Service Level Manager

Job Description

We are seeking a proactive, self-driven Service Level Manager to join our IT Operations team. The Service Level Manager is responsible for defining, negotiating, managing, and reporting on Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and related underpinning contracts to ensure IT services meet agreed business targets and expectations. The role acts as the primary interface between IT, business and the service providers for all service performance and SLA-related matters, with a strong focus on customer trust, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience.

Key responsibilities

• Define, negotiate, and maintain SLAs, OLAs, and underpinning contracts for all in-scope IT services.
• Ensure services are designed and operated to meet agreed service level targets and regulatory expectations (e.g. operational resilience, availability, incident response), working closely with Service Owners, Architects, and Operations teams.
• Monitor, measure, and report on service performance against SLAs, including availability, response, and resolution targets for critical customer‑facing and regulatory‑sensitive services.
• Lead regular service review meetings with business stakeholders (operations, front office, risk, compliance) and service providers, presenting performance reports, customer impact, and agreed improvement actions.
• Identify SLA breaches and performance trends, drive root cause analysis with resolver teams, and track corrective actions and service improvement plans, with explicit focus on customer and business impact.
• Maintain and evolve the service catalogue and associated service level targets in alignment with product, business, risk, and regulatory priorities.
• Collaborate with Incident, Problem, Change, Capacity, and Risk Management to ensure end‑to‑end service quality, stability, and compliance with internal policies and industry regulations.
• Support major incident and post‑incident reviews by providing service impact, customer impact, and SLA context, ensuring clear communication to business, risk, and compliance stakeholders.
• Manage the annual SLA lifecycle (requirements gathering, negotiation, sign‑off, review, and renewal) in line with services governance, internal control, and audit requirements.
• Ensure service provider contracts and service commitments support internal SLAs, regulatory obligations, and resilience standards, and that supplier performance is monitored and governed effectively.
• Promote a culture of customer focus, operational resilience, and continuous service improvement across IT.

Required skills and experience

• Strong knowledge of ITIL-based IT Service Management, particularly Service Level Management and related processes (Incident, Problem, Change, Availability, Capacity).
• Proven experience in an IT service management, service delivery, or operations role.
• Demonstrable track record of defining and managing SLAs, OLAs, and service provider performance for business‑critical and customer‑facing services.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience using reporting and monitoring tools to interpret service performance data, identify trends, and quantify business/customer impact.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, able to engage credibly with technical teams, business leaders, risk, and compliance.
• Experience running service review forums and driving service improvement plans to completion in a regulated environment.
• · Good understanding of multi‑supplier or outsourced environments, vendor governance, and third‑party risk management.

Qualifications

• ITIL Foundation certification required; advanced ITIL certifications (e.g. ITIL Intermediate/Practice Manager/Strategist) desirable.
• Degree in Information Technology, Business, or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Desirable: experience or certification in financial services regulation, operational resilience, or risk management (e.g. operational risk, SR11‑7/SS1‑21, DORA/operational resilience frameworks depending on region).

Personal attributes

• Customer‑obsessed, with a strong commitment to understanding how service performance affects end‑customers, colleagues, and critical business processes.
• Empathetic communicator who can translate technical issues into clear, human‑centric narratives that explain impact and options to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Collaborative relationship‑builder who fosters trust and psychological safety across IT, business, and supplier teams, encouraging honest discussion of risks and issues.
• Strong listener who actively seeks feedback from users, customer‑facing teams, and business stakeholders to shape service levels and improvement initiatives.
• Calm and reassuring presence under pressure, able to support teams and stakeholders during major incidents and high‑stress situations.
• Values‑driven and ethically minded, sensitive to the importance of customer trust, data protection, and fair outcomes in financial services.
• Continuous improvement mindset, using both quantitative data and qualitative feedback (surveys, interviews, complaints) to design better service experiences.
• Inclusive and culturally aware, able to work effectively with diverse teams and global stakeholders, adapting style to different audiences and cultures.
• Confident facilitator who can balance business demands with operational realities, negotiating service levels that are realistic, sustainable, and customer‑centric.