Senior Manager - Global IT Operations Manager

To orchestrate and scale a modern, product-driven IT operations function across cloud, infrastructure, digital workplace, service management, and enterprise platforms — retaining full internal accountability for service outcomes, platform governance, and transformation execution within a lean internal structure and a highly outsourced, multi-vendor delivery model.

Key Accountabilities : 

• Lead and align multiple IT operational domains: cloud platforms and FinOps; infrastructure, network and digital workplace; IT service delivery and automation; and the ServiceNow enterprise workflow platform.
• Ensure all domains operate as integrated products, not siloed services, with end-to-end accountability for service performance and user experience.
• Translate enterprise strategy into coordinated operational execution across domains.
• Establish and chair a weekly IT Operations Governance Forum , bringing together all domain leads to review SLA performance, escalate cross-domain issues, align on roadmap dependencies, and cascade priorities
• Establish and chair a weekly IT Operations Governance Forum , bringing together all domain leads to review SLA performance, escalate cross-domain issues, align on roadmap dependencies, and cascade priorities
• Own the IT Operations Service Catalogue , a published, versioned inventory of all IT services, their owners, SLAs, costs, and dependencies , maintained and reviewed quarterly with domain lead
• Institutionalise a “platform-as-a-product” operating model and establish governance for roadmaps, prioritisation, backlog management, delivery cadence, and value-realisation tracking.
• Align all operational platforms (cloud, infrastructure, ServiceNow, workplace) into a cohesive ecosystem.
• Enforce a standardisation-first approach with minimal customisation and technical-debt discipline.
• Define and own a Platform Governance Framework covering how new platform requests are assessed and approved, how customisation exceptions are governed and tracked, how platform retirements are managed, and how vendor-introduced changes are reviewed before acceptance into production.
• Define and own a Platform Governance Framework covering: how new platform requests are assessed and approved,how customisation exceptions are governed and tracked, how platform retirements are managed, and how vendor-introduced changes are reviewed before acceptance into production.
• Lead a global ecosystem of managed service providers and system integrators, shifting delivery from resource-based to outcome-based accountability.
• Define and enforce SLA / KPI frameworks linked to business outcomes, and architecture and governance compliance.
• Drive vendor performance through executive governance forums and performance reviews, delivering measurable improvements in cost efficiency (per user, per workload), service quality, and delivery predictability.
• Own global IT operations performance across availability, resilience, and service continuity; service quality (SLA, CSAT, responsiveness); and cloud and operational cost efficiency.
• Establish integrated executive dashboards across ServiceNow metrics, infrastructure and network health, and cloud consumption / FinOps.
• Define and lead an automation-first IT operations strategy across ServiceNow workflows and virtual agents, service-desk automation and self-service, and infrastructure automation (IaC, policy-driven provisioning).
• Own the integrated 3-year IT operations transformation roadmap across all domains (stabilise & standardise — optimise & automate — AI-enable & transform).
• Manage cross-domain dependencies and execution risks; act as the central execution authority for all IT operations initiatives.
• Ensure IT operations platforms support industrial and OT-integrated environments, enabling secure IT/OT data integration and scalable infrastructure for industrial IoT and smart assets.
• Embed Zero Trust architecture principles and OT security and segmentation models.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in IT, Engineering, or a related field.
• ITIL v4 (Managing Professional or Strategic Leader); Azure Solutions Architect (or equivalent cloud certification); TOGAF or enterprise-architecture exposure; FinOps certification (advantageous). 

Preferred Experience

• 12–15+ years in IT operations, infrastructure, or platform leadership, managing multi-domain IT environments (cloud, infrastructure, service management).
• Demonstrated success in large-scale infrastructure transformation and highly outsourced / SIAM operating models; energy, utilities, or industrial sectors, or high-performance environments (financial services, private-equity-backed organisations).

Job-Specific Skills

• Strong understanding of cloud platforms (Azure preferred), infrastructure and network architecture, digital workplace (M365 ecosystem), and ServiceNow / enterprise workflow platforms.
• Deep familiarity with ITIL v4 service management, FinOps and cost optimisation, and automation, AIOps, and AI-enabled operations; working knowledge of IT/OT convergence.
• Strong systems thinker able to integrate multiple domains into a cohesive operating model; exceptional vendor governance and performance management; product-oriented, data-driven, execution-focused, and pragmatic, with proven ability to lead lean teams with high vendor leverage.

• Role is to be based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 
• As part of the application process, we will collect, store and process personal information about you.