Service Assurance Specialist

<p><strong>Title:</strong> Service Assurance Specialist</p> <p><strong>Contract Length:</strong> 3 Months ASAP Start</p> <p><strong>Day Rate:</strong> &pound;500 pd to &pound;550 pd (Inside IR35)</p> <p><strong>Hybrid:</strong> 2 days on site (Cambridge)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Overview</strong></p> <p>Experienced IT Service Management professional responsible for leading service assurance and transition processes, ensuring new and evolving services meet high-quality standards and are delivered effectively into live operations.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p> <ul> <li>Primarily focused on BAU service assurance and transition activities</li> <li>Involvement in features and product support within live environments</li> <li>Lead the design, governance, and continuous improvement of service assurance and transition processes.</li> <li>Define and track performance metrics to drive efficiency, quality, and process maturity.</li> <li>Support delivery teams and stakeholders in applying ITSM best practices across projects.</li> <li>Ensure services are production-ready through collaboration, validation, and effective Early Life Support (ELS) planning.</li> <li>Support the process of accepting services into live environments, ensuring all entry criteria are met.</li> <li>Work closely with Project Managers (PMs), who own the service design, to validate readiness for go-live.</li> <li>Review and assure go-live checklists provided by PMs, confirming all requirements are completed.</li> <li>Verify that service readiness and ELS criteria are fully met before transition into live.</li> <li>Provide Level 1 support and contribute to ongoing service stability post go-live.</li> <li>Focus on business-as-usual (BAU) activities, supporting live services, features, and products.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Experience &amp; Skills</strong></p> <ul> <li>10+ years&#8217; experience in IT Service Management, with leadership in service design, transition, or assurance.</li> <li>Strong background in service assurance and transition, with proven ability to deliver smooth go-lives.</li> <li>Experience in governance, compliance, and large-scale IT environments.</li> <li>Solid understanding of IT infrastructure, SDLC, and project delivery frameworks.</li> <li>Ability to ensure service readiness and seamless transition into live environments.</li> <li>Strong stakeholder collaboration skills, particularly working alongside Project Managers and delivery teams.</li> <li>ITIL 4 certification (preferred).</li> </ul> <p>, </p>