Lead ITSM/ITIL Consultant (SME) HYBRID

Position Title: Lead ITSM/ITIL Consultant (SME)
Position Type: Full-Time, Hybrid
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area
Required: U.S. Citizenship Required; Must Pass Client Background Investigation
Certification: ITIL v4 Expert or ITIL Master Required

Waypoints client is seeking an experienced Lead ITSM/ITIL Consultant (SME) to serve as the senior IT Service Management authority supporting an enterprise Service Desk modernization initiative for a federal agency.

This position will lead the consolidation of distributed Level 1 IT support operations into a centralized Service Desk delivered by a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and supported by ServiceNow, while preserving specialized support tiers, including executive white-glove services.

The selected candidate will lead current-state assessments, design the future-state service operating model, develop ITIL-aligned processes, and establish service delivery requirements and performance standards. This role requires extensive experience with Service Desk transformations, MSP operating models, ServiceNow capabilities, and executive-level stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities:

- Lead current-state assessments of enterprise Service Desk operations, benchmarking against ITIL, HDI, and Gartner best practices.

- Evaluate ITSM process maturity and analyze historical ticket data, including ticket volumes, resolution times, escalation patterns, first-call resolution, and knowledge-base utilization.

- Plan and facilitate stakeholder interviews and workshops across agency divisions, specialized technical teams, and business users.

- Document existing Service Desk workflows, including call handling, ticket routing, escalation procedures, and knowledge management processes.

- Conduct comprehensive gap analyses across processes, technology, security, and organizational operations.

- Develop and define the enterprise service catalog, categorizing incidents and service requests by Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 support tiers.

- Establish support scope, escalation criteria, handoff requirements, estimated service volumes, and self-service opportunities.

- Design the future-state ITSM operating model, including support tier definitions, escalation decision trees, ticket routing, RACI matrices, staffing models, shift coverage, and specialized service tiers.

- Develop Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Operational Level Agreement (OLA) frameworks, including measurable performance metrics and accountability standards.

- Evaluate MSP delivery models and industry practices to support vendor-neutral procurement requirements and evaluation criteria.

- Identify opportunities for shift-left strategies, expanding Level 1 support capabilities and implementing self-service solutions.

- Collaborate with ServiceNow Architects to translate ITIL-aligned operating models into platform configurations, including service offerings, assignment groups, SLA definitions, and performance dashboards.

- Ensure alignment with ServiceNow's Common Service Data Model (CSDM).

- Support organizational change management initiatives to facilitate adoption of the centralized Service Desk operating model.

- Develop and present findings, recommendations, implementation roadmaps, and strategic decision points to senior government leadership and non-technical stakeholders.

Required:

- 10+ years of IT Service Management (ITSM) experience.

- ITIL v4 Expert or ITIL Master certification, held at the time of proposal submission.

- 5+ years of experience designing and implementing Service Desk transformations.

- Expert knowledge of ITIL/ITSM frameworks, methodologies, and industry best practices.

- Demonstrated experience developing Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Operational Level Agreement (OLA) frameworks.

- Experience designing Managed Service Provider (MSP) operating models.

- Experience conducting current-state assessments, process maturity evaluations, and gap analyses.

- Familiarity with ServiceNow Service Desk capabilities to support the design, development, testing, deployment, and operational oversight of modernized Service Desk operations.

- Strong facilitation skills, including leading workshops and stakeholder discovery sessions with diverse, cross-functional teams.

- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior-level stakeholders.

- Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

- U.S. citizenship.

- Ability to pass a client background investigation and sign a non-disclosure agreement.

- Must currently reside in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Desired:

- HDI Support Center Manager or Support Center Director certification.

- Experience supporting IT Service Management initiatives in federal regulatory environments.

- Previous experience within the financial services sector.

- Additional ITSM certifications, such as COBIT or ISO/IEC 20000.

- Experience implementing shift-left strategies and expanding Level 1 and Level 2 support capabilities.

- Hands-on familiarity with ServiceNow ITSM and the Common Service Data Model (CSDM).

- Experience supporting MSP vendor selection, procurement, or transition activities in a federal environment.

- Organizational change management experience or certification, such as Prosci.

Additional Information:

- Work Arrangement: Hybrid , based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. On-site attendance at client locations in Washington, DC will be required based on program needs, including stakeholder workshops and executive briefings.

- Location Requirement: Candidates must currently reside within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. This opportunity is not open to candidates outside the region.

- Contract Status: This is a proposed Key Personnel position contingent upon contract award.

- Proposal Requirements: Selected candidates will be required to sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) and authorize submission of their resume as part of the client's contract proposal.

- Security Requirements: U.S. citizenship is mandatory. Selected candidates must successfully complete a client background investigation and sign a non-disclosure agreement before beginning work.