IT & Release Manager; FTC)

Contract type: Fixed-term contract – 12 months

Location: Hatfield (Hybrid working – 3 days in the office)

Working hours per week: 40 hours

Level: Manager

Reports to: IT Service Operations Lead

Final date to receive applications: Monday 5th October

Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivalled service, and reassuringly good value. We’re also on a mission to empower our business with smart technology; we’ve recently launched our AI Academy, providing a tailored AI learning journey for every colleague.

We’re Ocado Retail, a market‑leading joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S, and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket,  Not only is Ocado the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, but it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and a champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado, our same‑day grocery delivery service.

As our IT Change & Release Manager, you will lead the evolution, optimization, and scaling of our change and release capabilities. This is a unique opportunity for a highly capable ITSM specialist to review, adapt, build, and run our processes, ensuring the success and stability of changes impacting live services. Operating at the heart of our IT operations, you will develop your leadership capabilities, work closely with third‑party tech teams, steer service transition projects, and leverage modern ITSM tooling alongside AI‑driven automation to establish intelligent efficiencies.

• Process Ownership & Optimisation:
  Review, adapt, build, optimise, and educate on our Change & Release processes, taking full accountability for the success and safety of all changes impacting live service.
• Functional Leadership:
  Lead and run the Change & Release function daily, providing critical support to the IT Service Operations Lead in driving wider process and service enhancements.
• Quality Controls & Metrics:
  Design, implement, and enforce robust quality controls, operational measures, and metrics. Establish user‑friendly dashboards and continuous improvement plans to guarantee service stability.
• Project Transition &
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner closely with Service Design & Transition processes, leading and collaborating with project teams to ensure a graceful, successful pathway to onboarding new services and features.
• Vendor & Partner Coordination:
  Manage and coordinate with external third‑party technical teams, ensuring they align tightly with our release standards, change controls, and operational policies.
• ITSM Tooling & AI Innovation:
  Leverage modern ITSM platforms to streamline workflows and actively explore and adopt AI capabilities to automate processes, build operational intelligence, and drive greater efficiencies.

• Experienced ITSM Specialist: A highly skilled and experienced IT Service Management professional with a proven track record of designing, adapting, and optimizing Change & Release processes.
• Skilled Communicator:
  Outstanding stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead project teams through transitions and translate technical change details into clear, business‑friendly language.
• Tooling & AI Champion:
  Deep familiarity with modern SaaS ITSM tooling (such as Fresh service) and a strong interest or experience in utilizing AI‑driven capabilities to drive automation and intelligence.
• Third‑Party Technical Leader:
  Proven ability to manage, coordinate, and hold third‑party technical teams accountable to strict change and release quality standards.
• Service Transition Collaborator:
  Thoroughly familiar with Service Design & Transition frameworks, successfully steering and…