Senior Service Delivery Manager

Deutsche Telekom · Houston

We are seeking an experienced Senior Service Delivery Manager to lead and oversee the end-to-end delivery of Managed Network Services US retail network.

The successful candidate will serve as the primary service management interface between the client and the integrated delivery organization, ensuring that all contracted services are delivered consistently, efficiently and in accordance with agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and operational governance requirements.

The role is responsible for maintaining service quality, driving operational performance, managing customer relationships and coordinating service delivery across multiple technical and operational domains, including Cisco Meraki SD-WAN, WAN and 5G connectivity, Network Operations Centre (NOC), Service Desk, field services, engineering and third-party suppliers.

The Senior Service Delivery Manager will provide leadership across incident, problem, change, service performance, supplier governance and continual service improvement activities, ensuring the managed service delivers measurable business value throughout the contract lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Service Delivery Management
Take overall service management responsibility for the delivery and operational performance
Act as the primary customer-facing service management contact and senior operational escalation point.
Ensure services are delivered in accordance with contractual obligations, agreed SLAs, KPIs and service management processes.
Coordinate service delivery across T-Systems, T-Mobile, NOC, Service Desk, engineering, field services and other approved delivery partners.
Maintain a clear understanding of service scope, ownership boundaries, dependencies and operational responsibilities.
Ensure consistent service delivery across geographically dispersed retail sites, including business-critical POS, payment and fuel retail operations.
Identify service risks, operational dependencies and potential performance issues, driving timely mitigation and resolution.

Customer Relationship and Stakeholder Management

Serve as a trusted service management partner, ensuring operational priorities remain aligned with business objectives.
Lead regular customer service reviews, operational performance discussions and governance meetings.
Provide clear, accurate and timely communication regarding service performance, incidents, risks, planned changes and improvement initiatives.
Manage customer expectations, escalations and service concerns professionally and proactively.
Coordinate with internal management and delivery partners to resolve cross-functional or cross-supplier service issues.
Promote transparency, accountability and collaboration across the integrated service organization.

SLA, KPI and Service Performance Management

Monitor and manage performance against contractual SLAs, operational KPIs and agreed service targets.
Oversee network availability, incident response and restoration performance, service request fulfilment and operational quality.
Ensure performance reporting accurately reflects the health and reliability of both SD-WAN overlay and contracted underlay services.
Identify service performance trends, recurring issues, SLA risks and areas requiring corrective action.
Lead investigations into SLA breaches and coordinate service recovery or improvement plans.
Ensure operational reporting is accurate, consistent and supported by reliable service-management data.

Major Incident and Escalation Management

Coordinate with Major Incident Management, NOC, engineering teams, carriers and field service providers to ensure effective incident resolution.
Ensure incident ownership, escalation paths, stakeholder communications and restoration priorities are clearly established.
Oversee customer communication during P1/P2 incidents, including impact updates, restoration progress and resolution confirmation.
Ensure post-incident reviews and root cause analyses are completed within agreed timescales.
Track corrective and preventive actions through to closure, reducing recurring incidents and operational risk.
Support escalation management across multiple suppliers where resolution requires coordinated intervention.

ITIL Service Management and Operational Governance

Ensure consistent application of ITIL-aligned Incident, Problem, Change, Service Request, Configuration and Knowledge Management processes.
Oversee the effectiveness of ServiceNow-based workflows, operational records and service reporting.
Work with Change Management teams to ensure planned and emergency changes follow agreed approval, communication and risk-control procedures.
Ensure problems, known errors, recurring incidents and improvement actions are appropriately recorded and managed.
Maintain service governance documentation, escalation matrices, operational procedures and service management controls.
Support compliance, security and audit requirements through accurate records, traceable approvals and consistent operational processes.
Ensure operational practices remain aligned with the agreed service catalogue, responsibility matrices and contractual governance framework.

Supplier and Multi-Vendor Service Integration

Manage operational relationships with T-Mobile, T-Systems delivery teams, connectivity providers, OEMs, field service partners and other suppliers.
Ensure clear accountability across SD-WAN overlay, WAN/5G underlay, field support, hardware replacement and related service activities.
Monitor supplier performance, operational commitments, escalation effectiveness and service restoration activities.
Lead cross-supplier operational reviews and drive resolution of recurring performance or service integration issues.
Ensure supplier dependencies and responsibilities are accurately reflected in operational procedures and service reporting.
Escalate persistent supplier performance concerns through the appropriate governance and commercial channels.

Service Reporting and Governance

Own the preparation, quality and presentation of monthly service performance reports and executive service summaries.
Review service availability, incident trends, SLA performance, problem records, change activity, supplier performance and operational risks.
Maintain service improvement plans, governance action registers and escalation tracking.
Ensure agreed actions have accountable owners, target dates and measurable outcomes.
Translate technical and operational information into clear business-focused reporting.
Provide management visibility into service performance, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.

Business Development, Upselling and Sales Enablement

Proactively identify new business opportunities within the account by understanding evolving network, connectivity, security and operational requirements across the retail estate.
Identify and qualify opportunities to expand existing managed services, including SD-WAN, WAN, LAN, 5G connectivity, monitoring, automation and associated professional services.
Use service reviews, operational performance insights, technology lifecycle discussions and customer engagement to identify opportunities for upselling, cross-selling and service enhancements.
Partner with Account Management, Sales, Solution Architects and commercial teams to shape opportunities, support solution discussions, provide operational input to proposals and statements of work, and participate in customer presentations.
Ensure proposed new services are operationally feasible, appropriately scoped, aligned with contractual obligations and supported by clear transition and delivery requirements.
Maintain visibility of identified opportunities and support opportunity qualification, business case development, forecasting and handover to the responsible sales team, while retaining accountability for service delivery.

Transition, Operational Readiness and Service Acceptance

Support the transition of newly deployed sites and services into steady-state Business-as-Usual (BAU) operations.
Coordinate with deployment, engineering, NOC, Service Desk and field service teams to confirm operational readiness.
Ensure appropriate support procedures, monitoring, escalation paths, asset information and service records are established before operational handover.
Oversee service acceptance criteria, outstanding defects, risk acceptance and hypercare arrangements.
Identify transition-related operational risks and coordinate corrective actions before service acceptance.
Support the controlled introduction of new connectivity solutions, service capabilities and technology upgrades.
Ensure lessons learned from deployment and early-life support are incorporated into ongoing service operations.

Continual Service Improvement and Lifecycle Management

Establish and maintain a structured Continual Service Improvement (CSI) plan aligned with business priorities.
Use operational analytics, incident trends, service performance data and customer feedback to identify improvement opportunities.
Drive initiatives to improve service availability, reduce recurring incidents and increase operational efficiency.
Promote automation, proactive monitoring and process optimization to reduce manual effort and improve service responsiveness.
Coordinate with technical teams on firmware lifecycle management, capacity planning, technology refresh and service resilience.
Track improvement initiatives against agreed milestones, expected benefits and measurable outcomes.
Support continuous service maturity and value realization throughout the five-year managed-services lifecycle.

3. Required Skills and Knowledge

Service Delivery and IT Service Management

Advanced knowledge of ITIL-based service management processes and enterprise managed services delivery.
Strong understanding of SLA management, KPI reporting, service assurance and customer service governance.
Proven experience managing major incidents, service escalations, root cause reviews and continual improvement initiatives.
Strong knowledge of ServiceNow or equivalent enterprise ITSM platforms.
Experience coordinating service delivery across multiple operational teams, suppliers and technology domains.
Ability to manage contractual service obligations, operational responsibilities and service performance risks.

Network and Technology Understanding

Good understanding of enterprise networking, including SD-WAN, WAN, LAN, routing, switching, VPN and network security.
Familiarity with Cisco Meraki or comparable cloud-managed networking solutions.
Understanding of broadband, fiber, LTE/5G and multi-provider connectivity services.
Knowledge of network availability, resilience, redundancy, failover and business continuity concepts.
Familiarity with centralized network monitoring, operational dashboards, alert management and network service assurance.
Ability to engage effectively with technical specialists, understand service impact and communicate operational risks to business stakeholders.

Customer and Supplier Management

Strong customer relationship management and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
Experience working in complex, multi-vendor or outsourced service environments.
Ability to manage supplier escalations, performance concerns and cross-organizational dependencies.
Strong negotiation, communication, presentation and conflict-resolution skills.
Experience preparing and presenting executive-level service reports and governance updates.

Business Development and Commercial Acumen

Ability to recognize account growth opportunities and translate customer business needs and service insights into qualified sales leads.
Experience collaborating with account teams, sales and solution architects on upselling, cross-selling, proposals and customer-facing commercial discussions.

4. Required Professional Experience

10+ years of experience in IT service delivery, IT operations, managed services or related enterprise technology environments.
5+ years in a Service Delivery Manager, Senior Service Manager or comparable customer-facing service leadership role.
Proven experience managing enterprise network or infrastructure services for large corporate customers.
Demonstrated responsibility for SLAs, KPIs, service reporting, customer governance and operational performance.
Experience managing 24×7 support environments, including NOC, Service Desk and technical escalation teams.
Strong background in Major Incident, Problem and Change Managemen
Experience coordinating multiple suppliers, telecommunications carriers and technology service providers.
Proven ability to manage senior customer stakeholders and lead formal service review meetings.
Experience driving measurable service improvements and resolving complex operational or contractual service challenges.
Excellent written and spoken English, with strong executive communication and presentation skills.

5. Certifications and Qualifications

Preferred

ITIL 4 Foundation, with ITIL advanced or practice management certifications highly desirable.
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Business Management or a related discipline.
Service management or service delivery leadership training.

Additional Desirable Certifications

ITIL 4 Managing Professional or equivalent advanced ITIL qualification.
SIAM Foundation or Professional certification.
PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent project/program management certification.
ISO/IEC 20000 service management knowledge or certification.
Relevant Cisco networking certifications or equivalent practical understanding.
Equivalent professional experience should be considered where candidates demonstrate strong enterprise service management expertise.

6. Additional Desirable Experience

Experience delivering managed network services to large multinational organizations.
Previous experience in retail, fuel retail, financial services or other business-critical distributed environments.
Knowledge of PCI DSS, SOX-related operational controls and enterprise audit requirements.
Familiarity with ServiceNow CMDB, service mapping, dashboards and automated reporting.
Experience with service integration and management (SIAM) operating models.
Experience overseeing large-scale SD-WAN transformation, service transition or network modernization programs.
Familiarity with Cisco Meraki Dashboard, Grafana, LogicMonitor or comparable monitoring platforms.
Experience managing field services, carrier relationships, hardware replacement and technology lifecycle activities.
Experience implementing service automation, proactive service assurance and data-driven improvement programs.
Exposure to service financial management, forecasting, cost optimization and commercial performance management.

7. Key Competencies

Customer Leadership: Builds trust with senior stakeholders and maintains a strong focus on customer satisfaction and business outcomes.

Accountability and Ownership: Takes responsibility for end-to-end service delivery, ensuring clear ownership of issues and consistent follow-through.

Operational Excellence: Applies disciplined service management practices to maintain stable, reliable and predictable service operations.

Stakeholder and Supplier Coordination: Works effectively across multiple organizations, balancing customer expectations with operational responsibilities.

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Uses service data, trends and operational insights to identify risks, prioritize actions and drive sustainable improvements.

Executive Communication: Communicates service performance, incidents, risks and improvement plans clearly and confidently to technical and business audiences.

Continuous Improvement Mindset: Proactively identifies opportunities to enhance service quality, efficiency, automation and customer experience.

8. Expected Outcomes and Success Measures

Consistent achievement of agreed service levels and operational performance targets.
Improved network service availability and reduced business disruption.
Effective coordination and timely resolution of major incidents and escalations.
Reduction in recurring incidents through structured problem management and corrective actions.
Accurate, transparent and actionable service reporting.
Improved supplier accountability and effective cross-provider service coordination.
Successful operational handover of new sites and services into BAU support.
Measurable continual service improvement and operational maturity.
Strong governance, compliance, risk management and service lifecycle discipline.
Identification and qualification of new business, upselling and cross-selling opportunities, with effective support to the account sales team and no compromise to service delivery commitments.

9. Overall Role Objective

The Senior Service Delivery Manager will ensure that Shell receives a reliable, transparent, integrated and continuously improving Managed Network Service, supported by strong customer engagement, disciplined operational governance and effective coordination across all service delivery partners.

The role is central to translating technical service performance into measurable business outcomes, strengthening Shell’s confidence in the managed service and ensuring long-term service quality, resilience and operational value.

T-Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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