Lead Producer

The Production Team at Santa Monica Studio excels at creative problem solving and communication. Whether by being leaders of the craft of project management or partners who will clear the path ahead, the production team is here in service to the studio, to move development forward and achieve quality.

We are seeking an experienced and driven Lead Producer to join our team to be responsible for the development of an upcoming title. If you love collaborating with skilled developers to create defining games, join us as we embark upon a new journey!

As a partner to the Game Director, the Lead Producer is responsible for supervising all phases of production from concept to release and leading the internal team and external partners to ensure the delivery of a high-quality game on time and on budget. Our ideal candidate has a deep understanding of the complexities of game development and a proven track record of implementing efficient production processes to support teams in achieving greatness.

Own the production of a large-scale AAA project

• Create and manage a strategic project plan, schedule, scope and resource forecast for all aspects of a complex production pipeline
• Ensure clear cross-functional visibility, accurate dependency tracking and transparent communication of scope overages with outlined scenarios
• Manage day-to-day production issues to allow the team to achieve the highest possible game quality - schedule and maintain tasking of departmental and interdisciplinary teams
• Lead and direct senior producers and the entire Production team to balance resources, prioritize effectively and deliver games on time, within budget and at the SMS quality bar
• Define, implement and enhance production processes, breakdown of goals and development timelines for all project phases to ensure smooth progress and identify potential risks
• Present project updates regarding strategy, status, budget, quality and risks to studio leadership throughout all phases of development
• Implement solutions to planning, budget and production issues independently as well as collaboratively

Lead day-to-day production through rigorous project planning, analytic thinking and information gathering

• Direct the planning of milestone schedules and project budget - foreseeing, recognizing and addressing obstacles and overages
• Represent the overall project status, guiding the entire development team towards the overall project goals
• Lead the Production team by setting a high standard and inspiring excellence, while actively seeking innovative and streamlined solutions to development challenges
• Set goals and priorities to align the team with project objectives, ensuring they stay focused and well-informed
• Engage in hands-on production planning and support content development where needed
• Evaluate project scope and make recommendations to Game Directors and Studio Leadership to find a path forward to deliver the highest quality possible on time and on budget

Partner with a wide range of team members to further current and future product development needs

• Collaborate with the Game Director to bring the creative vision for the game to life
• Organize the efforts of Sr Producers to identify, track and mitigate key development risks
• Work closely with Leads, Directors and Managers to provide clear insight into project progress and team effectiveness, ensuring that deliverables are met with high quality and on time
• Collaborate with supporting groups and services including central content creation teams, publishing, community, marketing, PR, finance and legal ensuring dependencies are clear and deliverables are met

Project Management Craftsmanship

• Mastery of a variety of production methodologies (Agile, Waterfall) coupled with deep experience building and maintaining schedules and project plans
• Strong project management capability with demonstrated experience successfully running complex project plans and processes over extended development cycles
• Excellent organizational & prioritization skills, attention to detail and process knowledge
• Experience with Microsoft Office (emphasis on Excel), JIRA, Confluence and other project tracking and bug database software

Communication & Collaboration

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively across product development and management teams
• Experience working with creative teams known for their outstanding achievements and demonstrated ability to effectively partner on a successful, collaborative team
• Strong conflict management skills with a strength in mediation leading to resolution of risk and roadblocks

• Minimum 10 years of games industry experience in an internal development environment in a production role or equivalent
• Experience on multiple large scale, 150+ person AAA games through all phases of production from concept to release or equivalent
• At least one shipped AAA console and/or PC title as a Lead Producer or equivalent
• Extensive understanding of game development, including the various challenges faced during the development process
• Ability to balance out short-term needs and long-term vision with high velocity
• Four-year undergraduate college degree or equivalent qualifications

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