IT Service Lead - Command Centre

IT Service Lead – Command Centre
£58,000 to £65,000 plus great benefits (Work Level 5)
Manchester city centre | hybrid (spending at least one day a week working from the office)

We’re looking for an IT Service Lead to join our Digital, Technology and Data team and lead our 24/7 Command Centre service.

At Co-op, technology plays a critical role in helping us serve our customers, member-owners, and colleagues. In this role, you’ll lead the service that helps keep our most important technology platforms protected, monitored, and operating effectively around the clock. You’ll make sure monitoring, logging, incident escalation, first-line remediation, and operational reporting are effective and where we need them to be.

Why this role matters

Our Command Centre is at the heart of how we detect, manage, and respond to technology events across Co-op. From monitoring critical systems to co-ordinating responses during incidents, this service helps keep things running smoothly and supports a great experience for our customers and colleagues.

You’ll work with people across technology and the wider Co-op, as well as third-party suppliers, to make sure we’re responding effectively to issues and providing the service our business relies on.

What you’ll do

• Own the end-to-end performance, governance, and continuous improvement of our Command Centre service
• Lead service health, operational risk management, and service improvement activity
• Make sure monitoring, alerting, logging, escalation routes, and documentation remain effective and up-to-date
• Work closely with engineering, service, and incident management teams to maintain resilient, supportable services
• Oversee incident triage, first-line remediation, and escalation processes to minimise impact
• Manage supplier performance, service reviews, and accountability against agreed service levels and controls
• Produce clear reporting, using insight and trends to identify risks and improvements

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• Experience of service management and/or delivery within a multi-supplier environment
• Experience leading service improvement initiatives
• An understanding of incident monitoring and logging practices
• Knowledge of supplier governance, contractual service levels, and performance management
• The ability to build strong working relationships and challenge people constructively
• Good problem-solving, reporting, and analytical skills

We know some people may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet every requirement. At Co-op, we’re committed to building diverse and inclusive teams, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply.

We’re also open to applications from people who may require flexible working arrangements. There’ll be an opportunity to discuss your flexible working requirements during the interview process, and at offer stage.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• Private healthcare
• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions 
• The opportunity to increase your earnings by joining our on-call rota
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ) 
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands 
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it 
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice 
• 24/7 colleague support service 
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone, and our support centre is an inclusive environment where all our colleagues can thrive.

If you have a disability, we’ll make reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process. We’re also proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme - if you’re disabled and you meet the minimum criteria for this job, we’ll guarantee you an interview.

Learn more about our recruitment process at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

Explore our commitments to diversity, inclusion and wellbeing at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-wellbeing