Sr Technical Producer

Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced Senior Technical Producer to lead long-term scheduling and direct production activities for multiple discipline teams. This role involves crafting and maintaining comprehensive project plans, managing day-to-day production issues, and partnering with creative directors and leads to ensure project scope and objectives are met, ultimately driving game development forward and achieving high quality.

Must Have

• Run the production pipeline of a broad area of the game for multiple technical teams.
• Craft and maintain a comprehensive project plan, schedule, scope and resource forecast.
• 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.
• Break down large complex initiatives, features and challenges into manageable portions and actionable steps.
• Assimilate diverse information and assess the impact on each phase of production.
• Identify all groups that may be affected by a goal, actively solicit their input and follow up with strong execution.
• Ensure a common understanding and agreement on project scope, objectives and impact of any changes.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with internal development team, game director, discipline directors and leads.
• Collaborate with managers concerning personnel issues and team member individual growth.
• Contribute to the development of new theories, methodologies, and approaches in collaboration with creative partners.
• Support the creative vision by utilizing curiosity, judgement and anticipating change to direct or redirect efforts as needed to achieve results.

Good to Have

• PMP or equivalent certification
• At least one shipped AAA PC and/or console title as a Senior Producer

Perks & Benefits

• Environment with a large degree of autonomy
• Opportunities for growth

Are you a master at seeing the big picture and keeping the small details moving forward?

Join the award-winning team that created God of War

The Production Team at Santa Monica Studio excels at creative problem solving and communication. We thrive on being at the intersection of people and productivity as the glue that holds the studio together. 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 looking for an experienced, driven and expert planner to join our team as a Senior Technical Producer. A Senior Technical Producer is relied upon to lead long-term scheduling efforts as well as to direct ground level production activities of multiple discipline teams. Responsibilities include partnering with the lead producer, creative directors and leads, guiding and directing other producers and collaborating with studio managers to own the creation, maintenance and execution of a project plan to determine resource, budget and schedule needs.

Responsibilities

Own the production of multiple discipline teams in all areas:

• Run the production pipeline of a broad area of the game for multiple technical teams throughout all phases of the product development cycle from design through final approval
• Craft and maintain a comprehensive project plan, schedule, scope and resource forecast for multiple disciplines along a complex production pipeline
• 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 day-to-day production through rigorous project planning, analytic thinking and information gathering:

• Break down large complex initiatives, features and challenges into manageable portions and actionable steps
• Assimilate diverse information and assess the impact on each phase of production and on the project as a whole
• Identify all groups that may be affected by a goal, actively solicit their input and follow up with strong execution
• Ensure a common understanding and agreement on project scope, objectives and impact of any changes

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

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with internal development team, primarily partnering with the game director, discipline directors and leads
• Collaborate with managers concerning personnel issues and team member individual growth, such as meeting task expectations, actively tasking individuals toward determined growth goals
• Contribute to the development of new theories, methodologies, and approaches in collaboration with creative partners. Support the creative vision by utilizing curiosity, judgement and anticipating change to direct or redirect efforts as needed to achieve results

Skills

Project Management Craftsmanship

• Experience with traditional Waterfall production management techniques along with Agile techniques, including SCRUM or Kanban. PMP or equivalent certification a plus
• Excellent organizational & prioritization skills, attention to detail, process knowledge and ability to multi-task
• 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 high performing creative teams and demonstrated ability to partner effectively in a high pressure, collaborative environment
• Proven conflict management skills with a strength in mediation leading to resolution of risk and roadblocks

Education & Experience

• 8+ years of games industry experience in an internal development environment in a production role
• Experience on multiple large scale, 150+ person AAA games through all phases of production from concept to release
• Preferred: At least one shipped AAA PC and/or console title as a Senior Producer
• Mastery of a variety of project management techniques in an internal development environment coupled with deep experience building and maintaining schedules
• Experience working on technical teams and projects with a focus on engineering and/or technical art
• Familiarity with programming and/or scripting languages (e.g. C++, Python)
• Familiarity with various internal game production pipelines and software

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.

$75/hr - $112.50/hr USD

If you find that you don't meet all the criteria outlined in this job description or if you feel your experience might fall short, research indicates that individuals, particularly women and people of color, tend to hesitate in applying unless they meet every requirement. At SMS, our commitment lies in creating a workplace that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. If you're intrigued by this role but feel your previous experience doesn't perfectly align with all the qualifications listed, we encourage you to submit your application. The ideal position for you could be closer than you think!

We value talent, self-motivation, and team spirit. In turn, we provide an environment with a large degree of autonomy and opportunities for growth.

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. We genuinely appreciate the time and effort you spent in contacting us and we thank you for your interest in Santa Monica Studio.

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