Service Manager

In a nutshell 

In Sainsbury’s Tech we build the technology which powers the UK’s number 1 multi-channel, multi-brand retailer.  

The role of Service Manager is central to the business-critical transformation of Technology delivery at Sainsbury’s. Reporting through to a Head of Service Management, the heart of the role is contributing to running the technology services for a particular area of a domain within Sainsbury’s Tech, as well as ensuring that new services introduced in the area are delivered with the appropriate service support in place. 

This responsibility for making sure that specific services provided by Engineering Teams are supported effectively includes ensuring both internal and external teams are performing to a relevant set of operational KPIs / metrics regarding ITIL measures within Sainsbury’s Tech. 

The role holder must have a mindset and passion for IT Service Management and the ability to encourage this in the Engineering Teams, who operate in End-to-End Product Lifecycle Management delivery methodology. 

What I need to do 

• Ensure the smooth day to day running of service management for a specific area within a domain of Sainsbury’s Tech (usually aligned with a Head of Engineering/Technology). This entails running associated IT Service Management activities including incident management, problem management, change management and availability and capacity management. 

• Collaborate to ensure that new services introduced are of the highest quality for service support - meeting the agreed requirements of the engineering teams and business stakeholders. 

• Support the process to culturally embed a methodology for delivering high quality service across your relevant area in a domain. 

• Contribute to the delivery of Service Reviews with both Engineering Teams and Product Teams. 

• Work closely with the Engineering Teams to contribute to the creation of the Service Strategies for your respective area and services. 

• Manage our Tech partners – supporting and challenging them to meet our expectations and standards for delivering Service Excellence 

• Deliver the assessment of all Service Transition tasks for new services. 

• Work with Product & Delivery teams to ensure that new services introduced are and will meet the requirements needed for the service to operate efficiently and effectively for the customers / end users. 

• Support Risk Management activities, regarding service-related items, within respective areas. 

• Support (using your knowledge of service) your area with the on-going transition to full E2E  

• Product Lifecycle Management (where Engineering teams support the services they build). 

How I will succeed 

• Maintain strong and productive relationships with stakeholders, service providers, suppliers, and wider Sainsbury’s Tech colleagues to ensure that service management meets the required standards 

• Ability to follow principles and operating standards, using judgement to apply these in a way that is best for the area - and seeking support as required. 

• Collaborate with the product & Delivery teams to ensure that new services introduced are and will meet the requirements needed for the service to operate efficiently and effectively for the customers / end users. 

• Continuous communication within the Engineering Teams and wider Tech teams, with the aim to maintain a strong service mindset amongst them. 

• Be aware of the possibility of change and be able to embrace change at pace. 

• Ability to work collaboratively by engaging with internal and external teams to optimise Service offerings and performance. 

• Effectively manage risks, ambiguity and changing business priorities to deliver overall business benefit and Service excellence. 

• Be comfortable at making decisions (with Management guidance as appropriate) with patchy information and in the absence of clear guidelines and frameworks. 

• Collaborate with the Service Management community to embody and deliver the principles and capabilities set out as part of our Unified Service Management function 

What I need to know 

• An understanding of industry standards and best practice regarding service management. 

• An understanding of service management in the context of agile and iterative in-house development, as well as more traditional waterfall programme delivery. 

• Experience of ITIL Service Management framework. 

• Experienced in Agile, Waterfall and DEVOPS methodologies. 

• Understand process management and control. 

• A broad knowledge and understanding of Sainsbury’s Tech concepts with proven experience of successfully managing and maintaining services (desirable). 

What I need to show 

• Operate in an adaptive way to established and potential service requirements.  

• Strong customer Service manner: supporting others to make customer-oriented decisions. 

• Ability to support the implementation of processes - working collaboratively to support the long-term wider business agenda. 

• Show initiative to implement new ideas whilst being able to take an objective view on what is realistically possible. 

• Communication and influencing skills - including managing messages when presenting to stakeholders at all levels 

• Ability to take accountability for personal development including seeking feedback, building, and maintaining a meaningful personal development plan. 

• A proactive approach to Service Management – being self-motivated, curious and driven to find every way to improve our services and deliver our targeted Sustainable service ambitions 

Resources available to me 

• Service Compliance team within Service Operations 

• Other Service Managers, Service Leads and Heads of Service Management within the Domains across Sainsbury’s Tech 

• Engineering teams 

• Delivery teams 

• Service Community of Practice 

• Learning and Development resources, including Our Sainsbury’s 

What decisions I can make 

• Approve acceptance of specific services into BAU support. 

• Apply decisions around appropriate Level of Service Transition activities for new services. 

• Approval of specific changes to services in the live environment. 

• No specific budget.