Sr Service Manager - Change and Maintenance Window

Job Summary

The Senior Service Manager - Change and Maintenance Window is responsible for providing strategic leadership, governance, and operational oversight of the Change and Release Management function across the organization. This role ensures that all technology changes are assessed, authorized, implemented, and reviewed in a controlled, compliant, and business-focused manner.

The position is accountable for maintaining service stability and reducing operational risk through robust change governance, effective maintenance window management, regulatory compliance, and continuous process improvement. Working closely with business stakeholders, technology teams, managed service providers, and third-party partners, the role ensures that changes are delivered safely while minimizing disruption to business operations.

Reporting to the Director, CTO Operations, the role leads a team of Change and Release Management professionals and serves as the primary escalation point for complex change and maintenance window activities within the organization.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

Change Management Strategy & Governance

• Own and continuously improve the end-to-end Change and Release Management operating model.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks for Standard, Normal, Emergency, and High-Risk Changes.
• Ensure Change Management policies, procedures, SOPs, and work instructions remain current and effective.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex change and release issues.

Change Advisory Board (CAB) Governance

• Review and validate change submissions prior to CAB review.
• Ensure change records contain appropriate implementation plans, testing evidence, risk assessments, back-out plans, and stakeholder communications.
• Chair or oversee CAB meetings and drive effective decision-making.
• Challenge and improve the quality of change planning and execution across the organization.

Risk, Compliance & Audit Management

• Ensure compliance with SOX, GxP, security, risk, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain a strong control environment that reduces the risk of unauthorized or poorly managed changes.
• Support internal and external audits by maintaining accurate records and evidence.
• Monitor adherence to Change Management controls and address non-compliance issues.

Maintenance Window Management

• Own the planning, scheduling, governance, and successful execution of enterprise maintenance windows.
• Assess change risks, dependencies, conflicts, and business impacts before approving inclusion in maintenance windows.
• Coordinate business and technology stakeholders to align on maintenance schedules.
• Lead bridge calls and act as the central escalation point during maintenance activities.
• Produce post-maintenance reports and lessons-learned documentation.
• Maintain all maintenance window processes, documentation, and operational standards.

Stakeholder & Escalation Management

• Manage and resolve business-critical change and release escalations.
• Provide risk-based recommendations and guidance to senior leaders and technical teams.
• Build strong relationships across business functions, IT teams, compliance groups, and external vendors.
• Communicate risks, impacts, decisions, and outcomes effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop Change and Release Management team members.
• Set clear objectives, priorities, and accountability measures.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Develop and deliver Change Management training and process adoption initiatives across the organization.
• Drive consistent adherence to change processes and governance standards among employees, contractors, and managed service providers.

Essential Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Management, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of experience in IT Service Management and Change Management.
• Extensive experience leading Change and Release Management functions within large global enterprises.
• Proven expertise in enterprise Change Management solutions and tooling.
• Deep understanding of ITIL Service Management processes, including:
  • Change Management
  • Release Management
  • Incident Management
  • Problem Management
  • Service Asset & Configuration Management (CMDB)
• Experience managing enterprise-wide maintenance windows and complex change portfolios.
• Experience operating within multi-vendor and Managed Service Provider (MSP) environments.
• Strong understanding of IT security, governance, compliance, and risk management requirements.
• Experience supporting cloud, on-premise, manufacturing, and Operational Technology (OT) environments.
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, communication, and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure in complex and fast-paced environments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience collaborating across global and cross-functional teams.

Certifications

• ITIL Certification (Intermediate, Expert, Managing Professional, or equivalent).
• SIAM Certification or equivalent service integration qualification.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience

• Experience leading enterprise-wide Change Management transformation initiatives.
• Experience working within global healthcare, pharmaceutical, consumer healthcare, or highly regulated industries.
• Proven ownership of end-to-end Change Management processes in multinational organizations.
• Experience implementing governance frameworks across complex technology estates.
• Experience driving continuous service improvement and operational excellence programs.
• Exposure to regulatory and audit environments requiring strict governance and compliance controls.

Disclaimer: This job posting has been aggregated from external source. Role details, content, and availability are subject to change. Applicants are advised to confirm the latest information directly on the company website before applying.