Head of IT Service Management

A large, established organisation in the industrial sector is undergoing a significant company-wide IT transformation, including a major ServiceNow scale-up programme.

The organisation is seeking an experienced Head of Service Management to lead and develop an established team of approximately 10–13 employees.

The strategic direction has already been defined. The immediate priority is execution: delivering short-term improvements, scaling ServiceNow and modernising service management processes across the organisation.

The successful candidate will combine enterprise-level ITSM expertise with strong people leadership, stakeholder management and change-management capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of approximately 10–13 Service Management professionals.
• Establish clear objectives, responsibilities and performance expectations.
• Support an experienced, long-standing team in adopting faster and more modern ways of working.
• Create a collaborative, accountable and delivery-focused team culture.

IT Service Management

• Oversee ITSM processes and service delivery across an enterprise environment.
• Execute the existing Service Management strategy and convert it into measurable outcomes.
• Improve the efficiency, consistency and maturity of ITSM processes.
• Establish effective governance, reporting and performance measurement.
• Ensure Service Management acts as a governance and enablement function for the wider organisation.

ServiceNow Ownership

• Lead the continued scaling and optimisation of ServiceNow.
• Increase ServiceNow adoption across the organisation.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes through workflow standardisation and automation.
• Lead internal enablement, training and communication around ServiceNow.
• Ensure the platform supports wider ITSM and transformation objectives.

Stakeholder and Supplier Management

• Work closely with senior IT leaders, business stakeholders and external service providers.
• Lead the Service Management Board and communicate progress, risks and priorities.
• Coordinate external suppliers and contribute to the organisation’s nearshore strategy.
• Build alignment between governance, operational delivery and business requirements.
• Act as a credible escalation point for service-related challenges.

Transformation and Change

• Act as a visible change leader within the Service Management function.
• Challenge established processes and behaviours constructively.
• Increase the pace of execution and ensure short-term deliverables are achieved.
• Balance immediate operational priorities with the longer-term development of the function.
• Help shape the future direction of Service Management once the initial delivery priorities have been achieved.

Required Experience

• Proven experience as a Head of Service Management, Head of ITSM or in a comparable senior Service Management leadership position.
• Strong enterprise-level ITSM and service delivery experience.
• Demonstrable experience leading an established team, ideally of 5–10+ employees.
• Significant experience working with ServiceNow.
• Track record of executing ITSM transformation or ServiceNow scale-up programmes.
• Experience managing senior stakeholders and external service providers.
• Understanding of nearshore or outsourced delivery models.
• Experience driving organisational, cultural and process change.

Personal Profile

• Hands-on, delivery-focused leader who can make an immediate impact.
• Strong change-management capabilities and the confidence to challenge established ways of working.
• Credible communicator who can operate effectively with both technical teams and senior leadership.
• Passionate, proactive and commercially aware.
• Able to combine strategic oversight with practical execution.
• Comfortable leading an experienced team through a period of significant transformation.