Service Manager - 12 Months FTC

This is a multi‑faceted role within the IT Service Management team. Working within the Service Design team, you will be responsible for the acceptance of new or amended services into an operational support environment. You will collaborate closely with other IT functions such as Global Programme Group, Legal Technology Services, Infrastructure and Core Services, Regional Technology, IT Finance and third parties to define and agree on the support of central services offered by IT to the Firm, including all documentation, knowledge, performance standards, and costs. Additionally, you may liaise with non‑IT teams using the ServiceNow Service Management Tool to advise on tool introduction and best practice. The role is also focused on managing and delivering new or upgraded IT products and services into production to predicted time, quality and cost estimates.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the successful transition of new or amended operational IT products, projects and/or services into production.
• Secure the delivery of the intended outcomes and benefits whilst maintaining BAU/operational stability.
• Identify, manage, mitigate and communicate major risks and complex issues associated with the delivery of the change.
• Work with teams to support and guide them through a successful project implementation, articulating how the change will affect users on a day‑to‑day basis.
• Define and agree on the support of central services offered by IT to the Firm, including roles, responsibilities, documentation, performance standards and costs.
• Maintain an understanding of roles and responsibilities across the organisation to ensure shape, structure and working practices in IT remain effective and consistent globally.
• Review appropriate service levels for internal and external service providers and ensure they remain relevant and effective.
• Apply a good understanding and appreciation of offshoring and outsourcing models.
• Provide expert advice for operational issues to senior business and IT representatives.
• Collaborate with global teams to ensure effective use of processes, including establishing suitable process measurements, metrics and actions.
• Work closely with London‑based user representatives and Business Professionals teams to seek improvements that can be communicated and demonstrated to the business.
• Ensure that all work supports the primarily ITIL‑based Service Management processes across the organisation.
• Provide support and assistance to all parts of the Service Management team as needed.
• Contribute to the Service Management roadmap and ensure continual improvement of all processes as the IT organisation evolves.
• Provide Service Design related feedback for project planning and delivery.
• Operate a process of continuous improvement to raise the quality of the user experience throughout all elements of IT support.
• Take responsibility for protecting and growing the reputation of the IT Department.

Qualifications

Post‑holder must be qualified to ITIL Foundation, Prince2/MSP Practitioner, and ideally Management of Risk Practitioner.

Skills & Experience

• Strong project management skills with a proven track record of delivery to time, cost and quality.
• Strong relationship skills enabling communication at all levels in both Practice Areas and Business Services.
• Strong process management skills to support finance processes globally.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information to identify support flows.
• Proficiency in risk management.
• Experience in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the user experience.
• Experience working on high‑pressure projects with tight timescales.
• Producing statistics and reports through PowerBI, ServiceNow and MS products.
• Maintaining appropriate, accurate and robust templates, processes and documentation.
• Experience using ServiceNow as a Service Management toolset.
• Awareness of local and regional sensitivity issues.
• Familiarity with cloud services.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams across different geographical locations.
• Strong negotiation skills to manage expectations and resolve conflicts among stakeholders.
• Exceptional customer service and working relationships with other technical and non‑technical teams.
• Ability to work on own initiative, find issues, and resolve them with teams.
• Experience working with a large user base, approximately 8,000 users.
• Excellent organisation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret and leverage data for service delivery improvement.
• Proactive, resilient and comfortable with change.

Written and Verbal Communications

• Highly developed written communication skills capable of producing global and sensitive communications to a varied audience.
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills – customer‑facing interaction or consulting experience required.

Core Competencies

• Analytical Thought & Problem Solving: Make decisions that solve the immediate problem and prevent recurrence. Prepare for potential problems and contingencies. Take prompt action to resolve problems quickly. Make pragmatic and practical decisions about how centrally driven initiatives should be implemented locally. Use all relevant sources of information to generate solutions.
• Communicating and Influencing: Use a range of influencing techniques. Take account of different needs and concerns to effectively persuade others. Communicate effectively with the team through structured meetings and reviews. Resolve conflict and deliver feedback assertively and transparently.
• Commitment and Self‑Motivation: Take responsibility for addressing significant client‑related issues. Seek feedback from others about own performance and ways to improve. Take on challenging new tasks to develop. Effectively balance competing client demands.
• Leading and Developing Others: Share relevant experience with the team.
• Organising and Managing Resources: Ensure own and others' time is spent on activities that add the most value. Review plans regularly, adapting to current or future setbacks and obstacles. Recognise and plan for bottlenecks and resource challenges in project plans.
• Working Relationships: Be regarded as a trusted advisor by service owners and other key stakeholders. Be a valued member of networks outside the immediate team. Demonstrate credibility and influence with senior clients or stakeholders. Take responsibility for growing the team's reputation.
• Organisational/Strategic Thinking: Understand what different departments do and how they work together. Understand the firm’s priorities and the consequences for implementation. Recognise unspoken constraints within the firm. Understand clients’ operational and environmental pressures, priorities and objectives.

Additional Information

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and, as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with an expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

Equal Opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.