Service Delivery Manager

Service Delivery Manager

Location: Hove or Telford (or within 1 hour commute)

Employment Type: Fixed term for 12 months - with a view to convert to permanent

Salary: Competitive + Benefits

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Service Delivery Manager to lead the delivery of live operational services, ensuring high levels of service performance, customer satisfaction, and contractual compliance. This role is responsible for overseeing service operations, managing key stakeholder relationships, and driving continual service improvement across a managed services environment.

You will act as the primary point of contact for customers, ensuring services are delivered in line with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and governance frameworks while coordinating internal teams and third-party suppliers to maintain service excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end delivery of operational services for assigned clients or business areas.
• Monitor and manage service performance against SLAs, KPIs, and operational targets.
• Lead service review meetings and governance forums with clients and key stakeholders.
• Ensure effective management of major incidents, problems, risks, and service requests.
• Drive root cause analysis and continuous service improvement initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships, acting as a trusted service partner.
• Oversee supplier performance and ensure third-party services meet contractual obligations.
• Produce and present service reports, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with technical and operational teams to improve service reliability and customer experience.
• Ensure adherence to ITIL best practices and organizational governance standards.
• Support service transition activities for new services and projects into live operations.
• Identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce risk, and improve service quality.

Required Skills & Experience

Essential

• 7-12 years' experience in Service Delivery, Service Management, or related operational leadership roles.
• Experience managing services within a managed services or outsourced service environment.
• Strong client-facing experience, including stakeholder engagement at senior levels.
• Proven experience managing and reporting against SLAs and KPIs.
• Strong understanding of ITIL principles and service management frameworks.
• Experience in Incident, Problem, Change, and Service Request Management.
• Supplier and vendor management experience.
• Excellent customer relationship management skills.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.

Desirable

• ITIL Foundation or higher certification.
• Experience working within complex enterprise environments.
• Experience leading service improvement and transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of service reporting tools and analytics platforms.

Key Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Leadership & Accountability
• Relationship Management
• Problem Solving
• Service Excellence
• Continuous Improvement
• Commercial Awareness
• Collaboration & Influencing

What Success Looks Like

• Consistent achievement of SLA and KPI targets.
• High levels of customer satisfaction and stakeholder engagement.
• Reduced service disruptions through effective incident and problem management.
• Strong supplier performance and governance.
• Delivery of measurable service improvements and operational efficiencies.

This is an excellent opportunity for a service-focused professional who thrives in a customer-facing environment and enjoys driving operational excellence across complex service landscapes.