Head of IT Service Management (Service Owner) HMRC - G7
Government Digital & Data -
Location
Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stratford, Telford, Worthing
Due to workforce controls, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Stratford are only available to existing HMRC staff in these locations. HMRC staff based in Reading can also apply to move to Stratford in line with Migration path. HMRC staff based in 100PS can also apply to move to Stratford.
About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
HMRC is transforming the UK’s tax system through cutting-edge digital innovation and the Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) Group is at the heart of that mission.
We are building high-quality digital services that will enhance the customer experience, enable real-time interactions, and make tax simpler and more intuitive for everyone. By equipping our colleagues with modern tools and technologies, we are also reshaping how we work — allowing HMRC to focus its resources where they can deliver the greatest impact.
CDIO Borders and Trade supports the HMRC Borders and Trade group delivering IT projects that enable HMRC’s wider customs strategy and policies. We design, manage and maintain the IT services that support customs and international trade activities.
Our team is made up of specialists in delivery, business analysis, engineering, and live service support. We work closely with stakeholders across HMRC to ensure our IT systems meet their needs.
Job description
As Head of IT Service Management, you will be responsible for setting the vision and strategy for service management, ensuring processes are owned and maturing.
You will lead a team ensuring adequate resources and capacity and represent the IT service management function at a senior level and act as an escalation point for business stakeholders.
Reporting Line
This role will report into Allan Graham
Scope and Impact
Level of responsibility, decision-making authority, and influence.
Person specification
B&T Live Services ensures stability, resilience, and operational excellence across HMRC’s live platforms. We manage end-to-end service operations, including Incident, Change, Problem, and Risk Management, to maintain availability and performance while proactively mitigating risks. Our team leads major incident resolution, service mapping, and capacity planning to minimise business and customer impact.
We also oversee Release and Implementation Management, 24/7 Operations using advanced monitoring, and smooth onboarding of new services. Working closely with suppliers and commercial teams, we manage budgets, forecast operational costs, and maintain governance to deliver uninterrupted, high-quality services.
Responsibilities
You will:
- Be responsible for making sure that business relations within the organisation are managed to enable delivery of ICT services.
- Lead and direct teams to make sure that service level agreements (SLAs) and operational level agreements (OLAs) are in place with both external and internal teams.
- Make sure all contractors carry out processes to ITIL standards.
- Liaise with all other IT service functions to make sure that services are maintained.
- Manage the day-to-day delivery of the product.
- Plan and may schedule the testing and deployment of releases.
- Deliver new functionality required by the business while protecting the integrity of existing services.
- Make sure that service asset and configuration items are properly controlled, and that accurate and reliable information about these assets is available when needed.
Essential Criteria:
- Experience as a Live Service Owner for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) services.
- Has had previous involvement the stages of the development life cycle, including risk management, and service management activities.
- Demonstrates outstanding communication skills with substantial experience in dealing with internal and external users.
- Demonstrates competence in evaluating and assimilating stakeholders' policy and framework.
- Has a broad knowledge and understanding of IT concepts and architectures, coupled with practical knowledge of problem management and the principles and processes of implementing and delivering IT services.
- Shows aptitude for analysing and managing problems arising from incidents in the operation of information systems.
- Has general awareness of the nature of business-critical incidents, and of their implications for the business.
- Is thoroughly familiar with the services and products delivered and the tools, methods, procedures, equipment and software used in the operation and management of the service.
- Has a comprehensive understanding of the selection and use of monitoring tools and an extensive understanding of relevant financial principles and procedures including cross charging both internal and external to the organisation.
- Has the ability to lead teams of staff successfully, when handling complex or high impact problems.
- Has substantial experience of dealing with users, specialists and service providers and are skilled in conducting meetings and team management.
Desirable Criteria:
- ITIL Certified at any Intermediate Level (e.g. Service Operations, Continual Service Improvement, Service Transition).
- Working knowledge of HMRC Directorates & Business Units.
