SMO Lead - Techno Functional

HCLSoftware

Role Summary

HCLSoftware is seeking a highly experienced Service Management Office (SMO) Lead to establish the SMO as a first-time, structural capability for Enterprise IT and Central Engineering, providing strategic leadership for ITSM transformation, governance, and architecture. This role requires a seasoned techno-functional professional with 20+ years of experience in designing, implementing, and optimizing large-scale ITSM solutions, operating models, and service management processes across global enterprises.

The SMO Lead will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, and as Process Manager for the Service Operations and Service Delivery processes, driving service excellence through process-led design, closed-loop CMDB intelligence, tooling re-implementation, and operational governance.

Key Responsibilities

- Define and execute the enterprise ITSM strategy and SMO roadmap across the three program phases: study and planning, design, and build and delivery.
- Lead the ground-up re-implementation of tools configured around process design, and redesign or retain other ITSM tools as required.
- Establish governance cadence, operating models, RACI, KPIs, SLAs, and continual service improvement programs that measure the shift from reactive to proactive operations.
- Own the ITIL-aligned Service Operations and Service Delivery processes in scope (service operations, service fulfilment, change and release, and availability and capacity management), including their interfaces with incident, problem, and configuration management.
- Champion service transformation through a closed-loop model in which service management processes trigger CMDB updates and the enriched CMDB feeds intelligence back into those processes.




- Provide executive-level guidance to the sponsors and SMO Head on service delivery optimization and organizational change.
- Partner with business, technology, delivery, and security leaders to align service management capabilities with business objectives.
- Lead and mentor the SMO team, consolidating existing service management leads and supporting their transition into the new operating model.

Required Experience & Expertise

- 20+ years of IT experience with significant leadership in ITSM, service operations, and transformation programs. Roles are assigned on demonstrated subject-matter expertise, not tenure alone.
- Proven track record of leading enterprise-scale ITSM tool implementations and service management transformations, ideally including ground-up re-implementations driven by process design.
- Deep expertise in service management architecture, governance, integrations, and operational excellence, including closed-loop, CMDB-driven process design.
- Robust experience with platforms such as ServiceNow, BMC Helix, Jira Service Management, Ivanti, or equivalent.
- Extensive knowledge of ITIL, enterprise architecture, automation, data center and cloud technologies, and service delivery best practices.

Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related discipline.
- Advanced degree preferred.

Preferred Certifications

- ITIL 4 Managing Professional / Strategic Leader
- TOGAF
- PMP / PgMP
- Cloud Architecture Certifications (Azure/AWS)

Leadership Competencies

- Strategic Thinking & Executive Presence
- Enterprise Architecture & Transformation Leadership
- Process-Led Design & Tool Governance
- Closed-Loop Service Intelligence
- Stakeholder & Client Relationship Management
- Organizational Change Management
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement
- Global Team Leadership

📌 SMO Lead (Bengaluru)
🏢 HCLTech
📍 Bengaluru