Overview
We are seeking a Lead Service Operations Engineer to oversee the stabilization and transformation of a service operations team. The contractor will play a pivotal role in resetting operational standards and processes while leading significant changes toward a more engineering-led operations model. The position offers an initial three-month engagement with the potential for extension based on progress and business needs, requiring a dynamic leader capable of managing major incidents and engaging with senior stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Stabilise operational standards and accountability within the team to enhance reliability in service delivery.
- Establish clear role definitions and boundaries with Product, Engineering, and Customer teams to reduce task ambiguities.
- Directly manage major incidents, ensuring effective communication with stakeholders and overseeing post-incident reviews.
- Clarify escalation paths and triage ownership to break inefficient support ticket patterns.
- Introduce interim KPIs and management reporting for transparent performance tracking and improvement actions.
- Define and enforce ITIL 4-aligned operational standards across various management areas with a focus on compliance and governance.
- Support the design and implementation of offshore/nearshore capabilities to broaden skill sets and ensure cost-efficiency.
- Present monthly service performance and transformation progress reports to senior leadership and stakeholders.
Requirements
- Extensive experience as a senior IT/Service Operations leader, particularly in change management and team transformation.
- In-depth knowledge of ITIL 4 across Incident, Problem, Change, Release, and Service Level Management, with practical enforcement abilities.
- Familiarity with the SFIA framework for assessing team capabilities and developing workforce plans, operating at SFIA Level 5-6.
- Direct experience transitioning support functions toward SRE, ARE or Production Engineering paradigms, incorporating SLOs and error budgets.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to foster accountability and a high-performing team culture.
- Proven capability in managing major incidents and communicating effectively under pressure.
- Comfortable working with cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure) and modern delivery practices like CI/CD and containerisation.
- Experience establishing or scaling offshore/nearshore delivery capabilities.