Program Mgr ITSM

IHG•Atlanta, GA

19h•$119,273 - $145,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The ITSM Program Manager leads enterprise‑wide service management initiatives with a strong focus on Change Enablement, Operational Risk Management, and governance across the IT service lifecycle. This role drives the planning and execution of ITSM programs, ensures disciplined oversight of change processes, and safeguards production stability through proactive risk identification, impact analysis, and control implementation. By aligning ITIL best practices with organizational strategy, the manager strengthens service reliability, enhances operational resilience, and enables consistent, high‑quality technology delivery across the enterprise. The Manager, IT Program Management, provides strategic leadership and governance across IHG’s ITIL‑aligned Program and Change Management functions. This includes directing complex, high‑impact ITSM initiatives, overseeing release and change governance, and ensuring operational stability through structured service management practices. The role leads ITSM Program and Project professionals, ensuring adherence to ITIL frameworks, effective resource planning, and continuous improvement across the IT service lifecycle. Acting as a key liaison between technology teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership, the manager ensures that all programs, changes, and service transitions are executed with discipline, transparency, and alignment to organizational objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
10+ years of progressive experience in IT program management, service management, or related disciplines.
Demonstrated leadership in environments leveraging ITIL, SDLC, and structured change processes.
Proven success managing large‑scale, complex technology programs within matrixed organizations.
Expert knowledge of ITIL frameworks, program/portfolio management methodologies, and enterprise change management processes.
Strong experience with technology environments including application development, data center operations, production support, and service transition.
Proficiency with project/portfolio management tools, performance dashboards, and change management systems.
Strong understanding of enterprise platforms, mainframe or client/server environments, and supporting infrastructure.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and MS Project.
Strong leadership of multi‑disciplinary teams with the ability to influence, negotiate, and drive outcomes.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for engaging executives, stakeholders, vendors, and technical teams.
Strong customer‑service orientation and commitment to delivering high‑quality IT services.

Nice To Haves

PMP, PMI‑ACP, ITIL Foundation/Intermediate/Expert, or comparable certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct the strategic delivery of ITSM programs and projects, ensuring alignment with ITIL service management principles and enterprise priorities.
Oversee program interdependencies, operational risks, and impacts to production services; escalate service‑affecting concerns to senior leadership.
Lead governance forums, portfolio reviews, and Change Advisory Board (CAB) discussions to support informed decision‑making and operational readiness.
Oversee the enterprise Change Enablement process, ensuring all changes follow ITIL best practices for risk evaluation, approval workflows, scheduling, and communication.
Coordinate change, release, and deployment activities across infrastructure, applications, and business teams to minimize service disruption.
Drive continuous improvement of change processes through post‑implementation reviews, trend analysis, and root‑cause assessments.
Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks associated with technology changes, service transitions, and program delivery.
Implement controls and risk‑reduction strategies to protect production environments and maintain service reliability.
Partner with security, compliance, and audit teams to ensure alignment with regulatory and organizational risk standards.
Manage and allocate program and project management resources; influence cross‑functional resource planning for major initiatives and service transitions.
Provide leadership to Project and Program Managers, ensuring consistent application of ITIL, SDLC, and governance methodologies.
Optimize the ITSM portfolio to balance strategic initiatives, operational capacity, and business‑as‑usual service commitments.
Define and enforce service transition and development activities to ensure compliance with ITIL processes and organizational standards.
Lead process improvement initiatives to enhance workflow efficiency, change throughput, and delivery quality.
Conduct post‑program and post‑change evaluations to validate benefits realization and alignment with strategic goals.
Deliver executive‑level reporting, dashboards, and briefings on program status, change impacts, risks, and performance metrics.
Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure transparency, alignment, and customer‑centric service delivery.