At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead IT service delivery and ensure top-notch support across the Group.
- Company: Dynamic tech company focused on innovation and resilience.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, generous leave, bonuses, and exclusive discounts.
- Other info: Join a supportive culture with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in IT service management and drive continuous improvement.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in IT service management and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
The Senior IT Service Manager is responsible for the end-to-end delivery, stability, and continuous improvement of Technology Services across the Group. The role ensures platforms, applications, and end-user services operate reliably, securely, and in line with business priorities, regulatory requirements, and operational resilience standards. Providing senior leadership across IT service management, you will oversee operational support teams and act as the key authority for service performance, major incident management (including BCP), executive reporting, and technology resilience.
What you'll be responsible for:
- Service Desk & End-User Support: Lead the Group Service Desk, ensuring consistent, high-quality support across all locations. Define and monitor SLAs, KPIs, and customer satisfaction, driving continuous improvement and automation. Oversee effective incident management, including triage, escalation, and communication.
- Application & Platform Support: Own support for business-critical applications, ensuring performance and availability targets are met. Establish clear support models, governance, and escalation paths with teams and suppliers. Oversee platforms including Unified Communications and Microsoft 365, ensuring reliability, performance, and adoption.
- Major Incident & Service Performance: Act as senior escalation point for major incidents, leading response, communications, and recovery. Own service performance reporting, delivering clear insights and trends to senior leadership. Drive continual improvement through data, service reviews, and performance analysis.
- Problem & Change Management: Lead problem management to reduce recurring incidents, ensuring root cause analysis and action tracking. Oversee change governance, ensuring changes are assessed, controlled, and aligned to risk and business priorities. Set service acceptance standards for new or changed services.
- Business Resilience (BCP / DR): Provide leadership for IT resilience through oversight of BCP and DR capabilities. Ensure critical services have robust, tested plans and that risks, gaps, and test outcomes are addressed.
- ITSM Framework & Service Management: Own the ITSM operating model, aligned to ITIL and integrated with risk and security. Drive improvements across service catalogue, request fulfilment, knowledge management, and asset/configuration management. Lead service level management maturity, including service reviews and experience-led measures.
- People Leadership: Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams across Service Desk, Application Support, Platforms, and Resilience. Build a strong service-focused culture with clear objectives, accountability, and continuous development.
- Governance, Risk & Compliance: Ensure alignment with risk appetite, security standards, and regulatory requirements. Support audits and proactively identify and manage operational and resilience risks.
What you'll need:
Essential: Proven senior IT Service Management or Technology Operations experience. Strong knowledge of ITIL-aligned service management practices. Experience leading major incident and crisis management. Track record managing large-scale service desk and application support functions. Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills. Experience working within regulated or risk-focused environments.
Desirable: Experience with Microsoft 365 and Unified Communications platforms. Exposure to Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, or operational resilience. Familiarity with FCA/PRA requirements or ISO 22301. Experience producing senior or Board-level service and risk reporting.
Our Benefits:
- Hybrid working – 2 days in the office and 3 days working from home
- 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days over 2 years’ service and 30 days after 5 years’ service. Plus bank holidays!
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Pension scheme – 5% employee, 6% employer
- Flexible working – we will always consider applications for those who require less than the advertised hours
- Flexi-time
- Healthcare Cash Plan – claim cashback on a variety of everyday healthcare costs
- Electric vehicle – salary sacrifice scheme
- 100’s of exclusive retailer discounts
- Professional wellbeing, health & fitness app - Wrkit
- Enhanced parental leave, including time off for IVF appointments
- Religious bank holidays – if you don’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, you can use these annual leave days on other occasions throughout the year.
- Life Assurance – 4 times your salary
- 25% Car Insurance Discount
- 20% Travel Insurance Discount
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Employee Referral Scheme
- Community support day
Senior IT Service Manager in Bristol employer: Somerset Bridge
As a Senior IT Service Manager in Bristol, you will join a forward-thinking company that prioritises employee wellbeing and professional growth. With a hybrid working model, generous annual leave, and a strong focus on continuous improvement, the company fosters a collaborative and supportive work culture. Employees benefit from a range of perks including flexible working options, a healthcare cash plan, and community support initiatives, making it an excellent place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior IT Service Manager in Bristol
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the IT industry, especially those who work in service management. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions related to IT service management. Think about your past experiences and how they align with the responsibilities of a Senior IT Service Manager. We want you to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your leadership skills! Be ready to discuss how you've led teams and managed incidents in previous roles. Highlighting your ability to drive continuous improvement will definitely catch their attention.
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior IT Service Manager in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Senior IT Service Manager role. Highlight your experience with ITIL practices, major incident management, and any relevant technology operations you've led. We want to see how your skills align with what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your background makes you the perfect fit. Don’t forget to mention your leadership experience and how you’ve driven improvements in service management.
Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your past roles, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your impact. Whether it's improving SLAs or leading successful incident responses, we love to see quantifiable results that show how you can bring value to our team.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining StudySmarter and ready to take the next step in your career!
How to prepare for a job interview at Somerset Bridge
✨Know Your ITIL Inside Out
As a Senior IT Service Manager, you'll need to demonstrate a strong grasp of ITIL-aligned service management practices. Brush up on the key principles and be ready to discuss how you've applied them in your previous roles. Real-life examples will show that you not only understand the theory but can also implement it effectively.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires leading multidisciplinary teams, so be prepared to share your leadership experiences. Think about specific instances where you've built a strong service-focused culture or driven continuous improvement. Highlighting your ability to motivate and develop teams will set you apart.
✨Prepare for Major Incident Scenarios
Expect questions around major incident management and crisis response. Prepare to discuss how you've handled significant incidents in the past, including your approach to communication and recovery. This will demonstrate your capability to act as a senior escalation point when things go wrong.
✨Understand Business Resilience
Familiarise yourself with Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies. Be ready to explain how you've ensured critical services have robust, tested plans. Showing that you can identify risks and gaps will highlight your proactive approach to operational resilience.
