Head of Service Operations and Assurance

Job summary

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) helps businesses invest, innovate, export and grow across the UK. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate helps to deliver this by designing, building and running the services, platforms and technology that businesses and colleagues rely on every day.

Our teams work on a wide range of services and technologies, including:

• digital services that help businesses access government support, guidance and opportunities

• data and AI products that support decision making and enable innovation

• internal tools and services that help colleagues work more effectively

• secure technology and platforms that support critical government services

• cyber security services that protect systems, data and users

By joining DDaT, you'll work on services used by businesses, colleagues and citizens across the UK. You'll be part of multidisciplinary teams focused on improving services, solving complex problems and delivering better outcomes for users.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace. In recognition of this, we were named Best Public Sector Employer at the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2025!

Job description

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) relies on secure, stable and effective technology services to deliver its objectives in the UK and internationally.

As Head of Service Operations and Assurance, you will be responsible for the leadership, strategy and performance of the department’s core IT service management and operational support capabilities.

This is a senior operational leadership role requiring significant experience gained in a complex, large-scale technology environment and a strong record of successfully improving live IT services.

You will establish the strategy, operating model, standards and roadmap for the function, while remaining sufficiently close to operational delivery to intervene when services, changes or incidents require senior leadership.

The successful candidate will know what excellent IT service management looks like in practice. You will have led mature service operations, improved user experience, strengthened service controls and used technology and automation to improve efficiency and service performance.

You will:

• set the strategic direction, operating model and associated resourcing, to deliver priorities for the department’s core IT service operational support capabilities

• provide senior accountability for Service Desk and operational support outcomes, improving user experience, first-contact resolution and coordination across internal teams and suppliers

• strengthen incident, major incident, problem and change management practices, ensuring effective governance, escalation and senior response to high-impact service disruption

• work with Infrastructure, Network, Cyber Security, End User Computing and other Technology leaders to assure stable, secure and resilient services

• set expectations for service ownership, configuration, monitoring, documentation, capacity, continuity and acceptance standards across live services

• use operational data, service levels and user insight to drive improvement, manage risk and provide assurance to senior leaders

• lead teams, stakeholders and suppliers through clear direction, effective governance and accountability for measurable service outcomes

ServiceNow and ITSM platform ownership

You will:

• act as senior business owner for ServiceNow and the wider ITSM platform strategy, roadmap and governance

• own the service catalogue, workflows, automation and development priorities

• oversee platform administration, configuration, integration, testing and controlled release of changes

• drive adoption of self-service, automation, Microsoft Teams integration and virtual assistant capabilities

• ensure reliable reporting and management information to support service decisions and assurance.

About you

We are looking for a senior IT service operations leader with proven experience of improving live, business-critical technology services in a complex environment.

You must be able to operate strategically while retaining the technical credibility and operational judgement needed to lead Service Desk, ITSM platform, service operations and supplier performance.

You will need to show evidence of leading through service disruption, strengthening incident, problem and change practices, improving configuration and CMDB governance, and using operational data to drive and identify opportunities for measurable service improvement.

You will be confident setting direction for multidisciplinary teams, working constructively with senior stakeholders and suppliers, and holding others to account for service outcomes.

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• Strong record of setting direction and leading measurable improvement in live IT services within a complex environment, using operational data, service levels and user insight to improve performance, availability, resilience, user satisfaction, risk management and senior assurance (Lead Criteria)

• Senior ownership or governance of ServiceNow or a comparable ITSM platform, including strategy, operating model and resourcing, roadmap, service catalogue, workflow, automation, reporting and development prioritisation (Lead Criteria)

• Proven senior leadership of Service Desk and operational support services, including multidisciplinary teams, stakeholders and suppliers, with accountability for service improvements, ways of working and measurable outcomes across first-line support, engineering teams and suppliers

• Strong practical understanding of incident, major incident, problem and change management, including senior leadership, governance and escalation during high-impact service disruption

• Strong understanding of enterprise IT operations, including infrastructure, networks, end-user computing, identity, security, patching, monitoring and technology lifecycle management
• Experience setting expectations and improving governance for configuration management and CMDB quality, including service mapping and configuration relationships

It is desirable that you have:

• Strong evidence of leading ServiceNow implementation, development or transformation

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Asset and configuration management
• Availability and capacity management
• Continual service improvement
• Continuity management
• Service focus

Benefits

If you join us, you will get:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• An employee benefits programme including cycle to work

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two-page CV and complete a 1000 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.

Sift will be from week commencing 30/09/2026

Interviews will be from week commencing 19/10/2026

Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.

If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the first two Lead Essential Criteria only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.

How we interview

At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.

You will also be asked to deliver a presentation and will be informed on the topic following the sift.

How we offer

Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.

This role requires SC clearance. BIST's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.

Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

More about us

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. BIST employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by BIST, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.

Find out more about life at BIST, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDaT Recruitment
• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

Attachments

DDaT Candidate Pack Aug 25 - Final (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 506kB)