We are looking for someone to step into a pivotal leadership role as Head of Service & Platforms, where you'll be responsible for the 24/7 availability and performance of our IT platforms, applications, and services across all IM divisions and subsidiaries. You’ll shape and drive the IT service strategy while ensuring solutions meet business needs, regulatory obligations, and deliver lasting value.

This role owns technical Disaster Recovery, operational IT risk, service governance (including ITIL good practice), and robust application and platform delivery. You'll be key to delivering ‘silent service’—ensuring technology runs smoothly and reliably behind the scenes—while continuously improving operational excellence, optimising supplier value, and unlocking savings. If you're passionate about resilient services and strategic impact, this is your chance to lead from the front.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and evolve the IT customer service experience, overseeing a blended team of internal staff and third-party partners
• Own the delivery and performance of IT platforms, applications, and service management across the business
• Define and implement a forward-looking IT service strategy aligned to IM’s wider business objectives
• Continuously assess and improve service maturity, ensuring solutions support colleague needs and organisational goals
• Establish and enforce ITSM-aligned processes and governance, supporting rigorous internal and external audit scrutiny
• Drive automation and tooling enhancements (e.g. Microsoft suite, ServiceNow) to boost user experience and operational efficiency
• Manage strategic supplier relationships, ensuring maximum commercial and delivery value
• Champion service performance improvements, using metrics and scorecards to report progress up to board level
• Lead response efforts during major incidents or crises, driving rapid recovery and long-term risk mitigation
• Build and maintain effective service communications and review structures across IM and its subsidiaries
• Respond to audit reviews with clear action planning, ensuring timely remediation and compliance
• Safeguard service continuity throughout change initiatives by embedding strong lifecycle design principles
• Advise the CIO and Executive teams on operational risks and estate-wide issues, offering strategic guidance and insight
• Foster collaborative internal and external partnerships to enhance service value and client experience
• Represent the function in crisis leadership forums and deputise at senior governance groups as required

• Proven leadership of large-scale, 24/7 IT services across hybrid environments and regulated industries
• Experience building and leading high-performing service, platform, and application support teams (50+ staff)
• Strong strategic planning capability, with a track record of delivering client-centric, benefit-led service strategies
• Deep understanding of ITSM frameworks (e.g. ITIL), governance standards (e.g. ISO27001/20000), and audit compliance
• Skilled in managing complex service landscapes across on-premise and cloud, with agile delivery expertise
• Commercially astute, with robust supplier and contract management experience (budgets £10m+)
• Proficient in ITSM tooling (e.g. ServiceNow) and driving automation and service innovation
• Strong grasp of modern enterprise tech: Cloud, Modern Workplace, Infrastructure, Networks, and Application stacks
• Demonstrated ability to manage operational risk and deliver secure, high-performing IT services
• 5–10+ years of senior IT leadership, ideally in service delivery, with regulated sector experience

Desirable 

• Desirable experience in legal services technology strategy development and delivery
• Track record of achieving key standards: ISO27001, ISO20000, BS27999
• Beneficial experience in projects and programmes (e.g. Prince2, PPM)
• Helpful knowledge of Disaster Recovery and IT Security best practices