Service Manager

Grade 8

The post holders are responsible for management and operational oversight of a suite of IT services throughout their life cycle, ensuring at all stages that customer needs are understood and fully met. They will liaise with senior stakeholders, including key customers and users, co-ordinate the work of multiple specialist teams and suppliers involved in service delivery, and manage the overall performance of the service. They are also responsible for managing service revenue and expenditure within an agreed budget.

The post holders are experienced and recognised authorities in delivering and managing IT services, and are renowned for their effective relationships with customers and technical specialists alike.

Essential selection criteria

  • Knowledge, intellectual capacity, reasoning and analytical skills equivalent to those of a graduate
  • Proven record of delivering and managing IT services, preferably in a higher education setting
  • Proven record of effective stakeholder engagement, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with different types of stakeholder at all levels within an organisation
  • Demonstrable ability to plan effectively and creatively in the design and development of services, ideally in a devolved organisation
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively, to manage own workload and to remain calm and organised under pressure
  • Experience of setting targets and monitoring performance against these, intervening and directing when necessary to enable targets to be achieved
  • Excellent communication skills including the ability to convey complex concepts with clarity and in a manner appropriate to the audience, and to command the confidence of both the IT and academic communities
  • Confidence and quick learning in a wide range of (software) tools used for ITSM, data analysis, documentation and presentation
  • Knowledge of current directions in IT, and a strong commitment to self-development

Desirable selection criteria

  • Qualification or experience in one or more of the following areas: IT service management, project management, business relationship management
  • General knowledge of a range of core IT concepts, such as IP networking, virtualisation, web hosting, databases, security, user experience design
  • Understanding of the research, teaching and administrative processes of a higher education institution and how IT supports this
  • Experience of managing financial budgets in a service delivery context

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