Head of App Services

Who We Are

At Kyndryl, we run and reimagine the mission-critical technology systems that drive advantage for the world’s leading businesses. We are at the heart of progress; with proven expertise and a continuous flow of AI-powered insight, enabling smarter decisions, faster innovation, and a lasting competitive edge. For our people-Kyndryls-that means doing purposeful work that powers human progress. Join us and experience a flexible, supportive environment where your well-being is prioritized and your potential can thrive.

The Role

The Head of App Services will define, build and lead a next-generation Application Development and Management Services business for a large UK IT Services firm. The role combines business leadership, service transformation, global delivery strategy, AI-led innovation, risk management, operational excellence and talent development. The candidate will combine product and service management disciplines to shape the strategic direction of the App Services business, balancing customer outcomes, operational excellence, innovation and commercial performance.

The successful candidate will establish a market-leading App Services capability that uses Generative AI, Agentic AI, automation, application security, cloud-native engineering, observability, modern engineering disciplines and industrialised delivery methods to improve client outcomes, accelerate application change, reduce cost-to-serve and strengthen service quality and resilience.

The successful candidate will be the chief advocate for application services within the UKI business and be able to work within a global delivery model to grow and transform the App Services business. They will demonstrate thought leadership on key trends in the application services market including application operations, modernisation and AI driven services. The successful candidate will help clients realise measurable business outcomes through modern application services, including accelerated business change, improved operational resilience, reduced technical debt, enhanced customer experience and increased delivery productivity. This will be achieved through a balanced blend of solutioning, programme delivery and managed services leadership across both transformational change initiatives and large-scale operational environments, recognising the different disciplines, risks and success measures associated with each

The candidate will drive overall business transformation through a modern application focus that also considers all other technology elements such as infrastructure and data. Critical to success will be the ability to leverage strategic alliances, hyperscaler partnerships, software vendors and technology ecosystems to create differentiated client value and accelerate business outcomes.

The candidate will work closely with sales, account teams and strategic partners to develop differentiated propositions, create market opportunities and drive profitable growth across the App Services portfolio.

1. Key Accountabilities

1.1 App Services Strategy and Business Leadership

• Define and execute the App Services strategy for the UK business, positioning App Services as a strategic growth engine.
• Develop a three-year roadmap for App Services transformation, capability expansion and commercial growth.
• Build differentiated App Services propositions centred on AI-powered application support, application modernisation, leading engineering methods, DevSecOps, cloud operations, observability, SRE and continuous improvement.
• Own the App Services service portfolio and lifecycle, ensuring services remain market relevant, commercially viable and aligned to client needs.
• Act as the senior App Services thought leader within the UKI business, shaping market positioning, industry engagement, technology direction and client innovation agendas.
• Represent Kyndryl within the marketplace, industry forums and partner ecosystem, building brand awareness, influencing next-generation application services trends and positioning Kyndryl as a recognised leader in modern application services.
• Partner with Sales, Alliance and Ecosystem partners, Account Management and Solutioning teams to drive App Services bookings, renewals and expansion revenue.
• Contribute to major pursuits, client transformation proposals and strategic executive briefings.
• Own the App Services business plan, investment priorities, operating model and overall business performance.

1.2 Creation of a Global Development Factory

• Design and establish a world-class Development Factory primarily leveraging India but also other collaboratives, for application development, maintenance, enhancement, testing, modernisation and AI-assisted engineering.
• Work with the Global App Services factory lead to define the factory operating model, organisational structure, location strategy, governance framework and talent ramp-up plan. Key considerations will include the establishment of Centres of Excellence focused on Agentic AI-enabled App Services, modern engineering practices and strategic technology domains, including enterprise platforms, SaaS applications and industry-specific solutions
• Create standardised product ownership, development, QA, release, test automation, DevSecOps and knowledge management processes.
• Build a scalable workforce capable of supporting multiple clients, technologies, industries and delivery models.
• Establish an innovation driven engineering culture focused on quality, innovation, continuous improvement, automation and measurable client outcomes.
• Create and govern reusable frameworks, accelerators, reference architectures, automation assets and AI-enabled delivery patterns to improve quality, consistency and delivery productivity
• Drive the industrialisation of application services delivery through standardised methods, automation, AI-enabled engineering practices and repeatable delivery models.
• Introduce productivity, quality, utilisation and delivery performance metrics across the factory.
• Ensure UK and India App Services teams operate as a single integrated global delivery organisation with shared objectives, governance, engineering standards and performance measures, rather than as separate delivery silos.

1.3 AI-Enabled App Services Methodology Development

• Create and institutionalise a proprietary App Services methodology based on extensive use of AI, automation and data-driven operations.
• Establish product-centric delivery practices including product ownership, backlog management, value-stream alignment and outcome-driven prioritisation.
• Embed AI-assisted incident triage, intelligent ticket routing, automated knowledge generation, root cause analysis support and predictive service management.
• Establish AI-assisted engineering practices including code generation, code review, test generation, documentation, refactoring and legacy modernisation support.
• Define and embed modern engineering and architecture practices including application architecture, API-led and event-driven integration, platform engineering, data engineering, DevSecOps, SRE, engineering metrics and continuous delivery.
• Develop practical agent-based operating models that exploit Agentic AI across service management, engineering, knowledge, testing, release management and operational support.
• Define the strategic tooling architecture covering engineering, ITSM, observability, automation, knowledge management and AI platforms.
• Define the AI tooling architecture, human-in-the-loop controls, ethical use guidelines, model monitoring and governance processes.
• Create reusable delivery playbooks, service patterns, accelerators, templates and control points for consistent App Services execution across clients
• Ensure the App Services methodology and operating model integrate seamlessly with other Kyndryl service lines to deliver outcome-focused, end-to-end solutions that address complex client business challenge

1.4 Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development

• Develop and execute the App Services workforce strategy across the UK and India.
• Build talent acquisition pipelines for App Services delivery leaders, product managers, application architects, integration specialists, data engineers, cloud engineers, AI engineers, SREs, DevSecOps specialists, business analysts, test engineers and enterprise application specialists.
• Create App Services competency frameworks, role families, capability matrices and career paths.
• Implement structured learning programmes covering AI-enabled App Services, ITIL, DevOps, cloud platforms, automation, observability, SRE and client leadership.
• Establish partnerships with technology vendors, universities, training providers and industry bodies to strengthen the talent pipeline.
• Develop future leaders and succession plans for critical App Services roles.
• Drive a high-performance, inclusive and learning-oriented culture across the App Services organisation.
• Develop workforce transformation plans that continually evolve skills, roles and organisational structures to reflect advances in AI, automation, modern engineering practices and changing client demand.
• Establish communities of practice across key disciplines including architecture, engineering, data, AI, product management, DevSecOps and enterprise applications to promote knowledge sharing and capability development.
• Develop cross-functional capability and business understanding that enables App Services teams to operate effectively within integrated Kyndryl delivery models and outcome-based client engagements.

1.5 Portfolio Delivery Excellence

• Ensure contractual service commitments, SLAs and operational KPIs are consistently achieved.
• Lead major incident, problem management, service review and escalation governance.
• Drive continuous improvement across stability, availability, MTTR, quality, automation and cost efficiency.
• Create standardised service reporting, executive dashboards and client governance packs.
• Ensure App Services delivery complies with client requirements, internal controls, security policies and relevant regulatory obligations.
• Promote a culture of service ownership, transparency, accountability and proactive improvement.
• Govern the App Services portfolio to ensure product roadmaps, enhancement backlogs and transformation initiatives are prioritised, funded and delivered in line with business objectives, client outcomes and strategic priorities.
• Drive the App Services modernisation and transformation portfolio, ensuring technical debt reduction, application modernisation, platform transformation, engineering improvement and AI adoption programmes deliver measurable client and business outcomes.
• Establish portfolio-level governance for the full application lifecycle, including onboarding, enhancement, support, modernisation, rationalisation and retirement of application services.
• Define and oversee portfolio-level performance measures covering customer outcomes, service quality, engineering productivity, release performance, operational resilience and commercial value realisation.
• Balance investment across run, change and transformation activities to optimise service performance, innovation, client outcomes and commercial returns.
• Lead the delivery of business outcomes across the App Services portfolio, ensuring service operations, product evolution, engineering improvements and transformation initiatives combine to deliver measurable client value.

1.6 Risk Management, Controls and Resilience

• Own the App Services risk management framework, ensuring operational, delivery, commercial, security, regulatory, data protection, financial and people risks are identified, assessed, mitigated and reported.
• Maintain an App Services risk register covering client delivery risk, SLA exposure, service continuity, key-person dependencies, offshore delivery risk, cyber risk, data handling risk, vendor risk, AI usage risk and contractual risk.
• Define risk appetite and escalation thresholds in partnership with the firm's Risk, Legal, Security, Compliance and Finance functions.
• Embed risk controls into the App Services methodology, including delivery gates, change controls, release controls, segregation of duties, access management, privileged access governance and evidence retention.
• Ensure AI-enabled App Services solutions operate within clear governance guardrails, including human oversight, auditability, data privacy, model output validation and restrictions on autonomous changes in production environments.
• Lead service continuity planning and operational resilience for critical App Services accounts, including disaster recovery alignment, business continuity testing and dependency mapping.
• Oversee major incident risk reviews, post-incident learning, regulatory notification support and corrective action tracking.
• Ensure outsourced and offshore delivery arrangements meet required standards for security, confidentiality, regulatory compliance, quality and business continuity.
• Provide executive-level risk reporting to senior leadership and client governance forums, highlighting material exposures, remediation plans and residual risk.

1.7 Financial and Commercial Management

• Own App Services P&L performance, including revenue, gross margin, delivery cost, investment spend and productivity improvement.
• Use automation, AI and global delivery leverage to improve margins while maintaining service quality and client trust.
• Support pricing strategy, solution economics, deal reviews and contract renewal planning.
• Manage utilisation, bench, subcontractor dependency and pyramid optimisation across App Services.
• Ensure commercial risks are understood and managed across App Services engagements.

1.8 Client and Executive Stakeholder Management

• Act as executive sponsor for strategic App Services clients and complex service transformation engagements.
• Build trusted relationships with CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, COOs and senior business stakeholders.
• Lead executive service reviews, transformation briefings, risk discussions and innovation showcases.
• Support contract renewals, service expansions, recovery programmes and client satisfaction improvement plans.
• Position the firm as a trusted partner for AI-enabled application operations and modernisation.

Who You Are

Essential Experience

• 15+ years of experience in IT Services, application and system integration transformation and programme delivery, managed services or enterprise technology delivery.
• 10+ years leading large-scale App Services, application operations or managed service organisations.
• Proven experience managing significant service portfolios, ideally £50m+ in annual revenue or equivalent operational scale.
• Proven experience across application development, product lifecycle management, application maintenance and modernisation, with the ability to balance run, change and transformation activities.
• Demonstrable success establishing or scaling offshore / global delivery centres, preferably in India.
• Strong understanding of application support, maintenance, enhancement, modernisation and service transition.
• Experience implementing AI, automation, DevOps, SRE, ITIL and cloud operating models in a production service environment.
• Strong risk, governance and control experience across complex managed service contracts.
• Financial and commercial management experience, including P&L ownership, margin improvement and deal economics.
• Experience working with senior client executives and leading complex client escalations.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in a Tier 1 global systems integrator or large-scale UK IT Services organisation.
• Experience building new service lines.
• Knowledge of Agentic AI operating models and AI governance in enterprise environments.
• Public cloud certifications or strong operating knowledge of AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud or hybrid cloud environments.
• MBA, advanced technology degree or equivalent senior business leadership qualification.

5. Technical and Professional Knowledge

• Application Management Services and IT managed services operating models.
• Modern leading product lifecycle, application development operating models, process and tools
• AI-assisted service delivery, automation, AIOps, observability and intelligent operations.
• ITIL, Agile, DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE and product-aligned delivery models.
• Cloud-native applications, enterprise applications, integration platforms and legacy modernisation.
• Cybersecurity, identity and access management, data protection, operational resilience and regulatory control environments.
• Commercial models for managed services, global delivery, offshore leverage and service profitability.
• Service transition, change management, release management, incident management and problem management.

6. Leadership Competencies

• Strategic leadership: able to set direction and translate ambition into executable plans.
• Transformation orientation: comfortable building new capabilities, changing operating models and leading at pace.
• Commercial acumen: able to balance growth, margin, delivery quality, investment and risk.
• Client leadership: credible with senior business executives, CIO, CTO, CISO and board-level stakeholders.
• Operational discipline: rigorous on service quality, governance, controls and performance management.
• Talent builder: proven ability to attract, develop, retain and inspire high-quality App Services.
• AI-first mindset: pragmatic understanding of how AI changes productivity, service models, risk and workforce capability.
• Resilience and judgement: calm under pressure, decisive in escalations and balanced in risk decisions.

Being You

The “Kyn” in Kyndryl means kinship, which represents the strong bonds we have with each other, our customers and our communities. We focus on ensuring all Kyndryls feel included and we welcome people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. We believe in growth, and we’re excited to see what you can bring. At Kyndryl, employee feedback has told us that our number one driver of employee engagement is belonging. That sense of belonging - being a valued, respected, trusted member of the team - is fundamental to our culture and fueling great experiences for our customers. This dedication to welcoming everyone into our company means that Kyndryl gives you the ability to thrive and contribute to our culture of empathy and shared success. That’s The Kyndryl Way.

What You Can Expect

Your career with us isn’t just a job-it’s an adventure with purpose. We offer a dynamic, hybrid-friendly culture that supports your well-being and empowers you to grow. Our Be Well programs are thoughtfully designed to support your financial, mental, physical, and social health-because we know that when you feel your best, you do your best.

From your very first day, you’ll dive into impactful work that powers the systems our customers rely on every day. You won’t just contribute-you’ll make a difference, tackling meaningful projects that sharpen your skills and fuel your growth.

We’re here to champion your journey. With powerful tools to chart your career path, personalized development goals aligned with your ambitions, and continuous feedback to keep you inspired and on track, you’ll have everything you need to thrive and evolve. You’ll develop in-demand skills to grow your career and achieve your ambitions with access to cutting-edge learning opportunities-from certifications with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to coaching and hands-on experiences. And through it all, you’ll be part of a culture that values empathy, restless learning, and a devotion to shared success.

We want you to thrive here-and we’re committed to helping you do just that. Ready to make an impact? Join us and help shape what’s next.

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