EU Major Incident Manager - French speaking in Ashford

The EU Major Incident Manager plays a pivotal role in protecting service availability across the business by leading the end‑to‑end management of all Major Incidents. You’ll drive rapid service restoration, deliver clear and timely communications, and minimise operational impact across multiple European markets. The role demands calm leadership under pressure, strong coordination skills, and the ability to bring together internal teams and external Service Providers to achieve swift, effective resolution. This is a hybrid position, with occasional travel for site visits, team meetings, or industry events. You will also participate in an out‑of‑hours on‑call rota, including overnight, weekend, and bank holiday cover, supported by an on‑call allowance.

Responsibilities

• Assess impact and urgency, declare Major Incidents, and initiate business continuity or disaster recovery procedures when required.
• Lead all service restoration activity, including workarounds and Major Incident calls.
• Coordinate Service Providers, resolver groups, and external suppliers to ensure timely engagement and progress.
• Deliver accurate, concise, and timely outage and business communications throughout the incident lifecycle.
• Drive post‑incident reviews, ensuring root cause identification and strong corrective and preventative action plans.
• Act as an escalation point where ownership or resolution responsibility is disputed.
• Provide technical and process guidance to resolver groups and Service Providers, ensuring a consistent global approach.
• Protect customer business interests by maintaining impartiality across all Service Providers.
• Work closely with Service Managers, Incident Managers, and Change Managers to strengthen the Major Incident process.
• Produce and maintain all Major Incident, Problem Review, and Root Cause Analysis reporting.
• Create problem records and identify systemic weaknesses for handover to the Problem Management team when not actively managing incidents.

About You

You bring solid experience in IT service operations and a strong grounding in ITIL practices, particularly Incident, Request, and Problem Management. You’re confident leading high‑pressure situations, coordinating multiple teams, and communicating clearly with both technical and non‑technical audiences. Your background includes working with complex, highly available technology environments, and you’re comfortable analysing trends, producing clear reports, and influencing others without direct authority. You’re organised, delivery‑focused, and able to work independently while remaining a strong team player. Adaptability, resilience, and the ability to negotiate effectively in challenging situations are key strengths. A customer‑focused mindset, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to maintain clarity during fast‑moving incidents are essential. Fluency in French is required for this role.

Additional Information

At Sysco GB everyone is welcome. We don’t want you to ‘fit our culture’ we want you to help define it and we actively celebrate the unique talents of each and every colleague. We don’t just look at your CV, we’re more focused on who you are and your potential. As part of our values, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone has a voice, is appreciated and has the same opportunities. We work hard to ensure that everyone feels part of our business, as we care for one another and connect the world through food and trusted partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone belongs and thrives at Sysco GB and we recognise that Sysco GB can only thrive when everyone feels they belong. We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, speak to our resourcing team who will be happy to support you.