Service Manager - 12 Months FTC

The role
This is a multi-faceted role within the IT Service Management team.
Working within the Service Design team of the Service Management department, this role is responsible for the acceptance of new or amended services into an operational support environment. This involves working closely with other IT functions, (Global Programme Group, Legal Technology Services, Infrastructure and Core Services, Regional Technology, IT Finance and 3rd parties) to define and agree the support of central services offered by IT to the Firm, including all documentation and knowledge, performance standards (and related measurements) and costs, thus providing a foundation for Service Level Management.
Additionally, this role may require liaising with non-IT teams using the ServiceNow Service Management Tool to advise on tool introduction, best practice and how to improve working efficiency through use of the tool.
The role is also focused on managing and delivering new or upgraded IT Products and Services into production to predicted time, quality and cost estimates.
Key responsibilities:

• Manage the successful transition of new or amended operational IT products, projects and/or services into production.
• Secure the delivery of the intended outcomes and benefits whilst maintaining BAU/operational stability.
• Identify, manage, mitigate and communicate major risks and complex issues associated with the delivery of the change.
• Work with teams to support and guide them through a successful project implementation, articulating the ways in which the change will affect users on a day-to-day basic.
• Work closely with other IT functions (Global Programme Group, Legal Technology Services, Infrastructure and Core Services, Regional Technology, IT Finance and 3rd parties) to define and agree the support of central services offered by IT to the Firm, including all roles and responsibilities, documentation and knowledge, performance standards (and related measurements) and costs, thus providing a foundation for Service Level Management.
• Maintain an understanding of roles and responsibilities and team structure across the organisation, to ensure that shape, structure and working practices within IT remain effective and consistent globally.
• Review appropriate service levels for internal and external service providers and ensure they remain relevant and effective.
• Good understanding and appreciation of offshoring and outsourcing models.
• Provide expert advice for operational issues with senior business & IT representatives.
• Work with global teams (both IT and outside of IT) to ensure the effectiveness and consistency in use of processes, including establishing suitable process measurements, metrics and relevant interpretation and resulting actions. Gain buy-in and acting on feedback at all levels.
• Work closely with other London based user-representatives and Business Professionals teams to proactively seek improvements which can be communicated, and demonstrated, to the business.
• Ensure that all work is supportive of the (primarily ITIL based) Service Management processes across the organisation.
• Provide support and assistance to all parts of the Service Management team, as and when the need arises.
• Contribute to the aims and success of the Service Management roadmap and ensure continual improvement of all processes as the IT organisation develops towards a service-based model.
• Provide Service Design related feedback for project planning and delivery.
• Operate a process of continuous improvement to raise the quality of the ‘user experience’ throughout all elements of IT support.
• Take responsibility for protecting and growing the reputation of the IT Department.

The post-holder must be qualified to ITIL Foundation, Prince2/MSP Practitioner, and ideally, Management of Risk Practitioner.

Skills & experience

• Strong project management skills, with a proven track record of delivery to time, cost and quality.
• Strong relationship skills to enable communication at all levels in both Practice Areas and Business Services.
• Strong process management skills to enable the smooth support of finance processes globally.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to analyse complex information to identify support flows.
• Proficiency in risk management.
• Experience in continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the user experience.
• Working in high-pressured projects to tight timescales.
• Producing statistics and reports through PowerBI, ServiceNow and MS Products, as required.
• Maintaining appropriate, accurate and robust templates, processes and documentation.
• Experience of using ServiceNow as a Service Management toolset.
• Awareness of local and regional sensitivity issues.
• Familiarity with cloud services.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams across different geographical locations.
• Strong negotiation skills to manage expectations and resolve conflicts among stakeholders.
• Exceptional customer service and working relationships with other technical and non-technical teams.
• Ability to work on your own initiative, find issues, and work with teams to resolve them.
• Experience working with a large user base, approximately 8,000 users.
• Excellent organisation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret and leverage data to improve service delivery and the customer experience.
• Proactive, resilient and comfortable with change.

Written and verbal communications

• Highly developed written communication skills and capable of producing global and sensitive communications to a varied audience at all levels in both Practice Areas and Business Services.
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal communications skills – customer-facing interaction or consulting experience is required.

Core competencies

Analytical Thought & Problem Solving
•    Makes decisions that solve the immediate problem and prevent it from occurring again.
•    Prepares for potential problems and contingencies in case things go wrong.
•    Takes prompt action to resolve problems quickly.
•    Makes pragmatic and practical decisions about how centrally driven initiatives should be implemented     locally.
•    Uses all relevant sources of information, including the team and other colleagues, to generate solutions.

Communicating and Influencing
•    Uses a range of different influencing techniques.
•    Takes account of different needs and concerns in order to effectively persuade others.
•    Communicates effectively with the team through structured meetings and reviews.
•    Resolves conflict and delivers feedback in an assertive and transparent way.

Commitment and Self-Motivation

•    Takes responsibility for addressing significant client-related issues.
•    Seeks feedback from others about own performance and seeks ways to improve.
•    Takes on challenging new tasks in order to develop.
•    Effectively balances competing client demands.

Leading and Developing Others

•    Shares relevant experience with the team.

Organising and Managing Resources

•    Ensures own and others' time is spent on activities that add the most value.
•    Reviews plans regularly, adapting to current or future setbacks and obstacles.
•    Recognises and plans for bottle necks and resource challenges in project plans.

Working Relationships

•    Is regarded as a 'trusted advisor' by service owners and other key stakeholders.
•    Is a valued member of networks outside their immediate team.
•    Demonstrates credibility and influence with senior clients or stakeholders.
•    Takes responsibility for growing the reputation of the team.

Organisational/Strategic Thinking

•    Demonstrates an understanding of what different departments do and how they work together.
•    Demonstrates an understanding of the firm's priorities - the factors which impact business performance - and the consequences of this for implementation.
•    Recognises unspoken constraints within the firm - what is and is not possible in certain situation.
•    Demonstrates a good understanding of clients' operational and environmental pressures, priorities and objectives.

Hybrid working

This role follows our balanced hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way in line with the hybrid working policy.
What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site.
Equal opportunities
At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm.

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.