Parexel
Associate Director IT Service Management
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When our values align, there's no limit to what we can achieve.
At Parexel, we all share the same goal - to improve the world's health. From clinical trials to regulatory, consulting, and market access, every clinical development solution we provide is underpinned by something special - a deep conviction in what we do. Each of us, no matter what we do at Parexel, contributes to the development of a therapy that ultimately will benefit a patient. We take our work personally, we do it with empathy and we're committed to making a difference.
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 be 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
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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
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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!
Parexel is a leading global clinical research organization (CRO) providing insights-driven Clinical and Consulting solutions to the world’s life sciences industry. Leveraging deep local knowledge and a global breadth of clinical, regulatory and therapeutic expertise, our professionals worldwide work in partnership with biopharmaceutical leaders, emerging innovators and sites to design and deliver clinical trials with patients in mind — broadening access and making clinical research a care option for anyone, anywhere. Our proven track record spans 40+ years and drives us forward, advancing clinical research in healthcare’s most complex areas while harnessing innovation to drive efficiencies across every phase of the clinical development process. Our insights-driven approach, proven delivery and trusted execution are accelerating the delivery of life-changing treatments to patients — With Heart.™
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