Senior Service Operations and Transition Manager
Description
- Job grade: Senior Executive Officer
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: DFT - Corporate Delivery Group (CDG)
- Type of role: Digital, Information Technology, Operational Delivery
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
Do you have experience managing the transition of new or changed IT services into live operation?
Can you build strong relationships with stakeholders and ensure services are ready to deliver value from day one?
Do you enjoy improving services, influencing change, and helping colleagues get the most from digital tools and technologies?
If so, we would like to hear from you.
This is an exciting time to join the Digital, Information and Security Directorate within the Department for Transport as we restructure our directorate to ensure we are ready for future challenges, building a more sustainable, skilled and in-house capability.
Help shape how digital services are introduced, adopted and improved across the Department.
Working within the Essentials Service Line, you'll play a key role in ensuring new and changed digital workplace services are ready for users and successfully embedded into live support. You'll help deliver a seamless experience for colleagues by supporting service readiness, coordinating service transitions and driving continual improvement across core digital services, including Microsoft 365, Teams and SharePoint.
Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:
- Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
- 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday
- Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Read more in the Benefits section below!
Find out more about what it's like working at Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers and within the Government Digital and Data Profession.
Job description
We are looking for a Senior Service Operations and Transition Manager to support the successful transition of new and enhanced digital services into live operation across the Department for Transport. Working within the Digital Essentials team, you'll help ensure services are fully prepared for deployment, support teams through change and drive service adoption across the organisation.
You'll work closely with project teams, suppliers, service owners and operational colleagues to ensure service acceptance criteria are met, risks are understood, and services are ready to support users effectively. You'll also play a key role in promoting continual service improvement and helping colleagues make the most of the Department's digital services and tools.
Working as part of a talented team, at this role level, you will:
- make recommendations on go-live, early-life support and service acceptance
- ensure that the acceptance criteria are understood by the wider IT operations
- creation of service design packages
For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.
Flexible resourcing
Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.
Person specification
Required experience:
To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:
- Hold or willing to work towards ITIL V4 or higher, or ISO20k
- Problem Management - Experience identifying, analysing and resolving recurring service issues, carrying out root cause analysis, identifying trends, and implementing preventative measures to reduce incidents and improve service stability.
- Line Management Experience - Experience leading, coaching and developing individuals or teams, managing performance, supporting wellbeing, and creating an environment where colleagues can perform at their best and achieve their development goals.
- Transition of Services / Project Delivery Experience - Experience supporting or leading the transition of new or changed services into live operation, ensuring services are fully prepared, risks are managed, and operational teams are ready to provide ongoing support.
- Service Design Experience - Experience contributing to the design and implementation of IT services, ensuring processes, support arrangements, documentation, governance and user requirements are considered throughout the service lifecycle.
- Supplier Service Transition Experience - Experience working with third-party suppliers to transition services into a live environment, ensuring agreed deliverables, service requirements, documentation and operational readiness criteria are met.
- Service Level Management Understanding - Understanding Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) and service performance measures, with experience of monitoring, reporting on, and improving service delivery against agreed targets.
- Change and Release Understanding - Understanding change and release management processes, including assessing risk, planning implementations, managing stakeholder impacts, and supporting the successful introduction of new or updated services.
Additional Information
Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements
Full-time roles consist of 37 hours per week.
Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part-time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.
This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.
The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.
Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.
If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).
Visa Sponsorship
Sponsorship is not offered for this role. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the United Kingdom.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:
- Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
- 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
- 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
- Access to the staff discount portal.
- Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
- Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
- 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
- Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.
Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
How to apply:
Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.
The selection process for this role will be:
Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement
Stage 2: Interview
You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.
Stage 1: Sift
At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:
- Line Management Experience - Experience leading, coaching and developing individuals or teams, managing performance, supporting wellbeing, and creating an environment where colleagues can perform at their best and achieve their development goals.
- Transition of Services / Project Delivery Experience - Experience supporting or leading the transition of new or changed services into live operation, ensuring services are fully prepared, risks are managed, and operational teams are ready to provide ongoing support.
- Supplier Service Transition Experience - Experience working with third-party suppliers to transition services into a live environment, ensuring agreed deliverables, service requirements, documentation and operational readiness criteria are met.
- Change and Release Understanding - Understanding change and release management processes, including assessing risk, planning implementations, managing stakeholder impacts, and supporting the successful introduction of new or updated services.
The sift will take place from Monday 16th November 2026.
Stage 2: Interview and assessment
At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
- Behaviours – Leadership, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service
- Experience
The interviews will take place from Wednesday 2nd December 2026.
Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.
This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.
Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).
If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Pre-employment Checking
If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:
- Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
- Threats or acts of violence
- Illegal activity or substance misuse
- Sexually explicit material
- Extremist views or affiliations
Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Dave Glynn
- Email : dave.glynn@dft.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here
Attachments
| 16498 Role Profile Opens in new window (docx, 90kB) |
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