ServiceNow Platform Lead - Outside IR35

Experienced ServiceNow Specialist to support and improve an existing ServiceNow platform on a contract basis. This is a hands-on individual contributor role: the successful candidate will confidently work in the platform as an admin, assess the current configuration, identify gaps and opportunities (including out-of-the-box capabilities), and implement changes.

The role requires the ability to work with task and process owners, translate business policies and process documentation into practical ServiceNow configurations and workflows, and deliver incremental improvements across customer and agent experience, integrations/data imports, reporting/dashboards, notifications, and defect resolution.

This contract role is accountable for delivering defined outcomes in short waves. The specialist is expected to assess the current ServiceNow instance, recommend an implementation approach, and deliver working capability in production with appropriate documentation, training, and handover.

The successful candidate will propose the detailed plan and validate feasibility with a focus on out-of-the-box approach for core ITSM with limited bespoke development.

• Weeks 1–2: Rapid assessment of the current ServiceNow implementation (configuration, customisations, integrations, data model, security/roles, technical debt), stakeholder onboarding, and a Wave 1 delivery plan (backlog, sprint plan, resource plan).
• Week 3: Stand up a safe build-and-test approach (e.g., dedicated parallel build environment, clone strategy, or other appropriate method) that avoids disruption to existing operational work.
• Weeks 4–5: Build and test platform foundations for Wave 1 (core data model/CMDB baseline, roles, notifications, evidence/audit logging, reporting hooks, integration/API patterns).
• Weeks 6–7: Configure and implement the Incident, Change, and Corrective Action workflows and supporting forms, automation, and reporting.
• Week 8: Business-led UAT with process owners; complete training materials and deployment runbooks.
• Week 9: Production cutover and hypercare entry.
• Weeks 10–12: Stabilisation, bug fixes, adoption/training completion, and Wave 2 scoping workshops and lessons learned.

Key Responsibilities

• Sprint leadership and delivery management: Own the delivery backlog, break requirements into build-ready stories, define acceptance criteria, and prioritise with stakeholders. Plan and run sprint ceremonies (sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives) and maintain visibility through simple reporting (burndown, risks/issues, decisions). Manage any additional technicians/configurators engaged for the programme: assign work, remove blockers, review output quality, and ensure productive delivery throughout each sprint. Coordinate UAT and business sign-off, and ensure training and adoption activities are planned and executed.
• Stakeholder engagement and process discovery: Meet with process owners and subject matter experts to understand objectives, pain points, and current-state processes. Translate business needs into user stories, functional requirements, and acceptance criteria. Propose pragmatic solutions that balance usability, supportability, and speed of delivery.
• Platform assessment and solution design: Log in as an administrator and evaluate the current instance configuration, customisations, data model/CMDB usage, security/roles, and operational health. Perform a gap assessment against documented policies and processes; propose a pragmatic implementation approach and prioritised backlog. Identify and recommend out-of-the-box capabilities and patterns to minimise custom development and improve maintainability. Translate business policy and process documentation into implementable technical changes (tables/fields, roles/groups, catalog items/record producers, flows, notifications, SLAs, reports/dashboards).
• ServiceNow configuration and development: Configure and develop workflows and automations using appropriate ServiceNow tools (e.g., Flow Designer, business rules, scripts, UI policies, client scripts, notifications). Build and enhance customer-facing and agent-facing experiences (portals, forms, routing, and case/incident handling patterns). Deliver incremental improvements with appropriate testing and release documentation.
• Defect triage and continuous improvement: Investigate reported issues, identify root causes, and implement durable fixes. Improve reliability and observability of automations (error handling, logging, and alerting where appropriate). Maintain a clean backlog with clear prioritisation, impacts, and dependencies.
• Integrations, data imports, and CMDB support: Build and maintain integrations and data imports (Import Sets, Transform Maps, scheduled jobs, data validation). Improve the quality and usability of CI/asset data, relationships, and operational context (e.g., linking records and related lists). Partner with platform owners to maintain good CMDB hygiene and consistent data models.
• Notifications and collaboration tooling: Configure and maintain notification rules for internal teams and customers. Implement and refine collaboration integrations (e.g., Slack or similar) to route updates to the right channels/teams. Improve customer communications and self-service flows (e.g., portal notifications, user account recovery journeys).
• Reporting and dashboards: Create or enhance dashboards and reports to support operational decision-making. Build views that highlight exceptions and anomalies (e.g., missing data, stale readings, or other operational signals).
• Delivery management and sprint execution: Run lightweight agile ceremonies (backlog grooming, sprint planning, daily check-ins as needed, and sprint reviews) to ensure steady delivery and stakeholder alignment. Maintain clear work tracking (stories, acceptance criteria, test evidence, and release notes) and coordinate dependencies across teams and vendors.
• Documentation and handover: Document end-to-end processes, workflows, integrations, and configurations (runbooks, diagrams, knowledge articles). Provide handover sessions and enablement for support teams and process owners. Maintain a clear audit trail of changes, decisions, and technical notes.

Required Experience / Skills

• Proven, hands-on experience as a ServiceNow administrator/developer supporting an existing production instance (not a purely advisory or transformation role).
• Demonstrated ability to assess an existing platform, identify gaps/technical debt, and execute improvements using out-of-the-box features where possible.
• Ability to interpret business policies and process documentation and translate them into implementable ServiceNow requirements and configuration changes.
• Strong delivery management skills: able to plan and run sprints, manage a backlog, and direct additional technicians/configurators to deliver on time with quality.
• Working knowledge of upgrade-safe configuration practices and when to configure vs customise.
• Practical knowledge of core configuration and development mechanisms, such as: Flow Designer / Workflows, Business Rules, Script Includes UI Policies, Client Scripts Notifications/events, SLAs Record Producers and/or Catalog Items (where applicable) Import Sets / Transform Maps and scheduled imports.
• Solid understanding of CMDB fundamentals (CI classes, relationships, service mapping) and how CMDB data underpins Incident/Change impact analysis, reporting, and integrations.
• Experience defining and documenting API/integration patterns in ServiceNow (e.g., IntegrationHub/REST), including error handling, logging, and support runbooks.
• Comfortable collaborating with non-technical stakeholders and converting discussions into build-ready work.
• Comfortable operating as a delivery lead for your own workstream (backlog management and sprint planning) while remaining hands-on in configuration and build.
• Strong documentation skills (clear process write-ups and support-ready runbooks).

Preferred / Nice to Have

• Experience with Customer Service Management (CSM) and portal implementations.
• Experience with ServiceNow implementations supporting data centres.
• Integration experience with asset / facilities / DCIM-type platforms (any vendor).
• Experience implementing collaboration integrations (Slack, Teams, etc.) and routing logic.
• Familiarity with CMDB data modelling, CI relationships, and operational reporting.
• ServiceNow certifications (CSA/CAD/CIS) are a plus but not required.