Service Design Lead - Target Operating Model

Sword is a leading provider of business technology solutions within the Energy, Public and Finance Sectors, driving real transformation change within our clients.  We use proven technology, specialist teams and domain expertise to build solid technical foundations across platforms, data and business applications.  We have a passion for using technology to solve business problems, working in partnership with our clients to help in achieving their goals.

About the role:

We’re supporting the delivery of a major multi-year transformation programme that spans both IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments, with the goal of designing and implementing secure, future-fit platforms and services that underpin critical national infrastructure.

We’re looking for a Service Design Lead to shape the Target Operating Model (TOM) across a highly integrated landscape of IT, OT and Network Services. This role is central to defining how services will operate in the future—clarifying service capabilities, governance models, and performance standards that will guide delivery across complex environments.

As the Service Design Lead, you’ll work closely with business and technical stakeholders to design operating models that are robust, secure, and future-ready. Your work will have long-lasting impact, establishing the foundations for operational resilience, service clarity, and cross-functional alignment.

As the Service Design Lead, you will:

• Lead the development of As-Is and To-Be operating models for IT, OT, and Network Services
• Define service capabilities, roles, governance frameworks, and performance measures aligned with enterprise standards and compliance expectations
• Facilitate workshops with stakeholders across business, IT and OT to understand requirements, map current-state pain points, and co-design future-state solutions
• Design integrated service models that enable interoperability between IT and OT environments
• Develop clear roadmaps for transitioning to the future state, including organisational design and capability uplift needs
• Ensure traceability from business objectives to service outcomes and enable governance that supports ongoing assurance
• Support change management activity by clearly articulating the value, purpose, and practical impact of the target operating model

• Proven experience in service design, enterprise architecture, or operating model transformation, ideally within large-scale or regulated environments
• Strong understanding of frameworks such as ITIL, TOGAF, or similar
• Demonstrable experience designing or delivering in IT/OT environments, with an understanding of their interdependencies
• Confident working in multi-stakeholder settings with competing priorities
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills with the ability to translate strategic vision into practical service design artefacts
• Experience in sectors such as utilities, energy, critical infrastructure or manufacturing is highly desirable

At Sword, our core values and culture are based on caring about our people, investing in training and career development, and building inclusive teams where we are all encouraged to contribute to achieve success.  

We offer comprehensive benefits designed to support your professional development and enhance your overall quality of life.  In addition to a Competitive Salary, here's what you can expect as part of our benefits package: 

• Personalised Career Development: We create a development plan customised to your goals and aspirations, with a range of learning and development opportunities within a culture that encourages growth. 
• Flexible working: Flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.  We can’t promise to always be able to meet every request, however, are keen to discuss your individual preferences to make it work where we can. 
• A Fantastic Benefits Package: This includes generous annual leave allowance, enhanced family friendly benefits, pension scheme, access to private health, well-being, and insurance schemes, an employee assistance programme, discounted cash plan and more…. 

At Sword we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, ensuring that all applicants receive fair and equal consideration for employment, regardless of whether they meet every requirement. If you don’t tick all the boxes but feel you have some of the relevant skills and experience we’re looking for, please do consider applying and highlight your transferable skills and experience. We embrace diversity in all its forms, valuing individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Your perspective and potential are important to us. 

If we can do anything to help make the hiring process more accessible, please let our talent acquisition team know when you apply so we can support any adjustments.