Head of service management

New Zealand Police is working with the community to make New Zealanders be safe and feel safe. With over 13,000 staff, we provide policing services 24 hours a day, every day. We operate by land, sea and air, manage over 860,000 emergency calls a year and are always actively preventing crime and crashes.

We’re working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business’ and achieve long-term change.

Head of Service Management

• Based at Police College Porirua / National Headquarters, Wellington
• Police Employee
• Permanent, full time
• JR 5026463

Mō te tūnga | About the role

The purpose of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) group is to work in partnership with the rest of the organisation to provide digital technology and communication solutions that support excellence in policing and service delivery and enable Police’s strategic ambitions.

The Head of Service Management (ICT) amalgamates all Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) functions (Change, Transition, Release, Problem & Incident Management) including Applications Support and the Service Desk. The role oversees the strategy, planning and execution of the organisation’s overall customer experience goals across ICT’s products and services. This includes liaising with other directors and heads to ensure all other teams contribute equally to providing ICT customers a seamless experience across touchpoints.

The Head of Service Management (ICT) executes continuous service delivery optimisation and improvement, while identifying resources and sourcing of service management operations support, developing, and implementing a strategy and roadmap for organisational excellence in the application of ICT’s services. The role leads and manages ICT’s service delivery response in a national 24/7 critical service environment by providing a professional, responsive, and effective service which meets Police’s requirements. The position is responsible for demand management, championing best practices and leading a team for the development of service management processes based on ICTs constructs.

We are looking for an innovative Head of Service Management who will actively contribute to the fulfilment of ICT’s responsibilities related to the implementation, supervision, development, and evolutions of our services – focussed delivery is essential. This role is responsible for ensuring that the IT services are aligned with the business goals, delivered efficiently and effectively, and continuously improved to adapt to changing requirements and challenges.

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide advice to the Director ICT Services on the ongoing strategic direction for the service management environment and leads on it.
• Work closely with the Direct Reports of the Director Services, ICT Directors, Product Managers and wider Police staff to ensure alignment across process and practices to achieve a high-quality customer-centric experience.
• Lead and manage the Service Management team to ensure that the response of ICT received by Police colleagues is professional, responsive, and effective whilst ensuring that the service delivered meets service expectations, service level agreements and surpasses industry benchmarks.
• Develop and manage the process of Major Incident Management with all Service Responder Groups.
• Collaborate with ICT Services teams to develop the overall customer experience strategy for customers throughout various stages of their lifecycle with the organization.
• Oversee and map customer journeys across all ICT products and services.
• Work to minimize silos of systems, data, assumptions, hand-offs, performance, and customer touch-points.
• Establish and roll-out ICT’s service management roadmap including the technology, data and analytics needed to provide a 360-degree view of the service experience and capabilities needed to meet the current and future needs of our ICT customers.
• Interpret and leverage internal and external data insights to identify potential issues and opportunities to create a frictionless experience for ICT customers across various stages of their lifecycle.
• Recommend and support the implementation of tools and technologies to deliver, manage, measure, and improve customer experience.
• Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and reporting framework to measure customer experience KPI’s, sentiment and success metrics of proposed and implemented service experience strategies.
• Demand management, including the collection, recording, and central triage of all customer demand prior to prioritisation and planning.

He aha taau e kawe mai | What you’ll bring

You need to be familiar with the IT service management frameworks, standards, and international best practices, such as ITIL and DevOps. The Head of Service Management also needs to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in IT, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, and assess their impact and potential for our services. You must be able to learn from problems, using root cause analysis, lessons learned, and improvement actions.

The successful applicant will need to have a clear vision and direction for the IT services and communicate it effectively to their teams and stakeholders. They will need to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, and encourage feedback, learning, and sharing of best practices.

This is a critical role in ICT Services, and the successful applicant must be able to balance the maintenance of current services, continually create efficiencies and improvements, all against the backdrop of demonstrable delivery. You will be a forward leaning and self-motivated individual that can express the outcomes and services provided whilst driving continuous change and improvements at every opportunity – achieving improved outcomes in short order and regularly.

To be successful in this role you will require the following:

• 5-10 years demonstrable experience in leading multiple ITIL and Service Delivery functions in a customer service environment in an integrated manner. Able to identify, analyse, and resolve problems, using logical, creative, and systematic approaches.
• Demonstrated people management experience (teams of circa 50 staff) and ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Proven experience in service delivery or customer success roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity. Must be confident across risk management, quality assurance, and change management.
• Work in a highly agile and collaborative way with a facilitative working style, influencing skills and application of a high level of EQ.
• Be a self-starter, with a high level of initiative and ability to be self-managing and achievement oriented. Able to problem solve and provide solutions to various challenges and issues that may arise.
• Have senior-level experience working in a collective, collaborative leadership environment and ability to influence at all levels.
• Demonstrate ability to operate and contribute at a strategic level with political acumen, providing strategic and savvy guidance to support robust decision-making.
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion when managing complex, sensitive and confidential issues and/or information.
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies is a nice-to-have.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Demonstrate the ability to deliver high-quality presentations and effective communications to a range of stakeholders, including representing an organisation in a range of settings.

Whakaritenga motuhake | Special requirements

• This role is based in the Wellington area. Some travel may be required.
• Relevant tertiary qualification (IT Degree/Diploma), or equivalent job-related experience in IT Operations, IT Customer Service and Service Delivery:
  • ITIL 4 Foundation preferred.
  • ITIL 4 Managing Professional, Practice Manager, Strategic Leader (desirable).
  • Project Management (PRINCE2/MSP) (desirable).
  • Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies (desirable).

This role is set at Strategic Leader level , this means your key purpose is “to lead the strategy, Our Business, and enable our people to deliver it”.

To view the position description for this role please copy and paste this link into a new browser:

Mo tātou | About us

New Zealand Police is the lead agency responsible for preventing crime and enhancing community safety. It works in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, and other public sector agencies towards the vision of making New Zealand the safest country. Police is the government’s largest front-line response agency with around 15,000 staff in large and small communities all over New Zealand and in liaison and policing development roles overseas.

Your development is highly valued at NZ Police. Our employees enjoy significant investment in their development not only at an individual level, but also at the team and community practice level. We work hard to match you with work that will both play to your strengths and challenge you in new ways.

The work you’ll be engaged in is real, tangible work that directly benefits our frontline and communities. Taken all together, this means we can offer you career path opportunities to progress in your chosen profession and become a more well-rounded, experienced leader, with opportunities across the range of work we support.

To view more detailed information about our recruitment process along with further details about requirements please click below link:

Applicant Information Pack (External)

Tono ināianei | Apply now

If this position sounds like you, click apply now and submit a tailored CV and Cover Letter (this is a mandatory requirement). You will be required to submit an application form. Before confirmation of hire, pre-employment checks will be undertaken which include reference, drug and alcohol testing and police vetting prior to any written offer being made.

For further information on the application process, please copy and paste this URL:

All applications must be submitted online and will not be accepted directly via email. All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.

Due to the depth of technical and delivery experience required for this role, please include a tailored cover letter and CV with your application which outline your suitability for the vacancy.

Utu ā-tau | Salary

This position is covered by a collective agreement and salary will commence between $168,527 and $174,144 dependent on skills and experience relevant to the role.

If you are an internal applicant, you must apply internally through the police system. You must provide an alternative contact email address and state your future commitments should you be successful for the next stage of the recruitment process.

Please note: Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on Sunday 24th November 2024. Applications may be reviewed prior to the close date as well as contact made with candidates.

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for the first week of December with the successful applicant taking up the role in early 2025.

If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact