Senior Manager, Service Operations in Sydney

At SITA, we keep airports moving, airlines flying smoothly, and borders open. Our technology and communication innovations power the success of the global air travel industry. You'll find us in 95% of international airports, working closely with over 2,500 transportation and government clients. Each partnership brings unique challenges, and we thrive on delivering fresh solutions and cutting-edge tech to keep operations running like clockwork.

Senior Manager Service Operations (PSO Borders) provides leadership and governance for regional or product-based service operations teams, ensuring the delivery of secure, reliable and customer-focused Border solutions. The role is accountable for operational performance, incident and problem management, service lifecycle management, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement, while driving standardisation, service quality and operational excellence across the Borders portfolio.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage day-to-day service operations activities 24/7 for service critical systems.
• Ensure service levels and operational commitments are achieved.
• Lead incident management, major incident response and operational recovery activities.
• Monitor service health and operational performance.
• Lead geographically dispersed service operations teams.
• Develop operational capability and promote a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Engage with customers, Business Units, Portfolio teams, T&E and SGS leadership.
• Ensure operational objectives remain aligned with customer and business requirements.
• Support services from transition through operational life and retirement.
• Drive automation, standardisation, reliability improvements and operational efficiency initiatives.

Success Measures

• Service availability and reliability SLA/SLO achievement.
• Incident reduction and MTTR improvement.
• Customer satisfaction.
• Operational efficiency.
• Successful service transitions.
• Continuous improvement and standardisation outcomes.

Qualifications Experience

• 10+ years’ extensive experience in service operations, preferably with significant leadership or managerial responsibility.
• Proven track record of managing day-to-day service operations, improving service delivery and ensuring service level agreements are consistently achieved.
• Demonstrated experience leading, managing and developing teams, including performance management, coaching, mentoring and capability development.
• Strong background in cross-functional collaboration, resolving complex operational issues and leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Practical experience with change management, incident management and problem management processes in complex operational environments.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse service metrics, conduct performance reviews and produce clear operational reports for senior stakeholders.
• Experience in resource allocation, workforce and capacity management, and maintaining high availability of business-critical services.
• Experience operating within compliance and regulatory frameworks, preferably in government, aviation, border management or another highly regulated environment.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Strong knowledge of IT Service Management (ITSM) principles and frameworks, including ITIL Incident, Problem, Change, Availability and Service Level Management.
• Solid understanding of service operations, production support and managed services environments, including 24x7 operational models.
• Knowledge of service reliability, operational resilience, disaster recovery, business continuity and major incident management practices.
• Understanding of service transition, operational readiness and supportability requirements for new products and services.
• Knowledge of service performance management, monitoring tools, operational dashboards and KPI reporting.

PROFESSION COMPETENCIES

• Proven ability to lead and motivate geographically dispersed teams in a high-pressure operational environment.
• Strong coaching, mentoring and performance management skills with demonstrated success in building high-performing teams.
• Ability to develop workforce capability, succession plans and resource strategies aligned with business growth.
• Skilled in managing organisational change and driving adoption of new operating models and processes.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Operational Excellence.
• Stakeholder Management.
• Strategic Thinking.
• Leadership.
• Customer Focus.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Information Technology or a related field.
• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) or a relevant field is a plus.
• Professional certifications in ITIL, Lean Six Sigma or similar service management frameworks are highly desirable.
• Leadership and people management qualifications or certifications.
• Certification in project management (e.g. PMP, Prince2) is beneficial.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Flex Week: Work from home up to 2 days/week (depending on your team's needs).
• Flex Day: Make your workday suit your life and plans.
• Flex-Location: Take up to 30 days a year to work from any location in the world.
• Employee Wellbeing: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available 24/7, 365 days/year.
• Professional Development: Access to world-class platforms and programs designed to help you thrive.
• Competitive Benefits: Competitive benefits that make sense with both your local market and employment status.

SITA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce. In support of our Employment Equity Program, we encourage women, aboriginal people, members of visible minorities, and/or persons with disabilities to apply and self-identify in the application process.