Service Delivery & Performance Manager

Arriva is a leading European passenger transport partner, operating in 11 countries across the UK and Europe. The company employs around 35,000 people, delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys connecting people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably.

We have strong roots dating back to 1938, an ambitious growth and sustainability agenda, and a continuously developing relationship with I Squared Capital – a global infrastructure investment fund manager – who acquired Arriva in 2024.

To ensure we continue to deliver innovative, reliable and efficient IT services to support our business, we are currently transforming our IT Corporate Services Function and are now looking for a dynamic and collaborative IT Service Delivery & Performance Manager to join our newly established Service Management Team.

The Service Delivery & Performance Manager will play a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of high‑quality IT services across the organisation. This role is responsible for managing service performance, negotiating and monitoring SLAs, driving continual improvement initiatives, and ensuring stakeholder satisfaction. The role supports the strategic goals of Arriva by aligning service delivery with business needs and industry best practices.

To encourage collaboration, this role will be based out of our Sunderland office for 3 days a week, with the option for remote working on the remaining days.

• Lead end-to-end service management delivery across assigned domains, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Define, negotiate, and monitor SLAs and OLAs to ensure service quality and compliance.
• Drive Service Improvement Programs (SIPs) and Return to Excellence (RtE) initiatives.
• Analyse service performance data and customer feedback to identify improvement opportunities.

• Act as a key point of contact for IT service governance and escalation.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Maintain strong relationships with relevant suppliers, ensuring compliance and performance against KPIs.
• Influence contract terms and manage renewals to support strategic goals.
• Maintain strong internal and external partnerships to support service excellence.

• Oversee critical incident resolution in collaboration with the Major Incident Manager.
• Promote a zero‑outage culture and proactive risk mitigation.
• Ensure service risks are identified, assessed, and effectively managed.
• Ensure proactive incident resolution and seamless coordination across service functions, including Product and Platform & Operations teams.

• Support LEAN, automation, and Agile initiatives to enhance service efficiency.
• Ensure the IT service catalogue is accurate and up to date.
• Champion best practices in ITIL and service management.

• ITIL Foundation certification (preferred).
• Proven experience in IT service delivery and performance management.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to lead in fast‑paced environments and manage complex stakeholder relationships.
• Experience working across diverse IT functions (e.g., HR, Finance, Operations).
• Commercial awareness and ability to influence and shape supplier contracts.
• SLA management.

• Collaborate with other IT functions.

This job description sets out the main duties and responsibilities of the job‑holder. It does not constitute an exhaustive or comprehensive description of duties and the job holder will be required to carry out any additional tasks as and when requested to do so by their manager. Responsibilities and duties may also change in light of future business needs and personal development.

The closing date for applications is Thursday 26th February 2026. Arriva Group reserves the right to close this vacancy early.