Infrastructure Operations Lead
Infrastructure Operations Lead

Infrastructure Operations Lead

Full-Time 70000 - 90000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
TKO

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead global infrastructure operations and ensure service reliability across various platforms.
  • Company: Join TKO, a powerhouse in sports and entertainment, uniting UFC, WWE, and PBR.
  • Benefits: Competitive salary, dynamic work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Work with cutting-edge technologies and thrive in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by engineering core systems in a greenfield environment.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in enterprise IT infrastructure and 2+ years leading technical teams.

The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.

The Infrastructure Operations Team Lead is responsible for the day-to-day operational execution of TKO’s global infrastructure services. This role ensures stability, performance, and continuous improvement of core enterprise platforms supporting business operations across sports, media production, and corporate environments.

The Team Lead will coordinate operational activities across endpoint, identity, network, and core infrastructure services while driving disciplined incident management, operational maturity, and service reliability. Acting as the frontline leader for infrastructure operations, this role bridges engineering, service delivery, cybersecurity, and business stakeholders to ensure enterprise technology services remain resilient, secure, and responsive to business needs.

As TKO prepares to separate from Endeavor and build a fresh infrastructure, this is a rare opportunity to engineer core systems at scale in a greenfield environment. You’ll work with cutting-edge identity, cloud, and infrastructure technologies from Okta and Entra ID and enterprise automation using Workato, Service Now, Workday, and Okta Workflows. The challenges are complex, the expectations are high, and the impact is real. Your work will support everything from corporate operations to global broadcasts and live events.

If you want to build something that lasts and do it with autonomy and purpose, then TKO is where you want to be.

  • Lead global 24 × 7 infrastructure operations encompassing endpoint management (Intune/JAMF/Endpoint Central), and messaging collaboration (M365/Slack/Box/Zoom) service reliability.
  • Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and problem management activities following significant incidents.
  • Implement corrective actions and operational improvements to prevent recurrence.
  • Maintain clear operational documentation and post-incident reporting standards.
  • Partner with Service Delivery leadership and ServiceNow operators to mature Infrastructure ITSM processes (Incident, Problem, Change Request, CMDB, Knowledgebase) and drive service-level accountability across all teams.
  • Oversee infrastructure changes to ensure they are properly reviewed, documented, and executed according to change management processes.
  • Coordinate maintenance activities across infrastructure teams and external vendors.
  • Ensure production environments remain stable during infrastructure upgrades and deployments.
  • Identify operational inefficiencies and drive process improvements across infrastructure support models.
  • Support automation initiatives to improve service delivery and reduce manual operational overhead.
  • Contribute to operational readiness for new infrastructure deployments, ensuring services are supportable in production.
  • Establish a weekly Operations Review with key performance, change, and risk metrics for executive visibility.
  • Partner closely with enterprise project teams to ensure seamless transitions from build to run.
  • Drive operational readiness for all infrastructure projects and platform changes.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

  • Operational Leadership: Proven ability to run mission-critical, global IT Infrastructure operations and serve as executive escalation point during major incidents.
  • Reliability Engineering: Strong grasp of SRE principles, automation, observability, and resilience engineering.
  • Service Management: Deep understanding of ITIL and ITSM tools, with focus on metrics-driven improvement.
  • Technical Breadth: Familiar with enterprise-grade systems including Okta, Entra ID, M365, Box, Zoom, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto SASE/NGFW, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi, and endpoint management.
  • Financial Acumen: Skilled at managing OPEX budgets, vendor contracts, and FinOps initiatives.
  • Crisis Management: Composure under pressure with the ability to lead coordinated incident response efforts.
  • People Leadership: Builds strong teams through clarity, mentorship, and accountability.
  • Strategic Communication: Effectively interfaces with executives, translating technical risk and operational performance into business terms.
  • Execution Focus: Balances long-term vision with tactical delivery, driving measurable uptime and performance outcomes.
  • Continuous Improvement Mindset: Uses data and metrics to improve stability, reduce MTTR, and optimize cost-to-serve.
  • Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to influence stakeholders and explain complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Comfort with Ambiguity: Thrives in environments where direction is still forming and able to bring structure and clarity to grey areas.
  • Resilience: Maintains focus and composure under pressure in fast-moving, high-visibility environments.
  • Customer Orientation: Keeps business impact front of mind; balances technical excellence with pragmatic execution.

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

  • Required: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent professional experience).
  • 5+ years of experience supporting enterprise IT infrastructure environments.
  • 2+ years of experience leading technical operations teams or acting in a senior operational role.
  • Hands-on familiarity with operational platforms such as ServiceNow, Datadog, or Splunk for monitoring and observability.
  • Excellent executive communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred: Exposure to M&A or carve-out transformations. Certifications such as ITIL Expert, PMP, or equivalent leadership credentials.

Infrastructure Operations Lead employer: TKO

At TKO, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. As the Infrastructure Operations Team Lead, you'll have the unique opportunity to shape our global infrastructure in a greenfield environment, working with cutting-edge technologies while enjoying robust employee growth opportunities and a commitment to continuous improvement. Join us in a role where your contributions will directly impact the world of sports and entertainment, all within a supportive and purpose-driven team atmosphere.
TKO

Contact Detail:

TKO Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Infrastructure Operations Lead

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Attend industry events, webinars, or meetups related to infrastructure operations. It's all about making connections and showing your face in the right circles. You never know who might be looking for someone just like you!

✨Tip Number 2

Get your LinkedIn game on point! Make sure your profile is up-to-date and highlights your experience with enterprise IT infrastructure. Engage with posts, share insights, and connect with people in the industry. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews like it’s a big match! Research TKO and understand their infrastructure needs. Be ready to discuss how your skills in operational leadership and service management can help them achieve their goals. Show them you’re the perfect fit!

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who take the initiative. Plus, it gives you a better chance of being noticed by our hiring team. So, get that application in and let’s make some magic happen!

We think you need these skills to ace Infrastructure Operations Lead

Operational Leadership
Reliability Engineering
Service Management
Technical Breadth
Financial Acumen
Crisis Management
People Leadership
Strategic Communication
Execution Focus
Continuous Improvement Mindset
Communication Skills
Comfort with Ambiguity
Resilience
Customer Orientation

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Infrastructure Operations Team Lead. Highlight your experience with global IT infrastructure, operational leadership, and any relevant technologies like Okta or ServiceNow. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about this role and how you can contribute to TKO's mission. Be sure to mention your experience in crisis management and continuous improvement – we love that stuff!

Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since this role involves liaising with various stakeholders, make sure your application reflects your strong written communication skills. Use clear, concise language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate clarity just as much as you do!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about TKO and what we stand for!

How to prepare for a job interview at TKO

✨Know Your Tech Inside Out

Make sure you’re well-versed in the technologies mentioned in the job description, like Okta, Entra ID, and ServiceNow. Brush up on your knowledge of enterprise IT infrastructure and be ready to discuss how you've used these tools in past roles.

✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills

As a Team Lead, they’ll want to see your operational leadership abilities. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams through crises or major incidents, highlighting your crisis management skills and ability to maintain composure under pressure.

✨Demonstrate Continuous Improvement Mindset

Be ready to talk about how you've driven process improvements in previous roles. Use specific metrics or outcomes to illustrate your impact on service reliability and operational efficiency, showing that you have a data-driven approach to problem-solving.

✨Communicate Clearly and Effectively

Strong communication is key for this role. Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms, as you’ll need to interface with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Think of examples where you’ve successfully communicated across different teams.

Infrastructure Operations Lead
TKO

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