IT Operations Manager

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

We’re the world’s leading sports technology company, at the intersection between sports, media, and betting. More than 1,700 sports federations, media outlets, betting operators, and consumer platforms across 120 countries rely on our know-how and technology to boost their business.

Sportradar is a global leader, provide cutting-edge data solutions and services to media companies, bookmakers, sports federations (NBA, NHL, Nascar…) and state authorities. We are the trusted partner of more than 1,000 companies in over 100 countries, and we employ over 2,000 people in more than 30 locations around the world.

The Office in Seville is responsible for developing and maintaining the Upstream Data platform of Sportradar's world-leading sports betting services, providing data to hundreds of Bookmakers around the globe, seen by millions of users daily, and supporting more than 100k transactions per second.

We are always looking for motivated, confident, team-oriented individuals who possess excellent skills and strive for best practices.

JOB DESCRIPTION

This is an exciting leadership opportunity to join our Managed Platform Services (MSS) tribe in Seville, Spain. We are looking for a capable leader with a strong technical foundation to spearhead our IT Operations department, strategically orchestrating IT excellence, architecting seamless efficiency, promoting innovation and reliability, and mastering the Digital Ecosystem. At Sportradar, you will play a pivotal role in leading and guiding the most important part of our organization - our people.

MSS is responsible for Sportradar’s All-In Sportsbetting Service; a world-leading sports betting portfolio, and one of the world's best betting and gaming platforms. We work with worldwide leader operators, placing Sportradar SportsBetting service at the forefront of the gaming industry technology firms, providing enjoyment to millions of sports fans through our technology and services, doing "the source code of sport".

Our unit encompasses diverse teams and squads that ensure our infrastructure and platform’s quality, availability, scalability, and security. The infrastructure serves as the backbone for our customers and empowers our product teams to deliver top-tier platform services.

At Sportradar, we are committed to staying on the cutting edge by continuously modernizing our approaches and processes. We achieve this by prioritizing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), process automation and managed services, and focusing on high-impact tasks that drive innovation. Our infrastructure landscape includes on-premises, cloud-based and hybrid solutions, and we collaborate closely with esteemed public cloud vendors, such as Oracle and AWS, to uphold the highest performance and reliability standards.

Parts of the recruitment process will be in English, so please also upload your resume in English, thanks!

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Operations Management:
  • Ensure the stability, security, integrity, and efficient operation of platforms and infrastructure, whilst adapting to rapid growth or fluctuations in demand.
  • Oversee BAU activities and drive successful planning and delivery of initiatives and projects, providing direction and support, and monitoring successful execution.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with other senior leaders and key stakeholders, leading interdepartmental collaboration.
  • Define the right metrics to measure customer service satisfaction levels and achievement of expected business outcomes, and secure comprehensive visibility.
  • Manage the IT Ops Budget, and lead capacity planning and resource allocation.
• Team Leadership:
  • Define a clear vision and mission for the IT Ops department, setting up teams and individual´s goals, and regularly reviewing progress.
  • Manage and develop a group of teams including professionals with different backgrounds and profiles, leading recruitment, training and mentoring activities, communicating job expectations, and conducting regular performance reviews.
  • Define the IT Ops operating model / framework, reviewing and enhancing policies, procedures, and best practices.
  • Foster a positive and productive work environment, defining quality and ethical standards within the team, and driving effective collaboration with other departments and functions, such as PMO, Product Delivery, Finance, Security, and Compliance.
• Security and Compliance:
  • Ensure full compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and best practices, including processes and technical documentation related to SOX and ISO.
  • Implement and maintain security protocols to protect the organization's data and systems, preserving assets availability by driving the correct implementation of disaster recovery setups, back-up procedures, information security and control standards.
  • Drive alignment with Security and Compliance teams, conducting regular risk assessments and audits in accordance with agreed roadmaps.
• Vendor Management:
  •  Manage relationships with external vendors and service providers.
  •  Negotiate contracts and ensure service level agreements (SLAs) are met.
  •  Evaluate and recommend new technologies and solutions.
• Incident and Problem Management:
  • Manage incidents and outages swiftly and effectively to avoid business disruptions and financial impact.
  • Lead critical incident reduction initiatives and change management process improvements to minimise downtime and secure the highest customer satisfaction index.
  • Maintain an up-to-date incident response plan.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in IT operations, with at least 3 years in a management role.
• Technical proficiency and knowledge of IT infrastructure, networks, and systems.
• Experience with IT service management frameworks such as ITIL.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., ITIL, PMP, CISSP) are a plus.

KEY COMPENTENCIES

• Outstanding leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong customer focus and attention to detail.

At Sportradar, we celebrate our diverse group of hardworking employees. Sportradar is committed to ensuring equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment opportunities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. We encourage you to apply even if you only meet most of the requirements (but not 100% of the listed criteria) – we believe skills evolve over time. If you’re willing to learn and grow with us, we invite you to join our team!