At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead service management and improve processes in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join one of the world's most recognised sporting organisations.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, free lunches, event tickets, and flexible working.
- Other info: Unique office spaces at Wembley Stadium and opportunities for personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a visible impact while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in ITIL service management and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 € per year.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys building structure, improving processes, and driving operational excellence within a complex and evolving environment encompassing our cloud and SaaS estates. Our current Product Service Management capability is still developing, so we are looking for an experienced professional who can bring clarity, governance, and best practice while building strong relationships across both technical and business teams.
You will develop our Service Portfolio lifecycle, ensuring all new and service updates are designed and transitioned effectively into live operation in a controlled, scalable, and low-risk way. You will work closely with all our product teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to ensure services are fully supportable, monitored and aligned to business needs from day one. With the majority of our support teams operating offshore and many stakeholders based within the UK, this role requires someone who is highly organised, collaborative, and confident communicating across multiple teams and levels of the organisation. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a visible impact within one of the world's most recognised sporting organisations.
- Service Portfolio Management
- Own and maintain the end-to-end Service Portfolio lifecycle from pipeline through to retirement.
- Ensure all live services are accurately documented, supported effectively and monitored operationally.
- Drive service maturity and continual improvement initiatives across the technology function.
- Ensure services continue to deliver value and remain aligned with evolving business requirements.
- Service Design
- Lead and coordinate the design of new and changed IT services, ensuring both functional and non‑functional requirements are met.
- Develop clear and effective support models for new and evolving services.
- Ensure Service Design Packages are embedded within project delivery and contain all operational requirements needed to successfully support services once live.
- Work closely with technical, operational, and project teams to ensure services are scalable, supportable, and aligned to business expectations.
- Ensure operational readiness activities are completed before services transition into production.
- Service Transition
- Lead the successful transition of new and changed services into live operational environments.
- Develop and manage transition plans to ensure services move into support in a structured and controlled manner.
- Define and maintain service acceptance criteria.
- Oversee the creation and validation of service documentation, operational procedures, support models, and knowledge articles.
- Manage the transition pipeline and coordinate priorities across multiple concurrent initiatives.
- Identify and mitigate service transition risks and dependencies.
- Stakeholder Management
- Build strong relationships with project teams, service owners, suppliers, and operational support teams.
- Act as the key point of coordination between delivery and operational teams.
- Facilitate effective communication to ensure smooth and seamless service transitions.
- Governance & Reporting
- Managing and monitoring service operations across our products.
- Provide regular reporting on service readiness, transition progress, risks, and key performance metrics.
- Ensure governance standards, controls, and transition processes are consistently applied.
- Support the ongoing development and maturity of Service Design and Transition practices across the organisation.
- Key Qualities
- A proactive and solutions‑focused mindset.
- Strong organisational and planning skills with excellent attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- The confidence to challenge existing ways of working and drive positive change.
- The ability to operate effectively within a fast‑paced and evolving environment.
- A collaborative approach with the ability to build credibility across technical and non‑technical teams.
- Skills & Experience
- ITIL 4 Foundation certification.
- Strong knowledge of ITIL Service Design and Service Transition processes and best practice.
- Proven experience transitioning services from project delivery into live operational support.
- Experience working within ITIL‑based service management environments.
- Strong understanding of service acceptance, operational readiness, and support model design.
- Ability to produce high‑quality service documentation, operational models, and metrics to deliver value.
- Knowledge of ITSM tools and service delivery frameworks.
- Experience working with offshore support teams and third‑party suppliers would be advantageous.
- Access to event‑day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encourages you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well‑being.
- Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
- Free private medical cover.
- A contributory pension scheme.
- An additional “Thank You” day’s leave, volunteering days, as well as 25 days of annual leave (based on a full‑time, permanent contract).
- A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.
We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles. To achieve this, we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world‑class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire, an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high‑performing England teams and leaders. We pride ourselves on offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role.
Below are some of the benefits you can expect:
We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application. As part of the FA’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.
Product Service Lead in Wembley employer: The Football Association
Join a world-renowned sporting organisation where your expertise as a Product Service Lead will drive operational excellence and innovation within our cloud and SaaS environments. With unique office spaces at the iconic Wembley National Stadium and access to the Elite Performance Centre at St. George's Park, we offer a vibrant work culture that prioritises employee well-being, professional growth, and inclusivity. Enjoy competitive salaries, flexible hybrid working, and a range of benefits including free lunches, event-day tickets, and additional leave for volunteering, making this an exceptional place to advance your career while contributing to the beautiful game.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Service Lead in Wembley
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at events. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Tailor your answers to show how you can drive operational excellence and improve processes, just like they want!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your communication skills. You’ll need to be confident when discussing complex topics with both technical and non-technical teams, so get comfortable explaining your ideas clearly.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people and shows you’re serious about joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Product Service Lead in Wembley
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in service management and operational excellence. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Product Service Lead, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since this role involves building relationships across various teams, it’s crucial to demonstrate your communication prowess. Use examples in your application that illustrate how you've effectively collaborated with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Highlight Your Organisational Skills:Being highly organised is key for this position. In your application, share specific instances where your planning and organisational skills have led to successful project outcomes or improved processes. We love a good success story!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Football Association
✨Know Your Service Portfolio Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the Service Portfolio lifecycle. Be ready to discuss how you would maintain and improve it, and think of examples from your past experience where you've successfully managed similar processes.
✨Showcase Your Stakeholder Management Skills
Prepare to talk about how you've built strong relationships with various teams in previous roles. Think of specific instances where your communication skills helped facilitate smooth transitions or resolve conflicts, as this role heavily relies on collaboration.
✨Demonstrate Your ITIL Knowledge
Brush up on your ITIL 4 Foundation concepts, especially around Service Design and Transition. Be prepared to explain how you've applied these principles in real-world scenarios, as this will show your depth of understanding and practical application.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Risk Management
Think about how you've identified and mitigated risks in past projects. Prepare examples that highlight your proactive approach to managing service transition risks, as this is crucial for ensuring a controlled and low-risk environment.