Senior Technical Program Manager - Central Technology (Temporary)

Job Title:Senior Technical Program Manager - Central Technology (Temporary)

Requisition ID:R027709

Job Description:

Your Mission

The Central Technology team serves as the strategic partner for game development studios in the areas of online services, engine tools, graphics, systems engineering, security, and infrastructure. We support all aspects of the development process from build pipeline to launch, collaborating with studios on best practices in technology and architecture to help build franchises and the Activision IP portfolio. All the while, we also serve as the bridge to the publishing organization to align game technical development with 1st party management, analytics, product management, marketing, and public relations.  

Hybrid:

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, and the home studio for this role is Santa Monica, CA.

What you bring to the table

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners. ​This role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Support the creation, development, and execution of production initiatives, projects, pathways, and overall plan; continue to provide supervision and support through full operations life-cycle
• Create a culture that promotes collaboration, continuous feedback, support and empowerment. Set clear goals for the team and hold employees accountable for deliverables; recognize and reward employees for strong performance
• The ability to identify risks early and often and suggest mitigation strategies that are thought through and take into account multiple paths to a solution.
• Experience effectively collaborating with internal teams and development studios within the video game industry. You will only be as successful as your relationship with the development teams allows.
• You will be the main point of contact for one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world and requires best in class and timely communications across all mediums (emails, phone, meetings, presentations, etc.)
• Engage in various strategic technology planning and analytics to develop key processes, procedures, and recommendations across Activision and its studios
• Provide analysis of the intersection of business needs and technology initiatives across the AP portfolio, including both game, infrastructure, and other aspects of business operation.
• Liaison with first party as well as internal teams to track efforts, perform analysis on data and user experience, and ensure work is moving forward. Provide reports to senior leadership to ensure they are apprised and help align efforts across the studio ecosystem while maintaining relationships at the ABK level to represent Central Technology in the wider business externally.
• Provide analysis showing areas of strategic weakness and improvement, as well as tracking the surface area between Activision and the broader industry
• Liaison with senior business leadership to present and explain technical problems within the context of their business impact.
   

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements
Experience

• 5+ years of technical program management or similar experience.
• Deep experience with each stage of software development lifecycle, from inception, design and implementation, through to QA and deployment.
• Experience in practicing agile development practices, and strong working knowledge of a variety of project management techniques.
• Experience with project management tools such as Atlassian JIRA, Trello, Confluence, MS SharePoint, MS Project, Smartsheet, etc.

Knowledge & Skills

• Able to proactively navigate roadblocks with effective solutions, keeping projects moving efficiently. Can breakdown complex projects into manageable phased deliverables.
• Must be able to communicate concisely and effectively.

Extra Points:

Experience 

• Experience in game development or game publishing environments

Knowledge & Skills 

• Familiarity with working as part of and alongside software engineering teams.
• Formal project management qualifications or accreditation.
• Familiarity with data protection laws and regulatory requirements a plus.

Your Platform 

Activision Central Tech works to support our development studios and their titles. Comprised of seven main teams, we have many specialties including big data, privacy and security, motion capture and animation pipeline technologies, graphics, build and infrastructure for studio development and data centers, optimization, systems programming and online services including matchmaking and networking. Central Tech is distributed globally with offices across the U.S., and in Canada, England, Ireland and Japan. 

Most of our teams are comprised of both engineering and research talent, allowing us to always have an eye on the future. Our talented engineers help with title development and provide valuable knowledge sharing between studios while our researchers are action-oriented and keep a strong connection with the needs of the game studios. 

Central Tech is part of Activision. To learn more about us and our research, please visit us at https://research.activision.com/. 

Our World 

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences. 

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.  

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.  

Ready to Activate Your Future?  

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.   

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.  

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.  

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $94,580.00 - $174,988.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.