Service Design & Transition Lead

About the role

The Service Design & Transition Team is part of Technology and Transformation at the Partnership. The Service Design & Transition Lead will sit within the Service Assurance part of the broader Service Management Team working alongside other Service Design & Transition Leads, as well as our strategic external partners.

As the Service Design and Transition Lead you will be working in collaboration with other Service Design & Transition Leads. Some of these leads are our SIAM Partners and others external vendors where you will be required to maintain the third party relationship. You will own and be accountable for all aspects of Service Design & Transition, including development, governance, compliance reporting and continual improvement. The role requires you to ensure the transition of delivery across Product Teams to a quality standard, establishing the requirements and modelling for ongoing delivery.

• Expected Salary  - £70,000 - £85,000

• Contract type - This position is a permanent contract

• Working pattern/flexible working - This is a hybrid working role, therefore your time will primarily be split between working from home and the Bracknell Head Office. However, there will also be an expectation to visit other locations as the need arises such as our London Office or Supplier Offices.

• Location - This role is based at our Bracknell Head Office. The Service Management Team are required to attend the Bracknell Office 1 day a week to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis and attend key meetings. 

• Interviews - Interviews will be in person at our Bracknell Head Office

Key responsibilities 

• Oversee acceptance of changes into live service, ensuring all deliverables are met and risks are addressed.

• Ensure proposed solutions align with the Operating Model and service strategy.

• Develop and own Operational Working Agreements to define responsibilities, support outcomes, and communications.

• Define and manage Early Life Support (ELS) arrangements and activities collaborating closely with Product & Platform Teams through a well-documented ELS process and support model.

• Architect and manage end-to-end service design and transition, ensuring a smooth service operating model.

• Ensure our strategic partners effectively manage the introduction of new services and changes.

• Maintain and ensure the accuracy of the Service Catalogue, reflecting the current IT landscape.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need 

• Comprehensive knowledge of Service Design and Transition, along with proven experience of working within this space.

• Significant and demonstrable experience working in IT Service Management including its use within Agile Product Teams.

• Comprehensive working knowledge of ITIL, version 3 or version 4

• Working knowledge of agile methodologies & DevSecOps frameworks.

• Previous experience with delivering Service Design & Transition Requirements and working closely with Product/Project Managers & Business Stakeholders.

• A credible and established expert with good commercial and operational acumen, who is able to demonstrate extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in building strong relationships, including third parties.

• An intuitive leader with the ability to coach others and effectively facilitate stakeholder sessions as needed.

• Proven ability to thrive in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, with exceptional problem-solving abilities, strong analytical thinking, and meticulous attention to detail.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and communicate clearly, both formally and informally, with all partners and customers

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Experience of working in SIAM environment.

• Working knowledge of Agile methodologies e.g SCRUM/Kanban.

• Experience in the retail sector.

• Familiarity with Atlassian Tool Set (Jira/Confluence) and Service Now.

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The Partnership

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.  

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.