Service Manager (Tech Ops)

Who we are

We are an organisation that exists to drive progress. That's the “red thread” that connects everyone at The Economist Group (TEG). Our businesses share a devotion to innovation, independence and rigour in their fields of expertise. We empower people to understand and tackle the critical challenges and changes facing the world. Our analytical rigour, global expertise and evidence-based insights enable individuals and organisations to make sense of these shifts and chart a course through them.

We deliver analysis and insights in many formats to subscribers and clients in 170 countries through our four businesses, The Economist, Economist Impact, Economist Intelligence and Economist Education, which uphold our global reputation for excellence and integrity. 

Introduction

The Economist Technology teams deliver the tech which brings The Economist, Economist Intelligence & Economist Impact to life for millions of avid readers, podcast listeners and content watchers. You will join our team at a time when the demand for excellence in our digital customer experience is higher than ever before. You will join a profitable, responsible business with a brand and culture that you can  be proud of and with every opportunity to deliver success for the Group and yourself.

We are seeking an ITSM Service Manager. You will be dedicated to learning about technology management and will provide first class support for our growing service management capability. If you are a collaborative team member with a practical, can-do attitude and would like to join our fantastic team, we would love to hear from you. 

As part of this role you may expect to occasionally be available during non-standard working hours as per operational and business requirements. 

 

Job Summary:

The ITSM Service Manager will be responsible for supporting IT service management processes, ensuring smooth operations, and contributing to continuous service improvement for various TEG Business Units - Economist Intelligence, Economist Impact and Economist Newspaper. This role involves assisting with Incident, Problem, Change, and Service Request management, working closely with IT, DevOps, Engineering, Product, Project, Support teams, Vendors and stakeholders to maintain high service quality and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Management & Operations:

• Assist in managing ITSM processes, including Major Incident, Incident, Service Request, Problem, Change, and Request Management.
• Ensure compliance with ITIL best practices and organizational policies.
• Support service level agreements (SLAs) and internal OLAs.
• Monitor ITSM tool (JIRA, Confluence, ServiceNow, etc) usage and ensure accurate documentation of incidents and requests.
• ITSM Process Documentation for Digital Products & Services
• Contribute to delivering our service management strategy
• Build strong relationships with engineers and business stakeholders
• Support the transition of new services and features into BAU support

Major Incident Management:

• Responsible for overseeing and resolving high-priority IT incidents that significantly impact business operations. 
• Coordinate response efforts, engage relevant teams, communicate updates to stakeholders, and drive rapid resolution to minimize downtime. 
• Analyze incidents to identify root causes and implement preventive measures to reduce future risks.
  
  

Incident, Service Requests & Problem Management:

• Assist in triaging, tracking and resolving IT incidents, Service Requests & Problems.
• Take ownership of ticket queues, manage aging and keep daily churn healthy
• Work with technical teams to perform root cause analysis and implement preventive measures.
• Maintain incident records and generate reports for performance analysis.

Change & Release Management:

• Support change management processes, documentation and workflows as needed
• Assist in coordinating planned system changes and evaluating their impact.
• Monitor post-change performance to ensure minimal disruption to services.

Continuous Service Improvement:

• Identify areas for improvement in ITSM processes and suggest enhancements.
• Support automation initiatives and efficiency improvements in IT service delivery.
• Assist in gathering and analyzing service performance data.
• Contribute to reporting and the development of service dashboards
• Support the use of automation and AI to streamline processes 

Stakeholder & Communication Management:

• Act as a point of contact for IT service-related queries and escalations.
• Collaborate with IT teams and business stakeholders to ensure service alignment.
• Participate in service review meetings and contribute to reporting activities.

Qualifications & Skills:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 8-10 years of experience in IT service management, help desk, or technical support
• Hands-On Experience with ITSM tools like ServiceNow, BMC Remedy, Confluence, Jira Service Management (Atlassian Suite), etc
  
  

Technical Skills:

• Thorough understanding of ITIL principles and IT service management frameworks.
• Familiarity with IT operations, cloud services, and enterprise IT environments.
• Proficiency in ITSM tools and ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Jira, Salesforce, etc)

Desirable:

• Understanding/skills in Observability & monitoring tools (NewRelic)
• Understanding/skills in subscription & payments (Zuora, Salesforce, Cybersource etc)
• Understanding of Content Management systems
• Understanding of DW/BI, AI/ML  
  
  

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
  
  

Preferred Certifications:

• ITIL Foundation Certification (mandatory)
• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (preferred but not required).
• Fundamentals of Jira, Confluence, other ITSM tools

#LI-Hybrid

What we offer

Benefits
We offer excellent benefits including an incentive programme, generous annual and parental leave policies, volunteering days and well-being support throughout the year, as well as free access to all Economist content. Country specific benefits are also offered.

Our Values
Our values are a collective set of beliefs and behaviours that strengthen The Economist Group's purpose and demonstrate where we want to be as an organisation. They reflect on our mission to pursue progress for individuals, organisations and the world.

Independence
We are not bound to any party or interest and encourage exploration and free-thinking. We champion freedom, both within our organisation and around the world.

Integrity
We are bold in our efforts to uncover the truth and stand up for what we believe in. We inspire trust through our rigour, fact-checking and transparency.

Excellence
We aspire to the highest standards in all we do. We are ambitious and inquisitive in our pursuit of continuous progress and innovation.

Inclusivity
We value diversity in thought and background and encourage healthy debate with a breadth of perspectives. We treat our colleagues and customers fairly and respectfully.

Openness
We foster a collaborative and empathetic culture conducive to the interests, wit and initiative of our colleagues. New ideas are our lifeblood.

The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our colleagues and potential colleagues regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, gender identity, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation, age, marital status or any other status.