About the role
As the Service Assurance Lead you will provide assurance that all Service Management Centre outcomes are being delivered effectively across the Partnership. You will define the appropriate outcomes and then ensure key stakeholders in Technology Product and Platform teams are carrying out the required activities relating to Capacity, Disaster Recovery (DR), Business Continuity (BC), Risk and Service Design & Transition. You will ensure technology and security controls are effectively and proportionately monitored and managed across the Technology function.
As the Service Assurance Lead you will own the decisions for:
Defining and implementing the appropriate guardrails predominantly relating to Capacity Management and service continuity
Ensuring Product and Platform teams are compliant with the above, providing subject matter expertise and intervening where required
Drafting and ongoing management of assurance outcomes with third party suppliers and contracts
You will also have key input into decisions on DR/BC Testing, Risk Management, Audit, Business Capacity Planning - key business events and processes which feed into Operations (change management). You will work closely with the other Service Management areas and interface with the established Product & Platform teams to embed capability within areas.
In the Technology Shared Capability, you will have the opportunity to develop and stretch personally and professionally to achieve your potential.
The Partnership supports agile and flexible working practices, such as when, where and how we work. We have several different ways to work flexibly, including part‑time, flexible or compressed hours, and job sharing. Head office areas also support a blended working approach. We celebrate diversity and inclusion in the John Lewis Partnership and we are committed to becoming the UK's most inclusive business, reflecting and connecting with the diverse communities that we serve.
Contract information
* Contract type – Permanent contract
* Salary – Up to £75,000
* Working pattern / flexible working – Hybrid working approach. The team comes into the office once every week.
* Location – Bracknell office
Key Responsibilities
* Accountable for ensuring the future demand for IT resources is identified, required capacity calculated and reported.
* Own and be accountable for the Capacity and Availability Management process, setting and ensuring standards and goals are met.
* Ensure the capacity and availability management process is clearly defined, understood and supported by senior IT and business leaders.
* Provide leadership and stakeholder management, building relationships with strategic operational 3rd parties.
* Be accountable for overall plans for anticipated service continuity events, testing and managing continuity if needed.
* Own IT service continuity management process, setting standards and goals for new and changed services.
* Support continuous service improvement initiatives and metrics.
* Ensure Service Management complies with audit requirements in collaboration with the Assurance team.
* Engage to embrace agile working principles, supporting colleagues to secure success of the Technology Shared Capability.
Essential skills / experience
* Hold a similar role within the Partnership or an external organisation at a similar level.
* Recognised internally and externally for knowledge and expertise in Capacity and Availability.
* Strong working knowledge of ITIL (v3 or v4) or equivalent qualification.
* Demonstrated ability to think on medium to long‑term horizons, prioritize, influence and persuade.
* High‑impact leadership and trusted advisor for senior IT leadership.
* Excellent communication and collaboration skills with all stakeholders.
Desirable skills / experience
* Experience working in a SIAM environment.
* Working knowledge of Agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.
* Relevant qualification or industry knowledge and experience.
* Experience managing offshore managed service providers.
About The Partnership
We're the largest employee‑owned business in the UK and the home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. As a Partnership, we are driven by our purpose to build a happier world and are committed to being the UK’s most inclusive business.
We innovate, adapt and diversify. We hold all our Partners to the highest standards of behaviour, respect and kindness, and we encourage the sharing of skills and ideas across all levels.
We support flexible working, including flexible or compressed hours and job sharing, to help all Partners achieve a healthy work‑life balance.
Important points to note:
Some roles may require pre‑employment vetting, including DBS checks. We encourage completion of vetting documents promptly to avoid delays.
If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability for the application process, please contact us as soon as possible.
We may close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications; we recommend applying early.
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