Associate Director IT Service Management

Parexel is in the business of improving the world’s health. We do this by providing a suite of biopharmaceutical services that help clients across the globe transform scientific discoveries into new treatments.  We believe in our values, Patients First, Quality, Respect, Empowerment & Accountability.

This role will work within our innovative IT & Corporate PMO group that continues to evolve to meet business needs, fuel Parexel's growth and enable improved support for stakeholders, including customers and ultimately patients, who will benefit from Parexel's integrated processes and systems.

This role will based in the UK and can be fully home based. This position will involve working in an innovative and collaborative environment leading an international team, partnering with senior peers, and supported by an engaged senior leader.

Parexel is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Associate Director of IT Service Management (ITSM) to lead global operations across Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management.

You will be responsible for ensuring the stability, reliability, and continuous improvement of IT services that support Parexel’s global clinical and business operations. The ideal candidate will be a strong people leader with progressive experience in IT operations and ITSM disciplines, with a proven track record of driving process maturity, operational excellence, and service reliability in a regulated, enterprise-scale environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership and governance across ITSM processes: Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management

• Define and execute a roadmap to improve service stability, reduce incidents, and increase operational efficiency

• Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of ITSM professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Align ITSM practices with ITIL frameworks and Parexel’s business objectives, regulatory requirements, and quality standards

Operational Excellence

• Oversee major incident management, ensuring rapid restoration of services and effective executive communication during critical events

• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and problem management practices to eliminate recurring issues

• Govern the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and ensure changes are implemented with minimal risk and disruption

• Manage release schedules and ensure seamless coordination across application, infrastructure, and business teams

ServiceNow Platform Leadership

• Act as a business owner/stakeholder for ServiceNow ITSM modules (Incident, Problem, Change, Release)

• Partner with platform engineering teams to enhance workflows, automation, and reporting capabilities

• Ensure accurate data, reporting, and KPI dashboards to support decision-making and executive visibility

Process Governance & Compliance

• Establish and enforce policies, standards, and procedures across ITSM processes

• Ensure compliance with GxP, SOX, and other regulatory requirements as applicable

• Maintain audit readiness and support internal/external audits related to IT operations

Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Define and monitor KPIs such as MTTR, change success rate, incident backlog, and problem resolution effectiveness

• Drive continuous service improvement initiatives using data-driven insights and industry best practices

• Identify opportunities for automation, AI/virtual agent capabilities, and integration across platforms

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a key liaison between IT, business stakeholders, and executive leadership

• Provide clear, concise reporting and communication on service performance and major initiatives

• Collaborate with global teams including Infrastructure, Applications, Security, and Vendor Management

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field (Master’s preferred)

• ITIL Certification (v3/v4) desirable

• Additional certifications (e.g., PMP, ServiceNow, Agile) are a plus

Required Experience

• Advanced level IT experience with increasing responsibility in IT operations or IT service management

• Strong demonstrable experience in IT leadership roles managing global or regional teams

• Strong hands-on and strategic experience with Incident, Problem, Change, and Release Management

• Proven experience in enterprise environments using ServiceNow ITSM

Preferred Experience

• Experience in life sciences, clinical research, or regulated industries

• Familiarity with GxP, SOX compliance, and audit processes

• Experience leading major incident response and executive communications

• Demonstrated success driving ITSM maturity transformation initiatives

Technical & Professional Skills

• Deep understanding of ITIL frameworks (v3/v4) and best practices

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

• Experience with automation, orchestration, and monitoring tools

• Excellent communication skills with ability to engage both technical and executive audiences

• Strong organizational and program management skills

In return we will be able to offer you a structured career pathway and encouragement to develop within the role including awareness and understanding of the industry.  You will be well supported and in return for your hard work you will be rewarded with a competitive base salary, bonus, company car or car allowance, holiday as well as other leading benefits you would expect with a top company in the CRO Industry.

Apply today to begin your Parexel journey!