IT Service Delivery Manager (Defence)

Positiv+ Cohort · Farnborough, United Kingdom (Hybrid) · Contract · Posted 2025-02-27

Workplace: hybrid

Description

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced IT Service Delivery Manager to join our team in the Defence sector. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality IT services to support critical defence operations. This role requires strong leadership skills, technical expertise, and the ability to manage complex service delivery requirements within a highly regulated environment. The candidate must hold an active SC Clearance and be a British national.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities:

Service Delivery Management: Lead the delivery of IT services to meet both operational and strategic goals. Ensure that service levels (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) are achieved.
Client and Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the main point of contact for stakeholders, ensuring that service delivery aligns with customer expectations. Foster strong relationships with defence sector clients and internal teams.
Incident and Problem Management: Oversee the effective resolution of IT incidents and problems, ensuring minimal disruption to service. Proactively identify areas for improvement and implement preventive measures.
Service Improvement: Continuously assess the IT service delivery process and implement improvements that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. Lead root cause analysis for service delivery issues and define corrective actions.
Change Management: Ensure that changes to the IT environment are implemented smoothly with minimal disruption to service. Oversee the change management process, ensuring compliance with Defence sector standards.
Compliance and Governance: Ensure that all service delivery activities are fully compliant with defence sector regulations, security protocols, and relevant legal and contractual requirements.
Team Leadership: Manage and lead a team of IT professionals, providing mentorship, performance management, and career development opportunities. Ensure that the team is equipped with the right skills and tools to deliver quality service.
Budget and Resource Management: Oversee the allocation of resources and manage the budget for IT service delivery. Ensure that service delivery is cost-effective and within agreed financial constraints.
Reporting and Documentation: Prepare regular reports for senior management and clients, outlining service performance, incident reports, and service improvements. Ensure that all documentation is up to date and in compliance with governance standards.

Key Skills and Experience:

Proven experience in managing IT service delivery within the Defence sector or other highly regulated environments.
Strong technical background in IT service management, with in-depth knowledge of frameworks such as ITIL.
Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and guide a team to deliver high-quality results.
Solid understanding of incident, problem, and change management processes.
Ability to engage with senior stakeholders and clients, building strong relationships and understanding their needs.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Experience with service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a high level of attention to detail.
A proactive and organised approach to managing tasks and priorities.

Qualifications:

Relevant Certifications: ITIL v3 or ITIL 4 Foundation (desired), Prince2 or similar project management qualification (desired).
Degree: A degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field is preferred but not essential.

What We Offer:

The opportunity to work on mission-critical projects that impact national security.
A supportive environment fostering professional growth and development.
Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies in the IT field.

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About the company

Positiv+ Cohort delivers end-to-end program management for complex defense, security, aerospace, energy, and transport programs in the UK. It focuses on sovereign delivery and security-cleared teams to manage requirements, integration, certification, and through-life support, not just staffing. The company uses proprietary automation tools to improve visibility and control over risk, cost, and schedule across the program lifecycle. Its goal is to accelerate and secure UK defense and security programs while maintaining trust, compliance, and risk management through an outcome-driven, high-integrity delivery model.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Farnborough, United Kingdom

Founded

N/A

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Website and LinkedIn were updated in 2026, showing active marketing and positioning.
March 2026 job postings indicate ongoing delivery work in Bristol and operational demand.
Service breadth across Type 26, UxVs, cyber, and C6I matches UK defence spending priorities.

What critics are saying

Public visibility is tiny: LinkedIn shows 11-50 employees, limiting scale and resilience.
No disclosed contracts, funding, or major customers; pipeline concentration risk is immediate.
BAE, Cohort plc, and larger integrators dominate defence delivery, squeezing margins and access.

What makes Positiv+ Cohort unique

UK-sovereign delivery partner for defence and security programmes, updated June 2026.
Combines secure delivery, engineering, cyber, and PMO under one outcome-driven services model.
Positions itself against recruiters and generic consultancies, emphasizing high-assurance execution over staffing.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Positiv+ Cohort

IT Service Delivery Manager - Defence

About the job