Service Assurance Specialist
Contract Length: 3 Months ASAP Start
Day Rate: £500 pd to £550 pd (Inside IR35)
Hybrid: 2 days on site (Cambridge)
Overview
Experienced IT Service Management professional responsible for leading service assurance and transition processes, ensuring new and evolving services meet high-quality standards and are delivered effectively into live operations.
Key Responsibilities
* Primarily focused on BAU service assurance and transition activities
* Involvement in features and product support within live environments
* Lead the design, governance, and continuous improvement of service assurance and transition processes.
* Define and track performance metrics to drive efficiency, quality, and process maturity.
* Support delivery teams and stakeholders in applying ITSM best practices across projects.
* Ensure services are production-ready through collaboration, validation, and effective Early Life Support (ELS) planning.
* Support the process of accepting services into live environments, ensuring all entry criteria are met.
* Work closely with Project Managers (PMs), who own the service design, to validate readiness for go-live.
* Review and assure go-live checklists provided by PMs, confirming all requirements are completed.
* Verify that service readiness and ELS criteria are fully met before transition into live.
* Provide Level 1 support and contribute to ongoing service stability post go-live.
* Focus on business-as-usual (BAU) activities, supporting live services, features, and products.
Experience & Skills
* 10+ years’ experience in IT Service Management, with leadership in service design, transition, or assurance.
* Strong background in service assurance and transition, with proven ability to deliver smooth go-lives.
* Experience in governance, compliance, and large-scale IT environments.
* Solid understanding of IT infrastructure, SDLC, and project delivery frameworks.
* Ability to ensure service readiness and seamless transition into live environments.
* Strong stakeholder collaboration skills, particularly working alongside Project Managers and delivery teams.
* ITIL 4 certification (preferred).