Technical Operations Director

Sportfive; Altrincham; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Vitality health cover

WFH after onboarding

Core hours 10am-4pm

Family leave entitlements

Move house day

Wedding day

On-site parking

Social events

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

SPORTFIVE, Altrincham, seeks an experienced Technical Services & Operations Director to shape and lead the Technical Services function, building scalable structures and governance for growth across UK LED Services.

You will balance strategic leadership with hands-on understanding of live sports operations, oversee asset portfolio, warehousing, procurement and supplier relationships, driving service excellence and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership within technical operations and service delivery.
• Experience across multi-site or live delivery environments.
• Proven ability to lead teams, suppliers and contractors.
• Understanding of warehousing, inventory management and maintenance governance.
• Budget management and supplier governance experience.
• Ability to create scalable structures, processes and performance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and governance of SPORTFIVE’s Technical Services function.
• Define and deliver long-term technical services strategy for UK Rightsholder Services.
• Oversee technical operations across LED servicing, maintenance and project delivery.
• Develop scalable operating models, KPIs and service standards for growth.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships, SLAs and escalations.
• Coordinate resource planning, including workforce deployment and logistics.
• Mentor teams and ensure safety, RAMS and SOPs are maintained.
• Provide senior oversight for major technical projects and infrastructure upgrades.

Skills

Senior leadership

Technical operations

Service delivery

Venue technology

Live events

Broadcast

Sports technology

Job description

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SPORTFIVE is a global agency working across sponsorships, advertising, talent, activation and hospitality within sports. Globally, we have over 1,200 employees who strategically and creatively connect brands, rights-holders, media platforms and fans across Football, F1, NFL, NBA, Golf, Esports, Olympics, and more.

Whether it’s supporting Premier League football clubs to secure their next front of shirt sponsor, curating deals for brands to showcase their advertising during games televised to millions across the world, or representing the best talent in our industry, connecting sports organisations to incredible brands and partners is at the heart of heart we do.

Having been voted the No.1 most attractive sports marketing agency to work for three consecutive years, as well as featuring in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work , we’re incredibly proud of our culture and the people that help to nurture it. If you want to help shape the future of the sports industry, then we want to hear from you.

We are looking for a Technical Services & Operations Director to join our Rightsholder Management & Services team in Altrincham. This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and leading SPORTFIVE’s Technical Services function, ensuring we have the people, processes, systems and supplier relationships in place to support continued growth across our UK LED Services activity.

Reporting to the VP, Rightsholder Management, you will lead a growing operational infrastructure that supports our work across clubs, federations and competitions. This includes technical operations, warehousing, asset management, outsourced service providers, resource planning, operational systems and business improvement initiatives.

You’ll be expected to balance strategic leadership with a practical, hands-on understanding of live sports operations, helping us improve service quality, operational efficiency and long‑term client delivery.

This role would suit an experienced technical operations leader who can build scalable structures, lead teams and suppliers, improve ways of working and provide confident oversight across a broad and evolving technical services function.

AS OUR TECHNICAL SERVICES & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR YOU WILL...

Lead the strategic direction, performance and development of SPORTFIVE’s Technical Services function, creating the operating model, governance and standards needed to deliver exceptional service to clients and partners.

In a typical week you will …

Define and deliver the long‑term technical services strategy for SPORTFIVE’s UK Rightsholder Services business.

Lead technical operations across LED servicing, managed services, technical project delivery, maintenance and support activity.

Develop scalable operating models, KPIs, service standards and governance to support future growth and consistent delivery.

Oversee SPORTFIVE’s technical asset portfolio, including warehousing, inventory management, maintenance planning and asset lifecycle strategies.

Manage strategic supplier and outsourced service partner relationships, including performance reviews, service levels, commercial controls and escalations.

Improve resource planning across Technical Services and Production Services, including workforce deployment, contractor usage, rotas, travel, logistics and operational systems.

Work closely with Production Services and wider teams to identify opportunities to share resources, improve processes and create a more joined‑up operational delivery framework.

Oversee technical support programmes for clubs and partners, including planned maintenance, system audits, inspections and reactive on‑site support.

Provide senior oversight for major technical projects, installations and infrastructure upgrades, ensuring work is delivered safely, on time and within budget.

Lead, develop and mentor technical and operational teams, shaping future structures, roles, skills and development pathways.

Maintain strong governance across health and safety, RAMS, standard operating procedures, resilience planning, risk management and incident review processes.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE

Significant senior leadership experience within technical operations, service delivery, venue technology, live events, broadcast, sports technology or a related industry.

Experience leading large‑scale operational service functions, ideally across multi‑site or live delivery environments.

Proven ability to lead teams, suppliers, contractors and outsourced service providers, with confidence managing performance and service standards.

Strong understanding of technical assets, warehousing, inventory management, maintenance planning and operational governance.

Commercially minded, with experience of budget management, supplier governance, contract performance and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and profitability.

Experience creating scalable structures, systems, processes and performance frameworks that support business growth.

Excellent project, programme and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to balance detail, pace and commercial priorities.

Confident communicator and decision‑maker, able to present clearly, influence positively and act as a senior escalation point when needed.

Strategic thinker with a pragmatic, hands‑on approach and a strong focus on service excellence, continuous improvement and client delivery.

Naturally collaborative, calm under pressure and comfortable driving change across functional boundaries.

High levels of integrity, professionalism and accountability, with flexibility to travel and work in line with the needs of a live sports operation.

WHAT YOU’LL GET FROM US...

As well as the opportunity to join an organisation that invests in and rewards its teams, provides a fantastic working environment and culture, and offers genuine responsibility and scope to shape a role and add real value, you’ll also get…

• 25 days annual leave, bank holidays and a gifted day over the Christmas period
• Full Vitality health cover including dental, optical, hearing care and mental health support
• 1 day working from home after an on‑boarding period – no 2 weeks are the same we work as a team to deliver, be visible, support our people’s needs whilst also supporting our own flexible needs
• Core hours of 10am-4pm with flexi start and finish times
• Enhanced family leave entitlements
• A day off for moving house
• A day off for getting married
• Free on‑site car parking
• Regular social events such as summer and Christmas parties
• Life assurance at x4 annual salary
• Employee Assistance Programme

SPORTFIVE are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We believe that different perspectives and experiences are the key to success. Our goal is to create an authentic and attractive work environment where everyone feels valued, with a sense of belonging, and encouraged to shape the future of the sports industry.