Service Delivery Lead/Contract Manager (Contract)
UK Home Office
2023.09 - 2026.06 (2 education.years_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
Hi, I’m
David Smith
Widnes,Cheshire
Summary
Results-driven professional with extensive experience in service delivery management and operational excellence. Skilled in contract management, stakeholder engagement, and team leadership, with a proven track record of aligning service delivery with business objectives. Adept at improving processes and fostering collaboration across diverse teams.
Work history
UK Home Office
Service Delivery Lead/Contract Manager (Contract)
2023.09 - 2026.06 (2 education.years_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Current role as Service Delivery Lead is extremely challenging and rewarding. SC cleared role which involves working with very diverse groups of people and suppliers as well as other Government bodies and Local Authorities.
- Role of Service Delivery Lead demands high levels of attention to contractual detail and ability to effectively monitor delivery and operational management against those contracts, identifying and supporting service providers to address non-compliance and performance issues as observed Having strong communication and leadership skills with ability to navigate conflicting priorities and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Work closely with contracted service providers, commercial partners and wide variety stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of compliant services whilst maintaining reputation of Home Office in public arena.
- Assured delivery of accommodation services to asylum seekers across multiple locations in South of England and Wales.
- Developed effective operational and strategic relationships with providers, ensuring contract delivery through robust monitoring and assurance framework.
- Consolidated engagement and contract assurance skills within high-performing teams to enhance service delivery.
- Management of team of 4 Service Delivery Managers and two PMO staff. This includes regular discussions around performance and career development.
- Monitor and assure delivery of contractual requirements of service providers, providing meaningful written and face to face feedback in timely manner
- Ensure that delivery and performance issues identified are resolved in timely manner
- Oversee and assure management and follow up of incidents, and solve complex problems
- Ensure contractual obligations are maintained, working in collaboration with various stakeholders
- Proactively ensure service user welfare is maintained at all times, continually assessing risk and developing initiatives that will benefit individuals and accommodation
- Develop and maintain excellent relationships with key partners including (but not limited to) service providers; local authorities; and medical providers
- Contribute to accurate reporting and tracking of assurance activity at contingent accommodation sites
- Represent department at operational governance groups, with thematic focus; cascading to wider team to ensure transparency to support team working
- Key Activities & Responsibilities:
- Conducted regular reviews, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams for efficient problem-solving.
- Effectively managed customer expectations through transparent communication.
- Optimised resources to meet demanding business needs.
- Fostered collaborative environment, boosting team productivity.
Infogain Ltd
Senior Service Delivery Manager
2022.01 - 2023.08 (1 education.year_Label & 7 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Played pivotal role in ensuring excellence is achieved with respect to client delivery and customer satisfaction by managing operational client relationships and quality of service delivery. Able to multi-task in pressurised environments, with excellent stakeholder management, planning and organisation skills, proactively led and managed cross-functional SAS, and SAS Partner teams, to successfully deliver contracted service.
- Served as Service Delivery Manager, accountable for application support services delivered through SAS to major UK Bank.
- Assumed accountability for service delivery performance, aligning operations with client expectations and identifying opportunities for future demand.
- Act as primary point of contact for both client, SAS, and all service delivery partners
- Ensure that systems, procedures, and methodologies are in place in support of outstanding service delivery
- Monitor and manage all support functions in scope for service to ensure optimal SAS and client outcomes
- Coordinate and manage cross-departmental SAS and Partner/3rd party teams, building strong relationships with teams and stakeholders to enable effective dialogue exchange between departments
- Cultivated and strengthened relationships with senior-level client and SAS executive stakeholders to enhance collaboration and communication.
- Took ownership of critical incidents, coordinated with resolution parties, and established effective communication between stakeholders for post-incident reviews.
- Delivered accurate and timely reports to management on service delivery performance, enabling informed decision-making.
- Analyse Partner/3rd party and internal processes and create strategies for service delivery optimisation
- Work with SAS Customer Account Team to identify and support new business opportunities
- Took responsibility for all service-related financials, including management of pre-set revenue and margin expectations.
- Ensured that services operated within agreed costs and constraints and reported exceptions.
- Outlined key activities and responsibilities for role
- Successfully delivered on tasks within tight deadlines.
- Quickly learned and applied new skills to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
Sellafield Ltd
Service Delivery Lead (Contract)
2018.02 - 2022.01 (3 education.years_Label & 11 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Worked as Service Delivery Lead responsible for leading teams of Service Delivery Managers in delivery of services to business ensuring that these services continue to remain fit for purpose and identifying areas for improvement.
- Ensured support from Service Delivery Team to end users by monitoring, measuring, and reporting on services from internal and external suppliers.
- Working collaboratively with Leads across all ITIL processes and functions within Service Management Team, ensured that measures were implemented to identify and remediate any deterioration in service quality or performance against Service Levels and KPI's to ensure consistent delivery of IT Services, enhancing customer experience and satisfaction.
- Working directly for Head of Service Management, also collaborated with senior stakeholders and represent both Service Management team and wider IT business functions when dealing with suppliers and staff on initiatives within scope of Service Delivery
- Principal Accountabilities within current role:
- Managed and guided Service Delivery Team to achieve departmental objectives.
- Recruitment/Demand forecasting for Service Delivery Team
- Represent Service Delivery Team to internal and external stakeholders
- Act as point of escalation for Service Delivery Team
- Led continuous service improvement initiatives across allocated services in collaboration with Continual Service Improvement team.
- Ensure that staff develop culture of service excellence built on leadership principles, norms, work habits and vision, mission, and values
- Make sure all staff are effectively managed, developed, coached, and mentored and provided with regular reviews of their performance and development opportunities where necessary
- Ensure all relevant policies, processes, standards, and guidelines are developed, maintained, and followed relating to Service Delivery.
- Held full accountability for all elements related to operational services and business areas, collaborating with Senior IT Service Delivery Managers and IT Service Delivery Managers.
- Established and maintained strong relationships with all stakeholders involved in service delivery.
- Monitored and managed service delivery performance for assigned business units, aligning with business expectations.
- Developed comprehensive understanding of service definitions, Service Level Agreement requirements, and key performance indicators.
TNT
Service Delivery Manager/Service Introduction Manager (Contract)
2017.02 - 2018.02 (1 education.year_Label)
Job overview
- Focused on driving improvement within TIMS service, collaborating with 3rd parties to evaluate and implement service enhancements, achieving service stability. Managed renewal of contracts, cost reviews, and delivery against SLAs for all services, realising significant savings on support contracts and enhancing processes and technology.
- Developed service-centric functional capability within Lifecycle Management that managed entire lifecycle of TNT's Global IT services and proactively addressed IT estate to reduce risk, complexity, and cost.
- Oversaw Ground Operations area, maintaining technical ownership of services including Collection and Delivery, Mobile Worker Incab, Mobile Worker Warehouse, TNT Image Management System (TIMS), and 12 other services.
- Led restoration of Active Directory across network following global cyber-attack in June 2017, coordinating with TNT, FedEx, key stakeholders, and technology groups (including 3rd parties) to ensure project completion.
HM Revenue and Customs
Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
2015.11 - 2017.01 (1 education.year_Label & 2 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Oversaw services within Revenue and Customs Digital & Technology Services as Service Delivery Manager, optimising relationships, technology and processes for HMRC's transition to a digital mail model.
- Collaborated with technology and infrastructure suppliers to identify and implement service improvements using Documentum and Pega, ensuring effective change management and environmental protection.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers to secure favourable terms and conditions.
- Facilitated effective communication channels, promoting transparency and collaboration at all levels.
- Designed training programmes for staff development and skill enhancement.
Rentalcars.com
Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
2015.04 - 2015.10 (6 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Achieved higher client retention by prioritising excellent customer service.
- Oversaw daily operations of Helpdesk team, ensuring efficient issue resolution., Desktop Support, Application Support, and Infrastructure teams daily while covering IT Operations Manager role until permanent position filled.
- Implemented new helpdesk system and associated processes, including incident management, change management, release management, and problem management; produced key stakeholder reports.
- Facilitated effective communication channels, promoting transparency and collaboration at all levels.
- Designed training programmes for staff development and skill enhancement.
Betfred.com
Service Delivery Manager/Service Introduction Manager
2014.07 - 2015.04 (9 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- I joined Betfred.com in July 2014 as Service Delivery Manager for the IT Organisation. Reporting to the Group Head of Service Delivery, my role encompassed both the recognised elements of service delivery management in conjunction with the line management of both the Production Control and Application Support Teams.
- Collaborated with Programme Management team to vet and approve service transitions for new products, developing Service Introduction and Acceptance into Service processes alongside early life support and post go-live support documentation.
- Recognised as the subject matter expert in contract and service level agreement review.
- Built strong relationships with the Commercial Director and team, leveraging expertise in SLA and contract review for new 3rd party supplier agreements.
- Cultivated relationships with key personnel to identify service improvements, successfully elevating the profile of IT as a business unit and ensuring high standards in service delivery.
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Service Delivery Manager – Service Delivery (Contract)
2012.10 - 2014.07 (1 education.year_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Managed senior stakeholder relationships and drove improvements as deputy to Service Delivery Director, implementing Problem Management and Command and Control functions while enhancing reporting in incident, problem, and deployment management.
- Engaged with senior stakeholders to foster partnership ethos for service delivery across the business.
- Review of Incident Management, Problem Management and Command and Control Team structures with the emphasis on driving world class service delivery within this organisation.
- Reviewed command and control structure, defining roles and responsibilities, and delivered proposal focused on cost effectiveness for client and profit margin expansion for Cognizant.
- Reviewed all financial elements of the service delivered and negotiated costs with key senior stakeholders.
- Supplier consolidation within the Command and Control arena as part of the proposal has enabled much tighter control of resourcing and reduced the risk associated with the multiparty engagement that was originally in place
- Engaged heavily with offshore teams to ensure key functions such as incident management and problem management are adding value to the current proposition. Some excellent feedback in this area has enabled me to look to drive improvement across several different areas.
- Selected key senior resources through the interview and hiring process to drive specific change.
- Key activities included:
- Since October 2012 I undertook various roles working for Cognizant Technology Solutions, based at a Major UK Financial Organisation in London. Those roles included Operations Manager and Service Delivery Manager
Sapient Nitro
Service Delivery Manager
2012.01 - 2012.10 (9 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- As Service Delivery Manager within Sapient Nitro environment in UK, owned all aspects of service associated with delivery of 86 new websites for Football League Clubs. This included infrastructure and content management systems utilised in delivery of this service and selection and implementation of new service desk tool.
- Design and implementation of ITIL Processes, with emphasis on Incident Management, Major Incident Management Problem Management, Change Management and Service Level Management
- Line Management responsibility for team of service analysts, designers and application development staff, both onshore and offshore. Team size varies between 10 and 20 people at different times during project
- Stakeholder Management with emphasis on executive reporting, expectation setting, financial reporting and client liaison
- Managed third-party relationships for service provision, including network providers, server hosts, data suppliers, and digital media suppliers.
- Designed and implemented SLAs and OLAs, including SLA reporting structures for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reviews.
- Designed and owned service improvement plans to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.
- Training of club webmasters in functionality and utilisation of CMS system associated with delivery of service
- Outlined key activities to support service delivery initiatives.
Barclays
IT Service Level Manager
2010.04 - 2012.01 (1 education.year_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Oversaw SLAs, OLAs and service improvement plans to meet contractual requirements for Barclays business units including Barclays Wealth, Barclays Corporate and Barclaycard.
- Working to strict ITIL principles, managed delivery of key datafeeds into Barclays Information Warehouse.
- Coordinated 3rd party data and infrastructure suppliers to ensure alignment of capacity and performance with business expectations.
- Line management responsibility for data warehouse team (between 8 and 10 individuals) both in UK and offshore.
- Delivered regulatory reports (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) to key stakeholders within Barclays and Bank of England.
- Owned and service managed Barclays Information Warehouse which served as central repository for key data required by number of high profile business units across Barclays and Bank of England.
- Key activities included:
Department of Health
IT Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
2009.10 - 2010.04 (6 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Designed and implemented support model and processes using ITIL principles, enhancing incident, problem, change, service level, continual service improvement, and business continuity management.
- Successfully managed delivery of Application Support Service as part of National Pandemic Flu and Doctors Revalidation projects based in London.
- Managed Application Support Team that supported Anti-Viral Stock Management System developed for Department of Health in relation to National Pandemic Flu Service. Team consisted of 8 to 10 people based on requirements.
- Managed internal and external stakeholders through regular contact, contributing to reduced ‘time to market' for various aspects of service.
- Liaised with project and technical teams to ensure effective service delivery.
- Key activities included:
Trader Media Group
IT Service Manager
2007.04 - 2009.06 (2 education.years_Label & 2 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Managed a team of 15 staff across problem management, change management, service level management, technical service desk management, and supplier relationship management.
- Delivered the day-to-day IT Service Management function, including service level management, incident management, problem management, and change management teams, utilising ITIL principles and processes.
- Managed stakeholder relationships, providing insights and recommendations to the board at Trader Media Group.
- Designed, implemented, and owned Service Improvement Programmes to enhance delivery of the Autotrader web platform.
- Identified key activities to enhance team performance.
- Consulted across Trader Media Group on contractual discussions and compilation of Service Level Agreements and associated Key Performance Indicators.
- Design and implementation of all Service Level Reporting requirements for both internal customers and external suppliers
- Retain Budgetary control of IT Service Management Team and ensure targets are met within annual budget constraints
- Oversaw IT operations during head's absence, ensuring continuity.
Alfred McAlpine Business Services
Service Level Manager
2005.05 - 2007.04 (1 education.year_Label & 11 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Negotiated and established Service Level Agreements, Operational Level Agreements, and Underpinning Contracts for both internal and external customers.
- Led development of Service Level Management team within Alfred McAlpine Business Services Information Systems group, emphasising reporting metrics and root cause analysis for internal and external customers.
- Work collaboratively with internal departments e.g., Problem Management, Customer Service Management, Operations Management and Change, Configuration and Release Management teams to ensure cross-functional cooperation and the delivery of the highest quality service to both internal and external customers.
- Advised and supported bid teams to ensure consistent presentation of Service Level Management process to new customers.
- Produced high-quality management summaries for monthly Board-level reviews.
Aspect Communications Limited
Service Delivery/Account Manager
2000.11 - 2005.04 (4 education.years_Label & 5 education.months_Label)
Job overview
- Managed ongoing growth and security of the annual support, training, and consultancy revenues for a key group of Premier Accounts with an annual value in excess of £3.5 million.
- Managed and developed key strategic accounts for service delivery and support, monitored revenue retention and growth, and cultivated relationships at board and strategic management levels across all business units.
- Established relationships at board level to align Aspect's offerings with customer business drivers and facilitate achievement of their goals using Aspect technology.
- Collaborated within Premier Accounts Team to enhance services and support elements of strategic account plan.
Top Jobs on the Net
UK Customer Services Manager
1999.01 - 2000.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Job overview
- Managed challenging situations to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Cultivated a productive work culture by encouraging teamwork.
- Streamlined processes for improved team efficiency.
- Facilitated staff development with ongoing training initiatives.
BDR Consulting
Call Centre Consultant
1998.01 - 1999.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Job overview
- Carried out day-to-day duties accurately and efficiently.
- Quickly learned and applied new skills to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
- Successfully delivered on tasks within tight deadlines.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
Cable and Wireless
Digital TV Development Team Manager/Customer Service Team Manager
1997.01 - 1998.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Job overview
- Addressed customer complaints promptly, ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
- Boosted morale by recognising and rewarding exceptional work.
- Streamlined operations, leading to increased team performance.
- Developed action plans for continuous process improvement initiatives.
- Delegated responsibilities efficiently amongst team members.
- Achieved higher team efficiency with regular training and mentoring sessions.
- Cultivated a strong rapport with team members, fostering a cohesive and collaborative workplace environment.
BT
Customer Care Department Team Manager/Sales Team Manager
1996.01 - 1997.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Job overview
- Addressed customer complaints promptly, ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
- Facilitated weekly meetings to discuss progress on projects, deadlines, objectives and concerns.
- Developed action plans for continuous process improvement initiatives.
- Handled employee grievances to maintain harmony within workforce.
- Delegated responsibilities efficiently amongst team members.
- Fostered a positive work environment through effective communication and conflict resolution tactics.
- Prioritised workload effectively, resulting in timely completion of tasks.
- Encouraged open dialogue amongst employees for better problem-solving ability.
GCHQ/HM Forces
Government Radio Officer
1981.01 - 1996.01 (15 education.years_Label)
Skills
- Service delivery optimisation
- Project lifecycle knowledge
- Agile project management
- Change management
- Contract management
- Financial budgeting
- Data analysis competency
- Process improvement aptitude
- Operational efficiency awareness
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- CRM experience
- Critical evaluation
- Leadership competence
References
Available on request
Key Achievements
- Working as the Service Delivery Team Lead within the asylum space I have been heavily involved working with colleagues and suppliers during what has been a very challenging time. From setting up processes and procedures and running the Home Office operation on the Bibby Stockholm, to co-ordination response to significant protests across the Asylum Accommodation estate. This enabled me to build a strong, hardworking team with a great ethos for exceptional delivery.
- Analysis, selection, and implementation of various service desk tools and associated ITIL processes. Tools include Kayako, Zendesk and Infra for clients in the e-commerce, outsourced support and gaming markets
- Successfully fulfilled my role as Service Delivery Manager, and managed the Application Support Team associated with the Pandemic Flu Application at the Department of Health
- Successfully designed and implemented key ITIL processes including Incident (Service Desk), Major Incident, Problem, Change and Service Level Management
- Successfully designed and implemented Service Level Agreement and Operational Level Agreement processes and documentation
- Retained budgetary control across IT Service Management teams ensuring performance within budgets was maintained
- Developed and implemented Service Levels and Key Performance Indicators for the IT Operations functions and built them into Contractual Agreements for external customers
- Designed and implemented key Management reports outlining achievement against Service Levels and Key Performance Indicators for all ITIL aligned functions
- Designed and implemented Service integration models across a number of verticals
- Managed transformation programmes and service acceptance strategies
- Worked alongside a number of key suppliers to develop and integrate cradle to grave service models
Timeline
Senior Service Delivery Manager
Infogain Ltd
2022.01 - 2023.08 (1 education.year_Label & 7 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Lead (Contract)
Sellafield Ltd
2018.02 - 2022.01 (3 education.years_Label & 11 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Manager/Service Introduction Manager (Contract)
TNT
2017.02 - 2018.02 (1 education.year_Label)
Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
HM Revenue and Customs
2015.11 - 2017.01 (1 education.year_Label & 2 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
Rentalcars.com
2015.04 - 2015.10 (6 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Manager/Service Introduction Manager
Betfred.com
2014.07 - 2015.04 (9 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Manager – Service Delivery (Contract)
Cognizant Technology Solutions
2012.10 - 2014.07 (1 education.year_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery Manager
Sapient Nitro
2012.01 - 2012.10 (9 education.months_Label)
IT Service Level Manager
Barclays
2010.04 - 2012.01 (1 education.year_Label & 9 education.months_Label)
IT Service Delivery Manager (Contract)
Department of Health
2009.10 - 2010.04 (6 education.months_Label)
IT Service Manager
Trader Media Group
2007.04 - 2009.06 (2 education.years_Label & 2 education.months_Label)
Service Level Manager
Alfred McAlpine Business Services
2005.05 - 2007.04 (1 education.year_Label & 11 education.months_Label)
Service Delivery/Account Manager
Aspect Communications Limited
2000.11 - 2005.04 (4 education.years_Label & 5 education.months_Label)
UK Customer Services Manager
Top Jobs on the Net
1999.01 - 2000.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Call Centre Consultant
BDR Consulting
1998.01 - 1999.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Digital TV Development Team Manager/Customer Service Team Manager
Cable and Wireless
1997.01 - 1998.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Customer Care Department Team Manager/Sales Team Manager
BT
1996.01 - 1997.01 (1 education.year_Label)
Government Radio Officer
GCHQ/HM Forces
1981.01 - 1996.01 (15 education.years_Label)