Service Design & Transition Manager

SD&T Manager (Service Design & Transition Manager)

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

Type: Full-Time / Fixed Term Contract

Experience: 8-15 Years

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced SD&T Manager to lead the design, transition, and implementation of new or changed services into live operational environments. You will ensure services are introduced seamlessly, with a strong focus on operational readiness, governance, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.

This role is ideal for someone with a strong background in Service Design & Transition, who can bridge the gap between project delivery teams and operational support functions to ensure successful service adoption and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end service transition process for new and changed services.
• Ensure all operational readiness activities are completed prior to service go-live.
• Define and maintain service transition governance frameworks and controls.
• Coordinate release and deployment activities across technical and business teams.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with service introduction.
• Work closely with project, engineering, operational, and business stakeholders to ensure successful handovers.
• Ensure service documentation, support models, training, and knowledge transfer activities are completed.
• Drive continuous improvement within Service Design and Transition processes.
• Monitor compliance with organisational standards, policies, and ITIL best practices.

Required Skills & Experience

• 8-15 years of experience within IT Service Management, Service Design, or Service Transition roles.
• Strong experience managing service onboarding and transition activities.
• Proven knowledge of ITIL Service Design & Transition practices.
• Experience delivering operational readiness assessments and go-live approvals.
• Strong understanding of release management and service governance.
• Experience managing risks, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work across multiple teams in fast-paced and complex environments.

Key Skills

• Service Transition
• Operational Readiness
• Release Management
• Governance
• Risk Management
• ITIL Service Design & Transition
• Stakeholder Management
• Continuous Improvement

Desirable

• ITIL Certification.
• Experience working within large-scale enterprise environments.
• Experience supporting digital transformation or service modernisation initiatives.