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# Head of IT Service Management

- **Company:** Michael Page
- **Location:** London, UK
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** £169,000.0 - £208,000.0
- **Contract:** Contract
- **Skills:** Agile Methodology, JIRA, Cyber Security, Disaster Recovery, Knowledge Management, Information Technology
- **Published:** August 10, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/head-it-service-management/ref/jn-082026-7080383

## About the Role

+ Extensive experience leading a busy IT Service Desk or IT Service Management function within a complex organisation.
 + Experience working within government, public sector, healthcare, or other highly regulated environments.
 + Proven expertise implementing and managing Service Desk platforms, ideally Jira Service Management.
 + Strong experience managing service transition processes and introducing new services into live operations.
 + Demonstrable experience managing and reporting against SLAs and OLAs.
 + Excellent customer service focus with a track record of improving user experience.
 + Strong understanding of ITIL principles and service management best practices.
 + Relevant ITIL certification (Foundation, Practitioner, Intermediate, or equivalent).
 + Experience developing service management frameworks, policies, and operational procedures.
 + Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root-cause analysis skills.
 + Experience managing vendors and third-party service providers.
 + Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
 + Experience leading, mentoring, and developing technical teams.
Desirable

 + Understanding of Agile methodologies.
 + Knowledge of government IT security practices and controls.
 + Experience with knowledge management frameworks and systems.
 + Experience delivering automation and self-service initiatives.
 + Strong technical understanding of end-user computing environments.

## Description

* Lead and develop a high-performing IT Service Management team, promoting a customer-focused culture.
 * Own major incident management, ensuring effective resolution and stakeholder communication.
 * Oversee day-to-day Service Desk operations, including incidents, service requests, and desktop support.
 * Manage service performance against SLAs and OLAs, identifying trends and improvement opportunities.
 * Develop and maintain IT service management policies, processes, and procedures aligned to best practice frameworks.
 * Lead the strategic development and enhancement of Service Desk tooling, preferably Jira Service Management.
 * Drive improvements in reporting, automation, self-service capabilities, and user experience.
 * Oversee service transition and change control activities for new and updated IT services.
 * Ensure successful deployment, acceptance, handover, and operational readiness of new services.
 * Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders and represent Service Management in governance forums.
 * Manage suppliers and third-party support relationships.
 * Contribute to disaster recovery planning and participate in recovery exercises.
 * Produce and present service performance reports to senior leadership.
 * Drive continual service improvement initiatives across the IT landscape.


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