Service Delivery & Release Manager

Service Delivery & Release Manager - London/Cheltenham

Finova is the UK's largest mortgage and savings technology provider, powering one in every five mortgages across the country. Our agile, cloud-native solutions help over 60 banks, building societies, specialist lenders and equity release providers — plus a network of 2,400+ brokers — stay ahead of the market.

We offer a flexible, proven suite of software that covers the full customer journey — from mortgage and savings origination to servicing and CRM. Backed by an open architecture and a team with deep industry expertise, our platform is built to scale. Today, we process over £50 billion in loans each year, manage nearly £50 billion in savings, and support the digital servicing of more than 650,000 UK borrower accounts.

What Will You Be Doing?

1. Full awareness of any production activity for your allocated clients in your portfolio(s) i.e. patch & releases, key incidents. Plus awareness of - DR tests, Pen tests etc. (Managed by Hosted Ops team) - and ensure all production updates / activities are logged on the portfolio calendar
2. Help to ensure resolutions within SLAs / chase blocked issues outside of the first line team - looking to improve service performance metrics - in conjunction with the Service Desk Manager(s) and Service Operation Manager(s)
3. Prepare for and deliver monthly service reviews to your clients (or quarterly where applicable) - as well as attendance as required to any monthly governance reviews or quarterly business reviews (run by CSAMs) and provision of any necessary service content (i.e. monthly pack or quarterly service slide(s). Carry out additional mid-month service touchpoints where a client would benefit to support building a good relationship with your client in all aspects of service to ensure the client feels valued.
4. Chase up on client problems / hotspots – work with clients to confirm priorities – and talk through with the Finova Problem team (& any areas that need to support resolution) to ensure priority given accordingly
5. Plan, coordinate, and oversee all activities related to the deployment of software releases, ensuring alignment with business objectives and ITIL best practices* – agree dates with Hosted Ops team, line up resource for deployment & support. *Subject to current or revised release practices within your portfolio(s)
6. Collaborate with the appropriate project and/or support teams to define release schedules, identify dependencies, and mitigate risks associated with the release process.

About You:

• Client relationship experience across MSP (Multi Service provider, supporting multiple clients)
• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office suite (especially PowerPoint and excel)
• ITIL aligned background would be preferable but not essential
• Knowledge of a working service desk and what 'world-class service' should entail
• Exceptional communication skills (written / verbal / listening)
• Excellent customer service skills with demonstrable client empathy
• Understanding that all clients are different and tailoring your approach to their needs/contracts/ways of working
• A calm approach to in what at times can be a fast and demanding area of the business to ensure our clients have confidence in our actions and feel they are a valued member of our client base.
• A passion for problem solving / providing a good service to our clients

What We Offer:

• Flexible Working: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, bank holiday trading and holiday purchase options, the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks per year, and a flexible hybrid working policy.
• Looking After You: Life Assurance, Group Income Protection, Private Medical Insurance, a pension scheme via Salary Exchange, an Employee Assistance Programme, and access to a Virtual GP.
• Family-Friendly Policies: Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, as well as paid time off for fertility treatments and pregnancy loss.
• Extra Perks: Cycle to Work Scheme, discounts on shops, restaurants, and gym memberships, free fresh fruit daily, and opportunities to join colleague networks and social groups.
• Giving Back: One paid volunteering day annually and the Give-As-You-Earn scheme to support your favourite charities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you're passionate about this role but don't meet all the criteria, please reach out—we'd love to discuss how your skills and experiences align with our needs.