Service Operations Centre Manager NEW Posted today Hemel Hempstead Hemel

Haven; Hemel Hempstead; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading leisure company in Hemel Hempstead is seeking a Service Operations Manager to lead IT support teams and ensure high-quality service delivery. The role involves managing incident responses, embedding automation for efficiency, and driving continual improvements. Successful candidates must have experience in frontline IT support, a strong understanding of ITIL, and excellent communication skills. This position offers a hybrid working model with various benefits, including an annual bonus and discounts on holidays.

Benefits

Holiday Buy Scheme

Annual bonus

75% discount on holidays

Comprehensive wellbeing support

Access to corporate box at the O2 Arena

Exclusive discounts with corporate partners

Learning and Development opportunities

Enhanced family friendly policies

Qualifications

• Experience leading frontline IT support operations, including Service Desk and IT Operations with strong knowledge of ITIL.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in hybrid settings using a structured leadership style.
• Strong operational judgement and problem-solving capability focused on continual improvement.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with ability to translate technical issues into business impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the IT Service Desk and IT Operations teams.
• Own Incident, Major Incident, Request and Event Management.
• Embed a knowledge-centred, automation-focused approach.
• Build strong relationships across Engineering, Product, Parks and central teams.
• Drive continual service improvement through insight and projects.

Job description

Hemel Hempstead (Hybrid – 3 days/week in office)

Annual salary + bonus and benefits

At Haven, reliable technology underpins everything we do. We’re looking for a Service Operations Manager to lead our frontline Technology support teams, overseeing the IT Service Desk and IT Operations to protect the performance and reputation of our product and technology portfolio. You’ll manage a hybrid, multidisciplinary team supporting incidents, service requests, monitoring and major incident management, while embedding consistent, high‑quality service delivery.

This role will modernise how support is delivered, shifting from SLA‑based to experience‑led service, improving inbound support across all channels and increasing self‑service through strong knowledge management. With a focus on continual improvement, automation and team development, you’ll help create a single, expert frontline function that delivers reliable IT support at pace and scale.

What you will be doing:

• Leading the day‑to‑day operation of the IT Service Desk and IT Operations teams, ensuring effective resourcing, rota planning, on‑call coverage and a robust frontline support model.
• Owning Incident, Major Incident, Request and Event Management, driving fast triage, clear escalation, strong stakeholder communication and reduced resolution times.
• Embedding a knowledge‑centred, automation‑focused approach, improving first‑contact resolution, self‑service uptake, documentation quality and service consistency.
• Building strong relationships across Engineering, Product, Parks and central teams, acting as the escalation point and operational owner for service operations.
• Driving continual service improvement through insight, projects and modern ways of working, improving XLAs, team satisfaction and the overall IT support experience.

What we’d like you to bring:

• Experience leading frontline IT support operations, including Service Desk, IT Operations/NoC and monitoring, with strong working knowledge of ITIL processes and Major Incident management in high‑pressure environments.
• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams in hybrid settings, using a calm, structured leadership style to motivate, support performance and build a positive team culture.
• Strong operational judgement and problem‑solving capability, able to balance day‑to‑day urgency with continual improvement through process optimisation, automation and knowledge‑driven approaches.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate technical issues into business impact and build trusted relationships across Engineering, Product and the wider organisation.

What’s In It For You?

• ‘Holiday Buy Scheme’
• Annual bonus
• Up to 75% discount on both Haven and Warner Hotels holiday for you, family and friends
• Comprehensive wellbeing support
• Access to the Bourne Leisure corporate box at the O2 Arena, London
• Exclusive discounts with corporate partners
• Exciting career pathways, including Learning and Development opportunities such as Apprenticeships and Degrees
• Enhanced family friendly policies and pay (eligibility criteria applied)

Who are we?

We’re part of an award‑winning Bourne Leisure family, which includes Haven & Warner Hotels. We have 9,000 fantastic team members and 39 beautiful seaside locations and our HQ based in Hemel Hempstead.

What’s it like to work with us?

Working with us is ultimately defined by our exceptional people and teams. At Haven, we take pride in our Breath of Fresh Air culture, which focuses on valuing and supporting every team member. We prioritise openness and transparency in our interactions allowing our team members to be their authentic selves.

We operate a hybrid working model, meaning 50% of your working week will be spent at the office, occasionally on Park, or at external events.

What can you expect during the recruitment process?

The interview process will be up to 3 stages and may contain a presentation or skills test, depending on the role. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to help you perform at your best during this process, please let us know.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments or flexibility that you may require, including whether a role can be part‑time or a job‑share.

We genuinely care about every candidate’s experience during the recruitment process and are here to provide support where we can. If you require any assistance or reasonable adjustments while applying, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [e-mail].

Location

1 Park Lane, Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4YL, GB