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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Service Management Manager

💰 $110,000 - $160,000

IT Service ManagementLeadershipTechnologyIT Operations

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a passionate leader dedicated to achieving operational excellence? This role requires a dynamic Service Management Manager to own, develop, and mature our IT Service Management (ITSM) framework. In this pivotal role, you will lead a dedicated team and govern the core ITIL processes, including Incident, Problem, Change, and Request Management. You will be the champion of service stability, the bridge between IT operations and business stakeholders, and the driving force behind our continuous service improvement initiatives. If you thrive on optimizing processes, leveraging data to make decisions, and mentoring a high-performing team, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact on our organization's success.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Incident/Problem/Change Manager
  • IT Operations Lead
  • Senior ITIL Process Owner
  • Lead Service Desk Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Director of IT Service Management
  • Head of IT Operations
  • Senior Director, Enterprise Technology Services
  • VP of Infrastructure & Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • IT Operations Manager
  • Senior Manager, Change & Release Management
  • Senior IT Project or Program Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the design, implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of all core IT Service Management (ITSM) processes, including Incident, Problem, Change, Request, Asset, and Configuration Management.
  • Provide strong leadership, mentorship, and career development guidance to the service management team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer-centric service.
  • Define, monitor, analyze, and report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to measure service quality and drive data-informed improvements.
  • Act as the primary escalation point and leader for Major Incident Management, coordinating cross-functional technical teams to ensure rapid service restoration and effective stakeholder communication.
  • Chair and manage the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and post-implementation reviews, ensuring changes are properly assessed, approved, and scheduled to minimize risk to the production environment.
  • Develop, maintain, and promote the IT Service Catalog, ensuring all service offerings are clearly defined, business-aligned, and easily accessible to end-users.
  • Drive a robust Continuous Service Improvement (CSI) program by analyzing service trends, leading root cause analysis for problems, and implementing strategic initiatives to enhance performance and stability.
  • Manage and cultivate strong relationships with key business stakeholders and IT leadership to ensure service delivery is aligned with their strategic objectives and evolving expectations.
  • Own the governance and strategic roadmap of the primary ITSM platform (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), ensuring its configuration and functionality support efficient and effective processes.
  • Lead formal post-incident review meetings for all major incidents, documenting lessons learned, and tracking corrective action items through to completion to prevent recurrence.
  • Establish and mature a comprehensive Knowledge Management practice, promoting the creation and use of knowledge articles to improve resolution times and enable user self-service.
  • Collaborate with project management and engineering teams to ensure new or changed services are designed for operational readiness and smoothly transitioned into the live service environment (Service Transition).
  • Conduct regular service review meetings with business partners and IT executives to discuss performance against SLAs, review ongoing improvement efforts, and plan for future needs.
  • Mature the organization's Problem Management process to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach, identifying and eliminating underlying issues before they impact services.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive communication plans for major incidents, planned maintenance activities, and significant service changes to ensure transparency and manage user expectations.
  • Ensure all service management processes and supporting documentation are kept current, regularly audited, and compliant with internal policies and external regulatory standards.
  • Manage relationships and performance of third-party vendors and service providers, ensuring they meet contractual obligations and deliver value.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover service trends and insights.
  • Contribute to the organization's broader IT strategy and technology roadmap, representing the voice of service operations.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate evolving data and service needs into actionable engineering and process requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within technology teams to provide an operational perspective.
  • Assist in the development and testing of business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
  • Develop and deliver training materials to IT staff and business users on ITSM processes and best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • ITIL Certification: ITIL v4 Foundation required; Managing Professional (MP) or Strategic Leader (SL) certification is highly preferred.
  • ITSM Platform Expertise: Deep administrative and strategic experience with enterprise ITSM tools such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, BMC Helix, or Ivanti.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Proficiency in creating dashboards and reports using tools like Power BI, Tableau, or native ITSM reporting to track KPIs and SLAs.
  • Process Design & Mapping: Proven ability to design, document, and optimize complex IT processes using methodologies like BPMN or value stream mapping.
  • Project Management Knowledge: Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall methodologies to effectively collaborate with development and project teams.
  • Technical Acumen: Strong understanding of enterprise IT infrastructure, including cloud services (AWS, Azure), networking, servers, and databases.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership & People Management: Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, and develop a team of technical professionals, fostering a positive and high-performance work environment.
  • Stakeholder Management & Influence: Exceptional skill in building rapport, managing expectations, and influencing decision-making with stakeholders at all levels, from technical engineers to senior executives.
  • Strategic & Analytical Thinking: Ability to see the big picture, analyze complex situations, identify trends from data, and formulate effective strategies for service improvement.
  • Communication Excellence: Superior verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical issues and process details to a non-technical audience.
  • Customer-Centric Mindset: A relentless focus on the end-user experience and a passion for delivering services that enable business success.
  • Resilience & Composure: Ability to remain calm, focused, and decisive under pressure, especially during high-stakes major incident scenarios.
  • Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Adept at navigating disagreements and facilitating a consensus-driven approach to problem-solving and process adherence.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Information Technology
  • Computer Science
  • Business Administration
  • Management Information Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8-12 years of progressive experience in IT Operations or Service Management.

Preferred:

  • A minimum of 5+ years in a formal leadership or management role directly overseeing service management functions and personnel.
  • Proven track record of successfully implementing or maturing multiple ITIL processes (e.g., Incident, Problem, Change) in a medium-to-large enterprise environment.
  • Hands-on experience leading Major Incident recovery efforts and chairing a formal Change Advisory Board (CAB).
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