Director of Games in Watford

At the heart of everything we do is our vision to change lives every day, and our mission to grow The National Lottery responsibly and champion its impact. We are Allwyn UK, part of the Allwyn Entertainment Group – a multi-national lottery operator with a market-leading presence across Europe which includes: Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus & Italy, and the US. While the main contribution of The National Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do. Join us as we embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, largescale transformation journey by creating a National Lottery that delivers more money to good causes.

A bit about the role: This role is responsible for driving the performance and development of the portfolio of Draw-Based Games (DBGs) and Interactive Instant Win Games (IIWGs) to deliver required returns to good causes and profit targets. The Director of Games will be a critical member of the Digital Leadership team and will work collaboratively with the Digital Revenue and Customer Director, Retail Revenue & Customer Director, Head of Scratchcards, and Marketing Director, to create and manage a compelling portfolio of games that meets customer needs and segments across channels to maximise overall sales and returns to good causes.

A critical focus of this role is driving responsible growth, delivering innovation into the portfolio at pace, for example by launching new games or implementing new mechanics, and setting an exciting calendar of events to cut through in an increasingly competitive market. The post holder will be equally adept focusing on current performance, identifying any issues pro-actively and determining and executing mitigating responses, as on driving future innovation. They will lead a team made up of expert games marketing and brand managers, setting the ambition and the pace and supporting them to deliver.

This role requires an experienced and ambitious commercial and brand leader, with a strong understanding of the games market and games mechanics (lotteries, gambling or gaming) alongside proven experience in GTM marketing and innovation within Gaming, Gambling, FMCG, Telco or Entertainment sectors. The post holder must have a demonstrable track record of portfolio development and innovation delivery, rooted in customer understanding, and able to balance driving day to day performance with delivering ambitious innovation over the short, medium and longer-term. They will be sensitive to the unique requirements of The National Lottery and be comfortable working collaboratively across functions and external stakeholders, with strong communication skills.

What you’ll be doing:

• Inspire and lead a team of Games Marketing and Brand Managers (DBGs and IIWGs), responsible for driving current performance and development of each game and category at pace to meet growth target.
• Setting long-term growth plans for each category and game (DGBs and IIWGs), ensuring an optimised portfolio that maximises engagement across different consumer segments, and is compelling in an increasingly competitive market.
• Create and champion a consumer plan for the portfolio in collaboration with Strategy & Transformation, Marketing and Head of Scratchcards (Retail) to maximise overall performance.
• Reviewing external market developments to understand best practice and identify opportunities to optimise the portfolio.
• Ensuring clear briefs are delivered to Marketing (in-house and external agencies) to drive participation and spend across the games portfolio, optimising for roll cycles.
• Pro-actively driving delivery of new game innovation, setting the pace, being demanding of others and their own team, and working hand-in-glove with the portfolio and project managers in the Strategy & Transformation team to ensure milestones are met and execution is outstanding.
• Harness data and insights to identify performance issues and trends, and ensuring any underperformance is understood and mitigated quickly, and drivers of growth are leveraged to increase engagement in a responsible way.
• Working with the Directors of Revenue and Customer for Digital and Retail to ensure the games portfolio shows up strongly in all channels.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory requirements and addressing any issues in collaboration with Regulatory Affairs.
• Acting as an external ambassador and engaging with key stakeholders on relevant topics for Allwyn.

What experience we’re looking for:

• Ideally games industry experience (lotteries, gaming, gambling) with strong GTM marketing and innovation experience.
• Literacy in game/new product development and design and a demonstrable track record of major innovation delivery.
• Highly collaborative approach to ensure delivery of the portfolio into Digital and Retail Channels.
• A pace setter who is demanding of high performance and who leaves no stones unturned to meet targets, while ensuring risks are fully identified and managed.
• Adopts a portfolio mindset to maximise overall performance, ensuring team members are hungry for their game or category’s success while buying into the bigger picture.
• Financially capable and data literate, with strong understanding of key drivers of performance.
• Hands-on approach to creating an overall consumer plan, working across functions to maximise returns for the company as a whole.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and ability to influence at all levels.
• Strong balance of strategic thinking and operational detail.
• Ability to lead on business case development for governance approvals.
• Lives the Allwyn values and understands the unique position of TNL and the importance of protecting participants’ interests.

Key Measures of Success:

• Achieve or exceed revenue and margin targets for Draw-Based Games (DBGs) and Interactive Instant Win Games (IIWGs) across all channels (Digital and Retail).
• Successfully launch new games and mechanics according to the approved roadmap.
• Ensure innovation projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
• Increase player participation and frequency of play through compelling game experiences.

About us: At Allwyn, we are dedicated to changing lives and growing the National Lottery responsibly, championing its positive impact on people, places, and the planet.

Innovation - We pride ourselves on it! We’re constantly looking for new ways to excite our customers, bringing new products to market to enjoy which is all supported by our responsible play values and making them accessible to all.

Giving back – Did you know that playing the lottery generates around £30m a week for charities and good causes in the UK? Our aim is to have doubled this number by the end of the first 10-year license.

Sustainability – Our aim is to become a net zero national lottery. We have 2030 targets to decarbonise our operations and energy. We’ve already transitioned to renewable energy providers, made our London and Watford offices zero gas, and ensured our fleet consists of low-emission vehicles. In addition, we’re working with our value chain partners to develop a net zero target date.

Empowering every voice – We believe in creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, has access to opportunities and can thrive for the benefit of good causes. Our diverse teams are working hard to make all parts of The National Lottery inclusive – whether people play a game in a store or online - because when everyone can play, everyone wins.

Our people are more than colleagues - they’re winners, driving positive change and making a real difference in communities. We are a Disability Confident Leader which means we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues and candidates. As part of this we offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of the job.

An inclusive reward offering with wellbeing at the centre: At Allwyn, inclusion is built into how we care for our people. Our benefits and policies support colleagues—and their families—at every stage of life and career. By prioritising wellbeing and belonging, we create a workplace where everyone feels valued, rewarded, and empowered to succeed.

BENEFITS:

• Company Bonus Scheme
• Matched pension contributions up to 8.5%
• 26 days annual leave + 2 Life Days (and bank holidays)
• Single Private Health Cover
• Complimentary Private Medical
• Income Protection
• Flexible Benefits – EV Scheme, Money Coach, Will Writing, Mortgage Advice, Dental and Eye Care Schemes.
• Enhanced Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption)
• Wellness Allowance £500
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounted Health Assessments
• Volunteering Days
• Matched Funding