IT Service Delivery Manager

Career Guide

An IT Service Delivery Manager ensures that technology services meet business needs day to day. The role focuses on service quality, incident response, stakeholder communication, vendor management, and continuous improvement across IT support and operations.

Key Responsibilities

Own service performance against agreed targets
Run daily operations reviews and service checkpoints
Lead incident response and escalation for major issues
Coordinate problem management to prevent repeat outages
Manage service requests and prioritize work intake
Create and maintain service documentation and runbooks
Communicate service health and risks to business leaders
Manage vendors and third party support relationships
Plan changes to systems and processes to reduce disruption
Track service metrics and drive continuous improvement
Support budgeting, forecasting, and contract renewals
Coach support teams on process and customer experience

Top Skills for Success

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Prioritization

Vendor Management

Risk Management

Incident Management

Problem Management

Change Management

Service Level Management

Service Reporting

IT Operations Knowledge

ITSM Tools

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Service Delivery Manager

IT Operations Manager

Service Desk Manager

IT Program Manager

Transition Opportunities

IT Director

Head of IT Operations

Head of Service Management

Senior Program Manager

Customer Experience Operations Lead

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Service Cost ManagementService Portfolio ManagementBusiness Case DevelopmentContract NegotiationRoot Cause AnalysisAutomation FundamentalsCloud OperationsService Continuity Planning

Development SuggestionsBuild a simple service scorecard, practice major incident leadership, and standardize change review routines. Strengthen financial and vendor skills by owning a small renewal or statement of work. Add cloud operations basics and automation fundamentals to improve reliability and speed.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 75,000 to 95,000

Mid LevelUSD 95,000 to 125,000

Senior LevelUSD 125,000 to 160,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand. Hiring remains strong in companies modernizing operations, increasing uptime expectations, and expanding cloud services.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

AccentureDeloitteIBMMicrosoftAmazonGoogleCiscoHPDell TechnologiesServiceNow

Industry Sectors

TechnologyFinancial ServicesHealthcareRetail and EcommerceManufacturingTelecommunicationsGovernmentEducationEnergyManaged Service Providers

Recommended Next Steps

Audit current service performance and define a clear set of service targets

Create a repeatable major incident process and run a simulation

Improve reporting with a weekly service health update and trend insights

Partner with security and infrastructure teams to strengthen change quality

Review vendor contracts and set measurable performance expectations

Build a 90 day improvement plan focused on fewer outages and faster recovery

Pursue a service management certification and apply concepts to one process at work