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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to ensure smooth operation of business-critical applications.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation at the heart of financial services technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy a collaborative culture, opportunities for growth, and a focus on customer satisfaction.
- Why this job: Be part of a team that values innovation and continuous improvement in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in ITIL, team management, and strong interpersonal skills are essential.
- Other info: Opportunity to work with external providers and drive impactful business outcomes.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
About the role
Our technology team sits at the heart of the organisation, ensuring that internal and external users benefit from the most efficient and user-friendly applications and services. We are looking for an experienced and proactive Application Support Manager to lead, develop and embed a newly formed application support function. This role involves bringing together a team of Support Analysts, Application Specialists and SQL developers to ensure the smooth operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of business-critical applications.
The ideal candidate will have a background in financial services with practical application of ITIL disciplines, technical expertise and required leadership skills to oversee incident management, problem management, live service provision with strong stakeholder management and proven team development experience.
As a key service within our business, our Application Support team provides support for our life and wealth business using packaged solutions supported by a number of bespoke developed SQL solutions. Experience of working with external solution providers to drive the right business outcomes would be required.
Key responsibilities
- Team Management: Lead, support, manage and develop a newly formed application support team to ensure efficient and effective support for all applications. This will involve the development of support best practice, underpinning processes and development of the team to embed a new function within the organisation.
- Incident Management: Oversee the incident management process of applications, ensuring timely resolution of issues and minimizing downtime.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Development of an Application Service Catalogue with associated SLAs and development of a high performing team to ensure adherence to agreed SLAs, maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Technical Expertise: Implement selected ITIL best practices to ensure that we develop a customer focused service oriented.
- Problem Management: Conduct root cause analysis for recurring issues and implement solutions to prevent future occurrences.
- Stakeholder Management: Develop strong relationships through effective communication and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including senior business leaders and third-party service providers.
- Performance Monitoring: Develop, monitor and report on the performance of applications and the support team, identifying areas for improvement.
- Compliance: Ensure all processes and procedures comply with regulatory requirements and company policies.
- Quality Assurance: Ensure that team deliverables are quality reviewed and work with Testing and Analysis functions to ensure releases are tested and fit for implementation.
- Technical Proficiency: Be able to offer technical input into complex solutions while supported by team technical leads.
- Disaster Recovery: Manage the disaster recovery and business continuity plans for applications.
- Performance Management: Conduct 121s with reporting line and drive improvements to service delivery and team capabilities.
- Sign off Implementations: Sign off implementations into production ensuring strict release processes are adhered to.
Qualifications and skills
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact with all business stakeholders up to and including Exec level engagement.
- Experience of developing and running multi-skilled teams with a proven track record in development of staff.
- Experience of working with Sonata (preferable) but experience of working with third party software package providers is essential.
- Experience in ITIL framework and IT Service management.
- Initiative and problem-solving skills, being able to work through a problem, try different solutions.
- Excellent business knowledge of Life/Pensions/Investment products.
- Experience of regulatory projects within Life/Pensions.
- Awareness/experience of workflow solutions.
- Proficient in using JIRA for task updates and tracking.
Scottish Friendly Values
We would like you to demonstrate the Scottish Friendly values in your role:
- WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER: We collaborate and value each other’s opinion. We’re a small team with a big impact. We support each other to thrive and grow.
- WE CARE ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS: Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to doing the right things for our customers. We listen to and learn from our customers.
- WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD: We always see change as an opportunity. Our progress is based on careful management of our risks. We have the courage to test new ideas and learn from them.
Application Support Manager employer: Scottish Friendly
Contact Detail:
Scottish Friendly Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Application Support Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with ITIL best practices, as this role heavily relies on them. Understanding how to implement these practices in a real-world setting will give you an edge during discussions with our hiring team.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your experience in managing multi-skilled teams. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've developed staff and improved team performance, as this is crucial for the Application Support Manager role.
✨Tip Number 3
Highlight your stakeholder management skills. Be ready to share instances where you've effectively communicated with senior leaders or external providers, as building strong relationships is key to success in this position.
✨Tip Number 4
Demonstrate your problem-solving abilities by preparing examples of how you've tackled complex issues in previous roles. This will show us that you can handle the challenges that come with overseeing incident and problem management.
We think you need these skills to ace Application Support Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in application support, team management, and ITIL practices. Use specific examples from your past roles that demonstrate your ability to lead teams and manage incidents effectively.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Mention how your background in financial services aligns with their needs, and provide examples of how you've successfully managed teams and improved service delivery.
Showcase Technical Expertise: Emphasise your technical skills, particularly in SQL and ITIL frameworks. Provide examples of how you've implemented best practices in previous roles and how you can bring that expertise to the Application Support Manager position.
Highlight Stakeholder Management Skills: Demonstrate your ability to build relationships with stakeholders. Include examples of how you've effectively communicated with senior leaders and third-party providers to achieve business outcomes.
How to prepare for a job interview at Scottish Friendly
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As an Application Support Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead and develop a team. Be prepared to discuss your previous experiences in managing teams, how you foster collaboration, and the strategies you use to motivate and develop your staff.
✨Understand ITIL Best Practices
Since the role requires knowledge of ITIL disciplines, make sure you can articulate your understanding of these practices. Be ready to provide examples of how you've implemented ITIL processes in past roles, particularly in incident and problem management.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement
Strong stakeholder management is crucial for this position. Think about your past experiences working with various stakeholders, including senior leaders and external providers. Prepare to share specific examples of how you've built relationships and communicated effectively to achieve business outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Technical Proficiency
You should be able to discuss your technical expertise, especially in relation to SQL solutions and application support. Be ready to explain complex technical concepts in simple terms, as well as any experience you have with tools like JIRA for task tracking.
