Service Delivery Manager at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

Proactively work with business unit technical product and service teams (tribes & squads – internally & externally) to enable business continuity & consistent, quality technology service availability and resilience. Ensure the ongoing alignment of people, processes and systems for optimal service performance. This includes partnership of the business across the end-end service management value chain & includes the following key areas of focus: • Service Management (Service Mapping, Service Reviews, Service Cataloguing & Updates, Service Performance Monitoring, Service Processes) • Reporting & Document Management Change & Release Planning • Event & Incident Management • Risk, Governance & Compliance

Overall Job Purpose

• Proactively work with business unit technical product and service teams (tribes & squads – internally &
• externally) to enable business continuity & consistent, quality technology service availability and resilience.
• Ensure the ongoing alignment of people, processes, and systems for optimal service performance.
• This includes partnership of the business across the end-end service management value chain & includes the following key areas of focus:
• Service Management (Service Mapping, Service Reviews, Service Cataloguing & Updates, Service Performance Monitoring, Service Processes).
• Reporting & Document Management.
• Change & Release Planning.
• End to End Event & Incident Management.
• Follow through on Root Cause Analysis and permanent resolution.
• Risk, Governance & Compliance.
• Ensure Ticket handling SLAs’ & KPIs’ are met.

Key Accountabilities

Service Delivery Management - 30%

• Leverage deep technical expertise and cross domain knowledge to accurately map IT services for assigned technology product & service areas This includes mapping & formally documenting & modelling all assets, resources, dependencies, accountabilities & associated risks & costs across the IT infrastructure environment (internally & externally provided).
• Work with a range of stakeholders to define service parameters and standards.
• Collaborate with technical teams to effectively document & store service maps & associated service parameters including all architecture & infrastructure models, service standards and parameters, capacity & capability requirements etc.
• Continuously revise & update service catalogues & parameters to reflect ‘current state’ of the area aligned to change & release planning processes for the business area.
• Leverage deep technical (technology & ITSM) knowledge & expertise & proactively assess the overall service health of the area (real time leveraging appropriate technology).
• Leverage these real time health assessments to proactively identify & prevent service unavailability, instability & overall performance degradation risk for Absa Bank Ke Products & Services.
• Facilitate start of day health checks with relevant technical teams including chairing of daily production meetings.
• Conduct ongoing service reviews against defined standards and parameters with relevant stakeholders including suppliers.
• Continuously monitor service performance and identify risk (ahead of major events & incidents).
• Consolidate health assessment & specific service review information & translate this into impactful & relevant business insights to guide continuous improvements in technical product and service development (run & change) and associated changes & release.
• Drive service improvement & SLA achievement across the business area (influence stakeholders for optimal service delivery).
• Drive service resilience objectives across the business area & show significant improvements in resilience through effective capability & awareness building within and across technology product & service teams.
• Assume one stop shop accountability for the accuracy of all Service Information Management Systems (e.g., Stability and Resilience, etc.).
• Drive the adherence to Service Management processes (Incident (major and standard), problem and change), and produce of the relevant process deliverable (i.e., Executive Incident Summary) Work with agile & waterfall teams to assess capacity & capability requirements to deliver optimal service performance & ensure any gaps identified are closed.
• Leverage deep technical expertise & cross domain knowledge to contribute to the development of Group ITSM standards and processes.

Change & Release (Operational Readiness) – 10%

• Work collaboratively with operational readiness and technology teams to define / predict potential change & release impact across the business (own services & dependent / interdependent services).
• Coordinate the development of consolidated change & release plans for defined area
• Work collaboratively with and embedded as part of agile teams & waterfall project teams to effectively plan changes & releases (all resourcing, timing / scheduling etc., performance metrics & parameters etc.).
• Define service parameters and changes aligned to changes & releases planned and communicate these across dependent / interdependent groups of users.

Incident Management: - 25%

• Cascade & embed all incident management processes & practices in the assigned business area.
• Work embedded across squads to lead incident & event management resolution
• Ensure all events are appropriately recorded and managed to conclusion (aligned to Group Incident / Event Management Standards and practices).
• Leverage event management insights & translate lessons learnt across all relevant stakeholder groups (no repeat incidents!!)
• Ensure the accuracy of event management data & event status on the CMDB & ensure event management data is relevant, usable & beneficial to the organization (speak the language of the business).
• Work collaboratively with the Group Resilience teams to positively contribute to the continuous improvement of event management processes and practices.
• Promote incident prevention & repeat incident prevention through proactive service reviews, relevant business insights and capability building routines & processes.
• Achieve all incident / event management targets and standards (e.g., quality of resolution, time to resolution, cost impact, customer impact etc.).

People - 25%

• Coach & mentor technology & service management teams on various areas of expertise (technical landscape / service management)
• Conduct peer reviews, & problem solving within and across the broader team as required
• Provide technical subject matter expertise and support in the attraction and recruitment of Service Management resources
• Participate as a subject matter expert in the development & development planning of the broader Service Delivery team as required
• Support the people change teams & or Group Service Engineering teams in the design of adoption processes, training material etc.
• Support Group Wide capability building processes

Education and experience required

Preferred

• At least 3 years’ experience of Service Management, ideally in an IT environment
• Experience working in a matrix environment with cross border accountabilities.
• Experience of creating measuring, monitoring, and managing service levels.
• Experience of managing relationships and leading negotiations with clients and suppliers.
• Experience of communicating effectively with Senior and Top Management.
• The role holder will be a leading Service Management exponent within Absa Bank Kenya PLC
• Proven record of delivering quality services in a changing environment.

Essential

• Up to date with initiatives taking place within the Service Management and Financial Services sector and IT industry.

Knowledge and skills: 

Essential 

• ITIL – Service Management essentials
• Service Management and Control
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• People Management and Supervision
• Able to achieve and maintain high standards – always looking for improvements
• Basic IT Literacy – the ability to do word processing, work with simple spreadsheets & e-mail
• Team working with a customer focus
• Communication skills, verbal and written at both business and technical levels.
• Analytical skills
• Information gathering and listening skills
• Enthusiasm & drive with total commitment to service improvement.
• Ability to deliver services and changes in a safe and controlled way
• Basic cost management and numeracy skills.

Preferred

• In-depth knowledge of IT Service Management techniques
• Working knowledge of services and products provided by Operations & IT and third parties
• Working knowledge of charging and cost recovery policies
• Working knowledge of the client organisations
• Understanding of short and medium-term business plans for the organization
• Working knowledge of Project Development techniques, specifically Prince 2
• Comprehensive knowledge of Service Improvement techniques
• Basic knowledge of banking services

Competencies:

• Commercial awareness/ Entrepreneurial
• Drive for results
• Relationship /Partnership approach
• Technical skills/knowledge
• Team building/player
• People Management capability
• A resilient and inspirational leader.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology

Closing date: 5 April 2022