Description
Service Design Specialist
Contract location: Gloucester or Plymouth
Contract length: 12 months
Principal Accountabilities
*Manage the Service Design and introduction of a defined portfolio of IT projects and IT change into EIT to ensure that IT services are operable, maintainable, recoverable and secure in accordance with agreed business requirements (inc. documentation and knowledge base); agree upfront the Service Design approach and products; identify areas of risk whilst ensuring sufficient flexibility to adapt to the changing business needs; reduce business/service impact and disruption during Service Design; manage the direct relationships with Projects, business stakeholders and internal/external support teams.
*Produce, validate and obtain approval for the EIT Service Design product set; design and document end to end support to meet the business requirements and agree Business SLAs required from Enterprise IT for new or changed services; ensure contractual arrangements and changes are in place to provide the required level(s) of support; provide SME Service Design input; attend project team meetings and boards to represent Service Design, reporting on progress and/or risks and issues as well as providing a key input (AGREE or DISAGREE) into Go/No Go decisions; handle issues and escalations when required.
*Identify and manage all Service Design risks and issues and constructively challenge IT projects and IT change on specific risks and issues to ensure they are appropriately understood and addressed (identifying treatment and action plans) or where IT Risks are not able to be mitigated, ensure those risks are documented and accepted by the relevant Project Sponsor and EIT Business Services Manager; identify any potential improvement areas.
*Manage the approval of the Service Design of IT projects and IT change within the defined portfolio; ensure relevant approval is provided for Service Design; work closely with the IT project and IT change teams and outsourced Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to identify, cost and create new service catalogue items and procedures as required by the new/amended service.
*Manage the adoption of Agile Service Design across IT projects and IT change, outsource MSPs and internal support teams, including reporting against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); champion Agile values, designed with "just enough" control and structure to effectively and efficiently deliver services that meet Business Outcomes and align to the overall EIT Agile Service Management Strategy.
*Contribute to continuous improvement and quality within the Service Design, adopting a culture of 'Right First Time' and delivering cost effective initiatives to improve the quality of Service Design and ultimately business/end user satisfaction. Constructively challenge IT projects and IT change, along with Project Managers/Work Leads where appropriate to ensure Enterprise IT risk is minimised.
Knowledge, Skills & Qualifications
*Thorough understanding of the energy supply and energy services industry in the UK and the related regulatory frameworks and requirements.
*Thorough understanding of the core business processes underpinning the company's operation, the value they deliver and the control mechanisms by which they are managed.
*Thorough understanding of overall set-up of IT Services roles played by various Service Providers.
*Ability to understand the technical, contractual, financial and operational aspects of Service Design and their relation to business objectives.
*Demonstrable track record of delivering Service Design in an IT service environment with a passion for service excellence and customer service.
*Up-to-date knowledge of current trends and best practices in Service Design.
*Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiating, verbal, written and presentation skills (especially when face-to-face with internal stakeholders); ability to interact and influence at all levels of the organisation.
*Excellent listening skills, to understand exactly what internal customers require.
*Excellent problem-solving skills.
*Excellent organisation and planning skills.
*Demonstrable experience of a range of assurance methods to gain confidence in delivery: such as QA, audits, inspections or other reporting approaches; through knowledge of quality assurance and quality control procedures and standards.
*Ability to author and communicate risks, compliance and quality plans and advise IT project and support teams on support risks and compliance requirements.
*Demonstrable experience operating in outsourced IT environments and ability to effectively collaborate with multiple service providers to provide Service Design for new services and to manage change and knowledge.
*Knowledge of best practice planning and reporting techniques.
*Strong delivery focus balanced by a consultative style of approach; constructively challenges the status quo.
*Resilient under pressure, engenders trust, lives the company values and has a high energy, ethics and personal drive.
*Confident, calm, collected, composed and patient dealing with difficult situations and working in difficult environments and tenacity and flexibility to meet desired outcomes.
*Ability to work under pressure.
*Ability to demonstrate strong understanding of, and competency in, EDF's approach to "Zero Harm" and the embedding of such culture within Service Provider(s).
*Collaborative leadership and working - internal, external and with 3rd parties.
Qualifications and Experience
*Educated to degree level or equivalent experience;
*Extensive Service Management or Service Design experience, using Design Thinking, Agile, Lean principles to design services; holding an appropriate ITIL qualification(s);
*Demonstrable experience of working with a range of project delivery methodologies, including Agile and Prince2;
*Experience of managing Service Providers and third parties;
*A track record of making difficult design decisions and evaluating project success based on evidence;
*A track record of innovation and thought leadership;
*Experienced at vendor, outsource service provider management and contract negotiations;
*Experience of partnership working;
*Leading critiques involving constructive criticism of your own work and able to constructively review the work of others.