational efficiencies and aligning with business goals. 

• You'’ll have an understanding of incident management tools and processes, with the ability to lead complex incidents and problem resolutions. 

Certifications 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (required) 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (preferred) 

• Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (preferred) 

• ITIL Foundation Certification (preferred) 

• Agile Ways of working (preferred)  

Additional Skills 

• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with technical and business stakeholders. 

• Strong analytical skills, with a focus on identifying opportunities for service improvements and automation. 

• A passion for driving business value through technology and service delivery excellence. 

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects, ensuring the successful delivery of service outcomes. 

Core Competencies 

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align IT service delivery with business objectives and long-term strategies. 

• Leadership & Influence: Strong leadership abilities, with experience in leading service delivery teams and influencing organizational change. 

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills, able to work with cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with both technical and business audiences. 

• Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage complex service delivery issues. 

• Customer-Centric Mindset: Focused on delivering value to the business through high-quality IT services and continuous improvement. 

• Change Management: Proven experience in managing and driving change, ensuring alignment with business priorities. 

So, if you’re up for the challenge and would like to join our vibrant and busy team, we want to hear from you today.