Job Description: Inflight Projects to Support Lead (Service Introduction/Enablement Lead)
1. Position Overview
The Service Enablement Lead is accountable for two core responsibilities:
(1) acting as the Operations Gatekeeper for all new and changed services, and
(2) governing defined service management processes across the service lifecycle.
As the Operations Gatekeeper, the role ensures that both new and existing services meet operational readiness standards before go-live or major change, including readiness of monitoring, SOPs, runbooks, SLAs, CMDB, security, and support models. The Service Enablement Lead has the authority to approve, or block go-live decisions based on operational risk and readiness outcomes.
In parallel, the role provides governance and continuous assurance for key processesChange Enablement, Release & Deployment Management, Service Validation & Testing, Knowledge Management, and Service Transition / Introductionensuring consistent execution, compliance, and service stability across a multi-vendor operating environment.
2. Key Responsibilities
Service Onboarding & Introduction
- Lead end-to-end onboarding of new and changed services into BAU operations.
- Ensure clear service scope, ownership, and operational boundaries are defined before onboarding.
- Coordinate with Architecture, Projects, Security, and Operations teams to enable smooth service introduction.
- Validate service acceptance criteria prior to transition.
Operational Readiness & Go-Live Assurance
- Own the operational readiness assessment for all new services, enhancements, and transformations.
- Ensure go-live approvals are granted only after all readiness checkpoints are met.
- Act as the final gatekeeper for no-go / go-live decisions from an operations perspective.
- Ensure hypercare and stabilization plans are defined and executed.
Vendor & Service Transition Governance
- Govern transitions from project teams, implementation partners, or outgoing vendors to operations.
- Ensure structured transition plans, KT schedules, and acceptance sign-offs are completed.
- Monitor vendor compliance with agreed transition timelines and deliverables.
- Identify transition risks early and drive mitigation actions.
Service Readiness Artifacts & Controls
- Ensure availability, quality, and completeness of:
- Monitoring & alerting configurations (in line with SLAs & criticality)
- SOPs, runbooks, and operational procedures
- SLAs, OLAs, and underpinning contracts
- CMDB entries including Business Services, CIs, relationships, and ownership
- Security, backup, DR, and access controls relevant to the service
Early Life Support (ELS) Governance
- Define and govern the Early Life Support (ELS) model for new and transitioned services.
- Ensure clear entry and exit criteria for ELS.
- Track ELS issues, defects, and performance deviations.
- Confirm formal handover to steady-state operations post-ELS.
Processes Governance
- Change Enablement
- Ensure all changes are assessed for operational impact during design and planning stages.
- Validate readiness of change documentation, rollback plans, and impact analysis.
- Ensure change success rates meet defined thresholds before service acceptance.
- Release & Deployment Management
- Govern release readiness, deployment plans, and release calendars.
- Ensure releases are aligned with operational capacity and support readiness.
- Validate post-deployment checks and stabilization outcomes.
- Service Validation & Testing
- Ensure operational acceptance testing (OAT) is conducted prior to go-live.
- Validate non-functional requirements including availability, performance, security, and recoverability.
- Ensure testing evidence is formally approved and stored.
- Knowledge Management
- Ensure structured knowledge transfer from projects/vendors to operations.
- Validate quality and completeness of knowledge articles, SOPs, and runbooks.
- Prevent dependency on individuals by enforcing centralized knowledge repositories.
- Service Transition / Introduction
- Govern the full service transition lifecycle in line with ITIL practices.
- Ensure seamless handover from Build Stabilize Run phases.
- Maintain traceability from service design to operational execution.
Stakeholder & Project Engagement
- Act as the primary point of contact between project delivery teams and operational support.
- Participate in project boards, design workshops, and technical reviews.
- Ensure operational requirements are captured early in the project lifecycle.
- Provide guidance on supportability, maintainability, and service design best practices.
- Communicate risks, dependencies, and readiness gaps to project and service owners.
3. Experience Requirements
Overall Experience
- 1014 years of total IT experience
Relevant Experience
- 68 years in Service Transition, Service Enablement, or Service Management roles
- Hands-on experience managing Build Transition Run lifecycles
- Strong exposure to enterprise-scale IT environments (multi-vendor, multi-tower)
4. Professional Certifications
Mandatory (at least one)
- ITIL v4 (Minimum; Managing Professional)
- Equivalent Service Management certification
- Highly Preferred
- ITIL v4 Specialist Create, Deliver & Support (CDS)
- ITIL v4 Specialist Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV)
- PMP / PRINCE2 (for strong projecttransition interface)
- SIAM Foundation / Professional
- ISO 20000 / ISO 27001 awareness or certification
Preferred Skills
Domain & Functional Exposure
- Must have direct working experience in:
- Service onboarding & operational readiness
- Early Life Support (ELS) / Hypercare governance
- Transition from projects / vendors to BAU
- CMDB & Service Modelling (Business Services & CI relationships)
- SLA / OLA definition and operational acceptance
- Preferred exposure to:
- Large transformation programs (ERP, Cloud, Digital platforms)
- Regulated environments (Government, BFSI, Real Estate, Utilities)
Tools & Platforms Experience
- Mandatory
- ITSM tools (ServiceNow / BMC / Remedy or equivalent)
- CMDB & Service Modelling and Mapping
- Change, Release, Knowledge Management modules
- Preferred
- Monitoring & Observability tools (Dynatrace, AppDynamics, SCOM, etc.)
- Automation / AIOps platforms
- Document repositories & knowledge platforms
Leadership & Governance Experience
- Proven experience working with multiple vendors and system integrators
- Ability to challenge vendors on readiness, quality, and compliance
- Experience leading cross-functional forums (Go-Live Boards, CAB, Transition Reviews)
- Strong stakeholder engagement at IT Head / CIO / Program Director level
5. Behavioral Competencies
- Ownership and accountability.
- Collaboration and cross-functional leadership.
- Structured and detail-oriented approach.
- Ability to manage ambiguity and competing priorities.
- Customer-centric mindset.
6. Working Conditions & Reporting Structure
This is a full-time role in a hybrid or on-site environment. The Inflight Projects to Support Lead reports to the Service Delivery Manager, Head of IT Operations, or SIAM Lead. The role involves close collaboration with project managers, architects, service owners, and support teams. Occasional travel may be required for project workshops or vendor coordination.
Evaluation Criteria
Negative if (for Evaluation Use Only)
- Only project experience with no BAU exposure
- No ownership of go-live or ELS outcomes
- Limited or no CMDB / service modelling exposure
- Over-dependency on vendors for operational knowledge
Evaluation Fit Summary
- A qualified Service Enablement Lead must demonstrate:
- Authority to say No-Go when readiness is incomplete
- Strong service lifecycle thinking, not siloed process knowledge
- Ability to translate transformation outcomes into stable operations
