Lead Product Manager - Game Studio

Tombola Ltd; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 70,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming company in the UK is seeking a Lead Product Manager to drive the performance of their Game Studio product team. This role involves leading the strategy and development of innovative game initiatives while nurturing a high-performing team. Candidates should have extensive product management experience, strong leadership skills, and the ability to manage complex project environments. The company emphasizes collaboration and responsible play in their product offerings.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Product Manager within a technology-led business.
• Strong track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience in complex product environments, ideally in online gambling or gaming.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and grow the Game Studio product team.
• Own strategy, roadmap and delivery for key initiatives.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with engineering and stakeholders.

Skills

Product Management

Leadership

Team Development

Analytical Skills

Strategic Mindset

Job description

Lead Product Manager – Game Studio

About the role

We’re looking for a Lead Product Manager to lead our Game Studio product team, owning the strategy, delivery and performance of tombola’s game portfolio.

This is a senior leadership role with real scope. You’ll build and nurture a high-performing team of Product Managers and Game Producers, while also remaining hands‑on — personally leading our most complex, high-impact product initiatives.

You’ll be accountable for shaping and delivering the Game Studio roadmap, ensuring it balances innovation, commercial impact and responsible play, while staying aligned to tombola’s long‑term vision.

What you’ll be doing

Lead, coach and grow the Game Studio product team

• Coach, mentor and develop a team of Product Managers and Game Producers, supporting both skill development and long‑term career growth.
• Own performance management, including regular 1:1s, PDPs and reviews.
• Embed a strong culture of data‑led decision making and player insight, coaching the team on experimentation, hypothesis testing and outcome analysis.
• Prioritise team capacity and workload based on capability, development goals and commercial impact.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation, keeping the team up to date with emerging trends, frameworks and technologies.

Own strategy, roadmap and delivery

• Personally lead the discovery and delivery of the most critical, high‑impact and innovative Game Studio initiatives.
• Translate business objectives into clear, actionable product plans and delivery initiatives.
• Own and evolve the Game Studio delivery roadmap, ensuring the right balance between iterative improvements and bolder innovation.
• Lead cross‑functional prioritisation, managing trade‑offs and aligning resources based on player insight, commercial value and strategic fit.
• Maintain a deep, hands‑on understanding of delivery progress and risk, stepping in to unblock issues and keep initiatives on track.

Drive cross‑functional alignment

• Work closely with engineering teams (engine, client and platform), as well as wider tombola and UKI/Flutter stakeholders.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships to ensure smooth delivery across multiple teams and partners.
• Act as a consistent voice for the player, ensuring product decisions align with player needs, business strategy and responsible play commitments.

What we’re looking for

• Extensive experience as a Product Manager within a technology‑led business, with a strong track record of leading and developing high‑performing teams.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor and grow Product Managers and Producers.
• Strong strategic and commercial mindset, with excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience working in complex product environments; online gambling or gaming experience is highly desirable, but not essential.
• Comfortable operating under pressure, managing multiple initiatives and prioritising effectively.

You’ll thrive here if you…

• Are passionate about leadership, coaching and developing others.
• Balance innovation with commercial focus and regulatory responsibility.
• Enjoy being hands‑on with complex product challenges, not just setting direction.
• Are an engaging, approachable leader with a down‑to‑earth style.
• Take full ownership of outcomes, from team performance to product impact.

Why tombola

At tombola, product teams have real ownership and influence. You’ll play a key role in shaping our games, growing our people and ensuring everything we build is fun, safe and responsibly delivered — all within a collaborative, people‑first culture.