Service Design Specialist

For Linklaters Office in Warsaw, we are currently recruiting for the Service Design Specialist role. The ITIL Service Design Specialist is responsible for designing, assuring, and continuously improving IT services to ensure they are fit for purpose, legally compliant, supportable, and aligned to firmwide business outcomes. The role operates within the IT Service Governance team and works closely with an external Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure services are clearly defined, contractually aligned, and operationally deliverable before transition into live service. You will be responsible for: Service Design & Governance Design and maintain end‑to‑end IT services across the service lifecycle, from concept through transition and operation Define and document service models covering both internal teams and the Managed Service Provider, including: Service boundaries and ownership, RACI models between the firm and MSP, Support models, escalation paths, and hand‑offs, SLAs, OLAs, and underpinning contracts Ensure services are designed to meet availability, capacity, resilience, security, and continuity requirements MSP Engagement Act as the governance interface between the firm and the Managed Service Provider during service design. Ensure services are designed in line with MSP contractual obligations and operating capabilities Challenge MSP solutions where required to ensure long‑term sustainability, value, and compliance Assurance & Risk Management Provide service design assurance for new and changed services prior to approval and transition Identify and mitigate service risks arising from outsourcing, shared responsibility, or supplier dependency Stakeholder & Supplier Management Engage with business stakeholders, IT operations and support teams, MSP and third party suppliers. Apply if you: Have 2-3 years of experience in Service Design within a governed or outsourced environment Have working knowledge of ITIL 4 Have experience working with Managed Service Providers or outsourced IT services Are able to balance business outcomes, contractual constraints, and operational practicality Have strong documentation, assurance, and stakeholder management skills Location Warsaw (hybrid model – min. 2 days per week at the office) Type of contract: Contract of employment Benefits Joining Team Linklaters will see you qualify for a range of benefits designed to reward the vital contribution you'll be making to our success. These include: Private medical care Free in-house fitness centre Life insurance Worldwide travel insurance for business and non-business travel Benefit Multisport club card or subsidised travel card Wide range of training opportunities About Linklaters Linklaters is a people business. Being best in class in the eyes of our clients means that our people must be exceptional. We look not only for brilliant minds, but for people who will thrive in our environment: people who love working collaboratively and demonstrate the innovative, efficient, agile, entrepreneurial, and responsible mind-set we aim to bring to every interaction. Ours is an environment of outperformance. We achieve this not with targets and incentives, but by fostering a positive, supportive, fair, and open atmosphere. We respect and value difference but insist on inclusivity. We celebrate all aspects of diversity and challenge any form of bias, because we want everyone to feel that they belong. This is vital to our ability to work as one team, with a common mind-set. We recognise that one size does not fit all. Our goal is to embed flexibility across our firm by giving everyone the opportunity to work in an agile way, whether as a regular pattern or on an ad hoc basis, and we will be happy to discuss this further. What sets us apart At Linklaters We offer a truly global work experience and the opportunity to be involved in strategic projects that drive innovation and shape the future of our business We belong to a firm that embodies its corporate social, environment and governance responsibility commitments We celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion so our people can bring themselves to work We advocate speak-up culture to empower our people in sharing their voices and an open-door policy to ensure they are listened to We invest in custom-fit career paths for our people in line with their talents and aspirations We provide agile working solutions to meet the changing needs of our people and our business We are committed to people first relationships based on mutual trust, respect and appreciation We support the health and wellbeing of our people, providing a safe space to talk about emotions and mental health with access to expert advice as needed We invest in developing leaders of the future who demonstrate emotional intelligence and a passion to discover, coach and develop the talents of others Technical Skills: Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Service Design This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required. This is the place where talent meets opportunity and where passion meets purpose. At Linklaters, the work we do means carving a path through unexplored territory, working on complex legal matters, across jurisdictions and borders and providing outstanding service and confidence to our clients. Having the vision to see things differently and the determination to deliver excellence, every time. That’s what makes us who we are. You can see your true potential connecting with dynamic colleagues all over the world, united by purpose and shared values and working together as one inclusive, collaborative team. With second to none training and support, this is the place where you meet your future. This is Linklaters. Be alert to fictitious job opportunity posts and offers of employment which claim to be in the name of Linklaters. We have been made aware of various recruitment-related scams which ask for upfront payments, for example, for office equipment and promise start up bonuses and reimbursement in return for such payments. These scams often involve the use of email addresses similar to a genuine domain name. Genuine emails from Linklaters only use the domain of “@linklaters.com”. We will never ask you to make payments for office equipment or otherwise as part of our recruitment process. If you are in doubt about a job opportunity that appears to relate to our firm, please get in touch using the contact details on our careers website at www.linklaters.com/careers. In the event that we make an offer to you, and where local legislation permits, we will conduct pre-engagement screening checks that may include but are not limited to your professional and academic qualifications, your eligibility to work in the relevant jurisdiction, any criminal records, your financial stability and references from previous employers. Your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks which will be initiated following your consent. As a responsible business, it is important that we represent the diversity of our people, our clients and our communities. We know that diversity makes us a better law firm and helps us attract the best talent, drive innovation with diversity of thought, and deliver the best experience to everyone who comes into contact with us. We recruit on the basis of merit, irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race or ethnicity, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Selection decisions, and the reasons for those decisions, are recorded at each stage of the selection process. Selection criteria and, where appropriate, technical skills tests are in place to measure an individual’s ability for the safe and effective performance of a job. Those involved in recruitment and selection decisions and processes are also provided with guidance on diversity issues. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the selection process, please talk to a member of the recruitment team so that any required adjustments can be made in advance. Specific experience requirements advertised on a role do not intend to preclude applications from candidates who may have more or less experience. Our intention is only to indicate a guideline as to the necessary skills for the role as described.