IT Service Introduction Manager at UST, Nottingham, £Contract Option

Role description

Service Introduction Manager (Service Design & Transition)

Nottingham – Hybrid (3 days per week onsite)
Contract (Inside IR35) or Fixed‑Term Employment

We’re looking for an experienced Service Design & Transition Manager to lead the successful introduction of new and changing IT services into live operations. This is a high‑impact role, working closely with senior stakeholders, delivery teams, and external partners to ensure services are operationally ready, resilient, and scalable from day one.

You’ll play a pivotal role in bridging delivery and operations, ensuring that what is built can be effectively supported, operated, and continuously improved.

The Role:

• Lead the design, transition, and introduction of new or enhanced IT services into Service Operations.
• Own Service Readiness through to go‑live, ensuring both functional and operational acceptance.
• Define and embed ITIL‑aligned service design and transition processes across the full delivery lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain Service Acceptance Criteria, Run Books, support models, and transition documentation.
• Partner with business and technology leaders, including executive‑level stakeholders, to manage expectations and outcomes.
• Lead change management activities to ensure smooth adoption and minimal service disruption.
• Manage and mitigate service risks, dependencies, and operational impacts.
• Lead negotiations around SLAs, OLAs, and underpinning support processes.
• Coordinate effectively with third‑party suppliers and multiple delivery partners, facilitating alignment and accountability.
• Support migration and dual‑running activities, ensuring operational continuity.
• Drive continuous service improvement, embedding best practices across delivery and operations.
• Contribute to the evolution of RunOps and operating models, including engagement of new or existing support partners.

What you will bring:

• Proven experience in IT Service Management roles, with a minimum of 18+ months at management level in Service Design / Service Transition.
• Strong knowledge of ITIL frameworks and the full service lifecycle.
• Experience working across both Agile and Waterfall delivery environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams, including line‑management and performance management experience.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with confidence engaging at senior and executive level.
• Experience supporting digital or web re‑platforming programmes, ideally within cloud‑hosted environments.
• Good understanding of modern architectures (cloud platforms, microservices, APIs).
• Awareness of migration considerations such as content, data mapping, integrations, SEO impact, and redirect strategies.
• Strong organisational skills, comfortable working independently using tools such as Jira, Confluence, and SharePoint.
• A pragmatic, solutions‑focused mindset with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity.