Outside IR35 - £600P/D based on experience
6 Months Contract
Onsite everyday at Preston
About the role
An experienced, DV-cleared Service Manager is required to support the delivery and operation of secure, mission‑critical digital and engineering services within the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The role operates at the intersection of advanced defence technology, digital transformation, and high‑assurance service operations, supporting one of the UK’s most strategically significant combat air programmes.
The Service Manager will play a central role in establishing, governing, and assuring robust service models across complex, multi‑partner environments, ensuring services are resilient, compliant, and fit for purpose across both development and operational phases of the programme.
Key Responsibilities
Service & Support Management
* Establish and maintain robust service and support models aligned to GCAP and Future Combat Air delivery requirements.
* Support the design and implementation of enterprise service management approaches across secure digital, engineering, and operational environments.
* Act as a key interface between programme delivery teams, operational support, security, and assurance stakeholders.
* Ensure service models support rapid innovation while maintaining strict security and availability requirements.
Performance, Metrics & Governance
* Define, manage, and report against service KPIs and SLAs to ensure performance meets programme and stakeholder expectations.
* Support service performance reporting, change management, and service review forums.
* Identify service risks, issues, and improvement opportunities, contributing to continual service improvement initiatives.
* Provide clear, structured service management input into programme governance and decision‑making processes.
Audit, Compliance & Assurance
* Support audit, compliance, and assurance activities in line with defence, aerospace, and government security standards.
* Ensure service management practices align with high‑assurance environments, including secure by design and operational resilience principles.
* Contribute to assurance reviews, readiness assessments, and governance boards as required.
Documentation & Knowledge Transfer
* Produce and maintain service management documentation to support operational continuity and long‑term sustainability.
* Package service artefacts, reports, and evidence for programme governance and assurance purposes.
* Support service transition, handover, and knowledge transfer activities across programme phases and supplier boundaries.
* Proven experience operating as a Service Manager within complex, secure, or mission‑critical environments.
* Strong working knowledge of service management frameworks (e.g. ITIL) and their application in regulated programmes.
* Demonstrable experience managing service performance, KPIs, SLAs, and structured reporting.
* Experience supporting audit, compliance, and governance activities in high‑assurance settings.
* Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate across technical, operational, and security domains.
* Prior experience within defence, aerospace, or similarly regulated environments.
* DV clearance – current and transferable.
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