At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead service management and support for a top online supermarket, ensuring operational excellence.
- Company: Join Ocado Retail, the world's largest dedicated online supermarket.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, discounts, hybrid working, and generous holiday options.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced tech environment while leading a talented team.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in IT service management and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Contract type: Permanent
Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours
Level: Head of Department
Application Closing Date: Tuesday 7th April 2026
About Us
Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re Ocado Retail, a market-leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket, ocado.com.
About The Team And The Role
The Head of Service Management & Support is a senior technology leadership role responsible for ensuring the end-to-end stability, reliability, and performance of all services that underpin Ocado Retail’s operations. This goes beyond traditional IT support: you will build and lead a world-class, business-wide service management capability that covers logistics, fulfilment, commercial operations, and customer experience — as well as core IT.
What You’ll Do
- Incident & Problem Management: Design and mature a unified, business-wide incident management framework covering IT, logistics, fulfilment, and customer operations. Command major (P1/P2) incidents: coordinate cross-functional teams for rapid resolution and ensure clear, timely executive communication. Lead problem management: drive root cause analysis, eliminate recurring failures, track remediation, and report on trend reduction.
- Cyber Incident Response: Lead the coordination of technology-layer cyber incident response with Information Security and external SOC/MSSP partners. Maintain effective communication throughout cyber incidents, including structured briefings for the executive team and Audit Committee when necessary.
- IT Service Delivery & Operations: Lead IT service and end-user support for reliable, efficient, user-centric services. Own and align ITSM processes (change, release, configuration, service catalogue) with ITIL 4 best practice.
- Supplier & Third-Party Management: Manage relationships with key third-party service delivery partners, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, SLAs, and value for money.
- Strategic Leadership & Continuous Improvement: Define the strategic vision for ORL service management, emphasising automation, proactive monitoring, observability, and AI ops.
- Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing Service team, fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture.
Who You Are
Essential: Significant experience in IT service management or service delivery leadership roles, with at least 3 years at a senior / Head of level. Demonstrated experience leading major incident management for complex, high-availability technology environments. Proven track record of building and maturing ITSM processes (incident, problem, change, release, configuration management) in line with ITIL 4.
Desirable: Experience co‑ordinating cyber or security incident response, working alongside an information security or SOC function. Familiarity with ITSM platforms such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Management, or similar.
What’s In It For You
By joining Ocado Retail, you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail.
Our Hiring Process
Lucky for us, we receive a high volume of applications and genuinely appreciate the time and effort invested by every candidate. To ensure a fair and thorough process, every application is reviewed by a member of our team.
Everyone’s welcome
We’re an equal opportunities employer, which means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally.
Head of Service Management & Support in Hatfield employer: Ocado Retail
Contact Detail:
Ocado Retail Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Service Management & Support in Hatfield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or even in person. Let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities, especially in service management and support roles. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a job at Ocado Retail!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Ocado Retail's values and mission. Think about how your experience aligns with their focus on service excellence and operational efficiency. This will help you stand out as a candidate who truly gets what they're all about.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your STAR technique for answering behavioural questions. Structure your responses around Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This will help you clearly demonstrate your leadership skills and problem-solving abilities, which are key for the Head of Service Management & Support role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the Ocado Retail team. Good luck!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Service Management & Support in Hatfield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Yourself: When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to see the real you, so don’t be afraid to share your experiences and passions that make you a great fit for the role.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to match the job description. Highlight your relevant experience in IT service management and leadership, and show us how you can contribute to our mission at Ocado Retail.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; tell us about your successes! Use specific examples to demonstrate how you've led teams, managed incidents, or improved processes in your previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity with Ocado Retail!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocado Retail
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Ocado Retail's operations and the role of Head of Service Management & Support. Familiarise yourself with their incident management frameworks and ITIL 4 best practices. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you speak confidently about how you can contribute.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading teams and managing major incidents. Be ready to discuss how you've driven continuous improvement and fostered a culture of accountability in previous roles. This is crucial for demonstrating your fit for a senior leadership position.
✨Understand Stakeholder Management
Think about how you’ve built relationships across departments in past roles. Be prepared to share specific instances where you’ve successfully aligned different teams towards a common goal. This will resonate well, as collaboration is key in this role.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, have a few thoughtful questions ready. Inquire about the current challenges Ocado Retail faces in service management or how they envision the future of their IT operations. This shows your strategic thinking and genuine interest in the company’s direction.