Job Description

The Job

The Studio Head is responsible for planning and directing the development of products as well as maintaining studio health and culture.

The primary focus of this role will be a single studio location, but responsibilities may span to other locations.  This includes direct management of Art, Programming, Design and Production Resources. Responsible for managing all project budgets and hitting financial, timeliness, and quality targets set in conjunction with division leadership. The Studio Head creates mid to long-term strategies to develop skills and capabilities in the studio and manages them to completion. Interacts with company leadership as needed to insure transparency and communication.

The Studio Head is a team player, highly organized, self-motivated, and detail oriented with great leadership and team building skills.

The Daily

• Responsible for developing and achieving the mid to long-term strategic product objectives for their studio and company, as well as generating game profits.
• Manages the creation of specific Product Budgets and Product Personnel Plans as well as the development portion of the 5-year WB LRP and 5-year Personnel Plans. Special attention must be paid to ensuring the smooth roll-over of development personnel, the efficient use of sustainable outsourcing to keep product costs in check, and ensuring product development costs support a viable P&L for each product.
• Strategy, facilitation and execution of resource sharing with sister studios (i.e. co-development management across multiple titles and development teams.)
• Manages Director level development and production personnel directly, conducting annual reviews, weekly face-to-face meetings, and other activities designed to ensure a smooth work flow.
• Stewardship of major entertainment IP and relationship management with brand stakeholders.
• Responsible for maintaining a healthy company culture to ensure optimum working conditions. Works with HR partner to create and manage the organizational reporting structure of all development personnel to ensure clear lines of reporting, solid accountability, and efficient communication and processes.
• Ensures the timely submission of all product milestones and ongoing Green Light submissions and presentations as set by the division leadership. Ensures feedback from all submissions is appropriately considered and action items are set as needed.
• Ensures the creation of long- and short-term strategies for production, art, design and technology improvements and processes as required to meet ongoing product goals.
• Responsible for all legal issues related to studio.  Works with WBIE legal department taking appropriate steps to ensure our products conform to all legal constraints and parameters as set by WBIE senior management and legal department. Review and sign all agreements related to specific product development.
• Works closely with WBIE publishing teams to support activities around demand creation, release and ongoing operation of studio products in the global marketplace.
• Partners with local and WBIE Finance, HR and IT staff to leverage broader company programs, process and best practices for the benefit of the studio.

The Essentials

• 12+ years game development experience, including at least 8 years in senior development management roles for teams of considerable size.
• Must have shipped AAA commercially successful titles in a senior production capacity.
• Strong leadership skills required.  Must be able to inspire confidence and foster teamwork and a shared vision among subordinates.
• Superior understanding of game development and production processes.
• Critical thinking and creative problem solving skills a must
• Excellent communication skills required, both written and verbal.  Must be able to manage communications effectively across a large organization.
• Strong interpersonal skills.  Must be diplomatic, able to influence others and build consensus across executive, employee and stakeholder interactions.
• Exceptional project management skillset.
• Strong competitive knowledge of the games market (e.g. past and current game feature sets, title performance, marketing tactics, etc.).
• Intimate understanding of consumer trends and play patterns.
• Fluid in both French and English required.
• Requires periodic international travel.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Nice to Haves

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.