We are PZ Cussons. Our purpose is For everyone, for life, for good.
Sustainability and the wellbeing of people, families and communities everywhere are at the heart of everything that we do.
Since our founding in 1884, we have been creating products to delight, care for and nourish consumers. Across our core categories of Hygiene, Baby and Beauty, our trusted and well-loved brands include Carex, Cussons Baby, Sanctuary Spa and St. Tropez.
POSITION SNAPSHOT
Job Title: IT Service and Operations Manager
Location: Manchester
Contract Type: Permanent
WHO ARE WE
PZ Cussons is a FTSE250 listed consumer goods business, headquartered in Manchester, UK. We employ around 2,600 people across our operations in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and Africa. Since our founding in 1884, we have been creating products to delight, care for and nourish consumers. Across our core categories of Hygiene, Baby and Beauty, our trusted and well-loved brands include Carex, Childs Farm, Cussons Baby, Imperial Leather, Morning Fresh, Original Source, Premier, Sanctuary Spa and St. Tropez.
Sustainability and the wellbeing of our employees and communities everywhere are at the heart of our business model and strategy, and captured by our purpose: For everyone, for life, for good.
If you want to join a business in transformation with exciting growth plans and the opportunity to work flexibly with a 2-3 days hybrid policy and finish at 1pm every Friday, apply to work for us today
Role Purpose:
To ensure seamless IT service delivery and an exceptional user experience across the UK, and US regions. This role combines operational leadership with high-touch support for executive stakeholders, ownership of regional vendor relationships, and accountability for ensuring that services are fit-for-purpose and business-aligned. The role is central to creating a positive and productive technology environment while working closely with global IT teams, service providers, and business stakeholders.
Function / Business Unit Overview
This role operates within the Global IT Infrastructure & Operations function, focusing on supporting the business units in the UK and US, while contributing to the global improvement of services across PZ Cussons. The position acts as a local ambassador of IT service excellence while maintaining alignment with global IT strategy.
Reporting Relationships
Reports to: Global IT Service Manager
Internal relationships: Business stakeholders, Executive Assistants, Regional IT Teams, Global IT Teams, UK&I Finance, Comms Team
External relationships: Key vendors and MSPs including CPP, Onecom, Vodafone, Manhattan MSP, Skedda, PureAV, Aurora, Vohkus
Key Responsibilities:
Service Delivery & Operations
1. Fully accountable for the successful delivery of IT services across UK and US business units.
2. Act as the regional escalation point for IT incidents, requests, and major events (including Major Incident Manager rota participation).
3. Provide proactive communication and updates on high-priority incidents (HPIs) and major incidents (MIs).
4. Ensure the regional implementation of global IT service delivery strategy and adherence to agreed SLAs and OLAs.
5. Own the Joiner, Mover, Leaver (JML) lifecycle in-region, including confidential exits and senior onboarding.
6. Support effective distribution and lifecycle management of end-user hardware.
Finance & Budget Oversight
7. Oversee the regional IT budget and act as a key stakeholder in planning and tracking.
8. Work closely with the Vendor Management function for PO management, recharges, and financial governance.
9. Collaborate with UK&I finance teams to monitor spend, manage variances, and deliver savings.
10. Assist with supplier invoice resolution and regional spend analysis.
Executive & VIP Support
11. Provide high-touch, responsive support to Executive and Board members, including Town Halls and Pioneers events.
12. Manage all aspects of technical delivery for high-profile events (e.g., AGMs, Quarterly Reviews, Global Town Halls).
13. Partner with the Comms team to deliver polished presentations and media-rich content
14. Act as a “speed dial” contact for executives requiring urgent or sensitive support.
Vendor & Partner Management
15. Own relationships with regional IT service providers and suppliers, ensuring SLAs, cost control, and service improvement.
16. Act as the first point of escalation and strategic liaison for key vendors.
17. Monitor performance and service quality across third-party delivery partners.
18. Support vendor-related activities including MACs, site support cover, invoicing, and project delivery.
Change & Project Support
19. Identify and lead small-scale business change or improvement projects (e.g., site moves, restructures).
20. Ensure smooth regional execution of global initiatives, such as M365 enhancements or Copilot rollouts.
21. Represent regional interests in change control (CAB) and support implementation of service-affecting changes.
22. Bridge the gap between global project teams and local business operations.
Team & Stakeholder Engagement
23. Participate in cross-functional meetings: Infra & Ops, Business Solutions, CAB, Regional Reviews.
24. Deliver monthly updates and huddle communications across teams and leadership forums.
25. Drive proactive internal comms to raise visibility of IT activities and promote adoption of new tools.
26. Support the upskilling and continuous improvement of internal and vendor support teams.
Experience & Knowledge
27. Proven experience in a senior IT service delivery or regional IT management role.
28. Experience operating in a global or multi-regional organisation with outsourced IT support models.
29. Strong vendor management and service governance background.
30. Solid understanding of Windows, M365, email platforms, collaboration tools, and hardware deployment.
31. Business and financial awareness, with the ability to interpret and act on financial reports.
32. Trusted to manage confidential personnel and exec-level issues with discretion.
Skills & Qualifications
33. ITIL Foundation certification (minimum); Practitioner preferred.
34. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, especially with senior stakeholders.
35. Excellent organisational, problem-solving, and documentation skills.
36. Comfortable presenting to senior leadership and managing cross-functional delivery teams.
37. Self-starter with high energy, professionalism, and a drive for excellence.
Please note that we are not able to offer visa sponsorship or assist with relocation support for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the country where this role is located before applying.
Equal Opportunities:
At PZ Cussons, we value diversity and make sure everyone feels included. We want our team to reflect society and our global customers. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and your unique perspective helps us develop brands and create new products for our consumers.
If you need extra support during this process, please inform us so that we can accommodate your needs appropriately. It is important to us that all candidates feel recognised and have a good experience with PZ Cussons as part of our commitment to inclusivity.