Live Services ManagerJobsGoPublic

Job summary

We are MHCLG Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people's lives.

Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we're all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you're thinking of joining us, there's never been a more exciting time.

MHCLG is improving how it creates, delivers and supports its digital services. As more services are developed and managed in-house, we are building stronger live service management practices to make sure services are reliable, easy to use, well managed and continually improving. Digital Connect uses Microsoft Power Platform to build and run services that help the department manage contact information, conversations, risks and delivery reporting.

We are looking for an experienced Live Services Manager to lead the day-to-day operation and ongoing improvement of two key services: Managing Local Conversations (MLC) and the Risk and Reporting Platform (RRP). Working closely with product managers, delivery teams, analysts, designers, suppliers and the wider Live Services team, you will help ensure these services run smoothly and effectively.

You will manage risks, oversee service performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and support the transition of new features and services into live operation. You will also make sure services continue to meet user needs and deliver the outcomes expected by the department.

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description

As a Live Service Manager you'll:

Lead the day-to-day operational management of MLC and RRP, ensuring services are reliable, secure and meet agreed performance targets

Establish and maintain clear processes for incident, problem, change and service continuity management, aligned to recognised best practice

Coordinate the investigation and resolution of incidents and problems, identifying root causes and implementing improvements to prevent recurrence

Support the transition of new products, features and enhancements into live operation, helping teams move from delivery into sustainable business-as-usual support

Implement and manage service governance, including change approvals, escalation routes, risk management and decision-making processes

Monitor, analyse and report on service performance using operational metrics, user feedback and service data to drive continuous improvement

Work closely with product managers, delivery teams, users, service desks and suppliers to ensure services are well-supported, accessible and meet user needs

Maintain service documentation and contribute to commercial, financial and supplier management activities, helping ensure services deliver value for money and remain fit for purpose

Monitor licence usage, service adoption and demand trends, using data and analytics to forecast future requirements, optimise costs and ensure services remain scalable and sustainable

Person specification

As a Live Service Manager You'll have:

Experience managing live digital services, including incident, problem, change and service performance management in a multi-disciplinary environment

A good understanding of service management best practice (such as ITIL) and the ability to apply it pragmatically within agile digital teams

Experience working with product, delivery, design, technical, operational and supplier teams to run and continuously improve services

Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use service data, KPIs, trends, user feedback and operational metrics to inform decisions, identify risks and drive improvements

Experience defining, documenting and maintaining service processes, standards, governance arrangements and operational documentation

Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate work across teams, take ownership of issues and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences

The ability to balance operational stability with continuous improvement, introducing effective governance and controls without slowing delivery

Experience managing service costs, licences, supplier arrangements and demand forecasting, including using data to understand service adoption, predict future demand, and demonstrate service value for money Desirable

A recognised service management qualification (for example ITIL v3 / v4 at Foundation level or above)

Familiarity with Model Driven Power Apps, Dataverse and GOV.UK Notify

Experience running a live service within an agile team working environment

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience and Technical: Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

Stage 2: Interview

Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description

Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 23rd November 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place shortly after and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

How We Recruit

Find out everything you need to know before applying here..

Applying

Sifting

Interview

Interview Results & Feedback

Reserve List

Near Miss

Civil Service Grades

We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

What you need to know before applying.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

Security Clearance Requirements

Civil Service Nationality Requirements

Right to Work

Artificial Intelligence

Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

CV Declaration

Sponsorships

Salary and Grade

Existing Civil Servants

Conflict of Interest

Location and Flexible Working

Fixed Term Contracts

Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register

Appeals and Complaints

Conflict of Interest

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals

nationals of the Republic of Ireland

nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Digital Data Jobs

Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

Email : [email protected]

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - [email protected]. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at [email protected].

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: [email protected]