2K
Summary
Job description
Executive Producer – Sports & Core Games
Who We Are
Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, and HB Studios. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.
Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of our growing library of critically-acclaimed franchises such as NBA 2K, Battleborn, BioShock, Borderlands, The Darkness, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization, WWE 2K, and XCOM.
At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We are dedicated to diversity and inclusion, and want our community of candidates to reflect this commitment. We encourage all qualified applicants to explore our global positions. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
What We Need
Reporting to the VP, Head of Production, we are looking for an Executive Producer to work with 2K studios and external partners in developing and publishing a slate of exciting new AAA titles. Our Executive Producers engage, influence and partner with the Executive Leadership Team, Studio Presidents and other internal partners to enable 2K's best-in-class creators to develop and operate extraordinary games. You will be responsible for aligning a range of collaborators against the creative and business objectives for all titles within a franchise and be responsible for the product life cycle on those titles from inception through to post-launch operations. This role will serve as the primary studio advocate as well as the voice of the franchise to internal publishing partners and executive team members, connecting each title’s product vision to strategic business objectives.
The ideal candidate is a strategic and driven leader, who truly understands what makes extraordinary games. For the titles you lead, you deeply understand the competitive landscape, the motivations of our players and how to meet and exceed player expectations. This role requires high-level relationship building to establish credibility and influence within and outside the Studio. We are a complex, interdependent, relationship-focused environment. Being a leader-of-leaders, you're able to bring groups together and work toward a specific set of goals. We look to you to supervise and lead progress, remove roadblocks and be accountable for shipping high-quality titles that our players love. The Executive Producer is a coach and mentor to their senior production staff and is ultimately responsible for ensuring their titles are delivered at quality, on time and on budget.
What You’ll Do
- Partners with extraordinary game studios to ensure quality execution against each game's creative vision, while balancing critical business objectives
- Serves as the franchise/product authority, its voice within 2K's publishing organization, and as an advocate for product quality with the studio & QA
- Deeply understands who the target audience is for each title and relentlessly advocates for our players at every opportunity
- Ensures every title's business outcomes and investment thesis are aligned within publishing and understood by the studio so that product decisions are made with clear success criteria and publishing goals in mind
- Understands all metrics of success - both internal and external. Challenges the ones that don't make sense. Champions the ones that do. Defines and implements metrics for their own team in order to support business outcomes.
- Models the standard for how to collaborate with other departments and with studios). Operates as an authority in navigating and resolving conflicting agendas within and outside the organization
- Acts as the motivator, enabler and mediator between studios and publishing to drive clear alignment between the studio’s creative vision and 2Ks business goals and initiatives
- Serves as a studio advocate and enabler to ensure publishing is supporting studio operations and studio needs are met by publishing with an appropriate level of priority
- Coaches and leads studios through each milestone gate, resolving misaligned expectations ahead of time, with an emphasis on adherence to schedules, budget, scope and quality, at each phase of development
- Provides 2K's executive leadership with clear, timely and accurate information throughout the entire product lifecycle, regarding product strategy, status, budget, quality
- Champions and ensures coordination regarding the game release process with studios and internal groups including Marketing, Live Services, QA, Core Technology and Customer Service
- Responsible for P&L management, accurate budget forecasting and scenario planning to anticipate, identify and resolve overruns. Serves as liaison between Finance partners, studios and support teams
- Monitors and mitigates risks across all titles and raises critical issues which require executive team decision/approval/prioritization
- Coaches and mentors Sr. / Lead Producers in effectively auditing development plans and milestone goals from studios, including tracking and mitigation of critical development risks
- Collaborates with 2K Live Services to ensure titles are set up for success regarding games-as-a-service (GaaS) goals - including a post-launch strategy that is data-driven to support key performance indicators
- Establishes and ensures consistent recruiting and interview methodologies, along with career development for production staff
- Responsible for identifying and enacting efficiency changes to strengthen the department and improve the output of the teams as well as ensuring process changes are properly integrated into production workstreams
- Collaborates with studio and publishing partners to do diligence and prepare greenlight pitches for investments in new IP, sequels & ports
- Assists in portfolio planning, including due diligence on game pitches from internal or external studios and identifying key products to acquire or license to achieve business goals
What Will Make You A Great Fit
- An experienced Executive Producer with 9+ years in game production and a minimum of 7 years direct supervisory experience
- Expert-level understanding of the game development process, including hands-on experience leading development teams
- Track record of strong internal & external partner advocacy which leads to sustained relationships
- Consistent track record in achieving consensus from partners, peers and executive management for critical initiatives via influence and tact
- Experience with the publishing process, particularly for AAA PC/console titles
- Ability to foresee and mitigate key development risks including those related scope, budget, staffing and product quality
- Ability to lead to and deliver on hard product timelines with rapid development cycles while being the guardian over product quality in all phases of game development
- Knowledge of live operations and games-as-a-service (GaaS)
- Confident leader with the ability to inspire and empower those that work for them and those they work with
- Excellent communicator and presenter (both verbal and written) who is adept at addressing a diverse audience of team members and executives
- An accomplished mediator who can resolve challenges
- Displays resourcefulness, passion and self-motivation
- Acts as a role model who embodies what we value
Bonus Points
- Experience with AAA console / PC products preferred
- Knowledge of and experience with shooters, RPGs and/or action games is a plus
- Travel, both domestic and international, may be required
As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.
Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.
The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $165,000 and $295,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an 'at-will position' and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
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Location: Novato, California, United States
Country: United States