Senior IT Service Manager

This role is based in Newcastle.

Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

Please note that for candidates requesting to work in Newcastle, this role will be based at Benton Park View from September 2025, and then at 1 Pilgrim Place in Newcastle city centre by the end of 2027.

Job Summary

Are you ready to lead the delivery of high quality digital services that make a real difference to millions of users?

Do you thrive on solving complex IT service challenges and driving continuous improvement?

If so, this could be the role for you!

As a Senior IT Service Manager, you are responsible for ensuring value and quality is achieved for the end-to-end technology solution, support service and/or user experience of a digital Product/Service.

You are responsible for defining and managing mechanisms, such as service level and operational level agreements, to deliver to agreed performance targets in a cost effective and timely manner across all relevant functions.

You will drive analysis and resolution of complex issues, enlist support and escalate where appropriate to relevant IT service functions.

You will own stakeholder relationships and make sure that Products and Services are delivering efficiency in meeting business and user requirements and are able to offer guidance and respond effectively to queries about Product/Service design, policy, etc.

In addition, you will undertake, and have accountability for teams who deliver, Service Management duties e.g. Incident Management, Problem Management, Service Design & Transition.

You will have line management responsibilities, supporting and managing development of others and acting as a point of escalation.

The successful applicant will become a member of the DWP Digital & Transformation IT Service Management community, with opportunities for personal and professional development.

There will be an expectation that the successful candidate will cover both in and out of hours Major Incident support.

Job Description

Manage the performance of the Products/Services within the role remit ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.

• Responsible for live service support centred on operational running of digital Products / Services, ensuring effective management of issues using agreed incident and problem management processes, procedures and policies.
• Participate in Service Design & Transition activities including testing to implement new and changing services.
• Develop and oversee a continuous service improvement programme across the broader support team, ensuring alignment with quality assurance and that identified actions to sustain or enhance service levels are effectively implemented.

• Ensure Products/Services are delivered to agreed processes and policies.
• Ensure new and changed Products/Services are sufficiently and safely supported into live service whilst meeting the expectations of customers and service management standards.
• Provide high quality support for all end users, understanding and resolving user issues and queries.
• Understand user needs and make an initial assessment on the impact/urgency of requests and incidents.
• Oversee and manage the day to day activities of your team and delegate administrative tasks relating to Service Management processes, ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.
• You’ll be required to work On Call (overnight, weekends, Bank Holidays) to facilitate 24/7 Major Incident Management. This will be undertaken in collaboration with other SEO colleagues and is usually undertaken for a full calendar week at a time. This is done in addition to the regular SEO duties. This will be on a 24/7 on-call rota basis for which full training will be provided.
  
  

Manage the performance of the Products/Services within the role remit ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.

• Responsible for live service support centred on operational running of digital Products / Services, ensuring effective management of issues using agreed incident and problem management processes, procedures and policies.
• Participate in Service Design & Transition activities including testing to implement new and changing services.
• Develop and oversee a continuous service improvement programme across the broader support team, ensuring alignment with quality assurance and that identified actions to sustain or enhance service levels are effectively implemented.

• Ensure Products/Services are delivered to agreed processes and policies.
• Ensure new and changed Products/Services are sufficiently and safely supported into live service whilst meeting the expectations of customers and service management standards.
• Provide high quality support for all end users, understanding and resolving user issues and queries.
• Understand user needs and make an initial assessment on the impact/urgency of requests and incidents.
• Oversee and manage the day to day activities of your team and delegate administrative tasks relating to Service Management processes, ensuring alignment to customer expectations and defined targets, and that relevant support functions remain responsive to customer needs.
• You’ll be required to work On Call (overnight, weekends, Bank Holidays) to facilitate 24/7 Major Incident Management. This will be undertaken in collaboration with other SEO colleagues and is usually undertaken for a full calendar week at a time. This is done in addition to the regular SEO duties. This will be on a 24/7 on-call rota basis for which full training will be provided.
  
  

Person specification

See selection process for further details.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact [email protected].

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
  
  

Technical skills

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

• Service Management
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,447, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
  
  

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

The salary for this role is £44,447- £46,547.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer will maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion will either move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or get a 10% increase to their current salary whichever would be the greater. New entrants to the Civil Service will join on band minimum.

Selection process details

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

Stage 1: Application

Your Application Will Consist Of Three Parts

• A Personal Details application form.
• Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria below:
• Proven track record of analysis and identification of trending incidents and supporting queries to inform Problem Management and/or Knowledge Management outcomes, identifying improvement opportunities.
• Evidence of liaising and collaborating with wider teams and stakeholders, building strong relationships to ensure delivery of customer focused outcomes.
• Displays detailed knowledge and understanding of digital Products and Services including demonstrating experience of supporting and maintaining these.
• Evidence of delivering a consistently high standard of customer service.
• Technical statement (up to 250 words). The following statement is aligned to the required technical skill of: Service Management.
• Strong knowledge and working experience of IT Service Management Frameworks e.g. ITIL.
  
  

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The sift panel will use the information in your personal statement and technical statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.

An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.

Important Information

• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your personal statement or technical statement contain any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
• 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. A candidate’s guide to artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment.
  
  

Stage 2: Interview

If You’re Successful At Sift Stage You Will Be Invited To a Video Interview Via Microsoft Teams. There, You Will Be Assessed Against The Following Behaviours

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
  
  

Interviews will take place from early December 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.

Feedback

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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 : Caicy Sandford
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.