Development Director

Requisition Number: 152136

Position Title: DD I

External Description:

We are EA

We entertain millions of people across the globe with the most amazing and immersive interactive software in the industry. But making games is hard work. That’s why we employ the most creative, passionate people in the industry.

The Challenge Ahead

The Development Director (DD) is a Project Manager role that also has Line Manager responsibilities. The DD at EA is a critical role and responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of a game on time and within budget. Prior to production, they carry out a detailed analysis of the game design and work out the project ‘milestones’ (specific targets that have to be met by certain dates), agreeing upon these with the key technical and creative managers such as the Game Designer, Art Director and Lead Programmer. The DD then works out a schedule for the project and decides the personnel and equipment needed.

Once development is underway, the DD monitors the team’s progress against the schedule. They must be able to prioritize when production deadlines are a concern, manage risks, and plan for contingencies. Finally, the DD is responsible for all people management on the team and is tasked with motivating and developing all staff under their management including career development.

What a Development Director does at EA:

Project Management

• Responsibility for establishing an overall project schedule based on the individual task estimates; determine the resource requirements to meet the task requirements; validate task duration and determine task dependencies; establish a budget for each task, determine task dependencies, and assign tasks to team resources as appropriate; establish test plans / success criteria for each task;
• Managing the change request process; decomposing change requests into component tasks, and of estimating the impact of each change request on project schedule, budget, and resources; communicating to project stakeholders the impact of each requested change, and produce a work breakdown structure from a design document;

Staff Management

• Provides inspiring leadership by proactively meeting or communicating with employees individually to monitor and prevent potential problems or concerns; reward and recognize performance and provides coaching on performance related issues; monitors workload and recognizes extra effort with praise and discretionary rewards;
• Participates in development of retention programs; works with team members to develop and pursue a career action plan and identifies potential growth opportunities; provides team members with information on self-study, courses and training opportunities; participates in employees performance evaluations; participate in the recruitment of new team members; reviewing resumes, interviewing and assessing candidates;

Leadership

• Ensures adequate equipment, tools and support are provided for team members;
• Enhances personal understanding of the production process and actively offers input;
• Provides input for departmental planning (i.e. resource planning, cost estimates etc.); can facilitate process improvements across departments; shows comfort in moving beyond micro-management of junior staff and directs delegated responsibility effectively.

The next great EA Development Director also needs:

An EA Development Director is expected to possess:

• Strong negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution skills;
• Effective communication skills across all levels of an organization.
• A history of working in online services is a distinct advantage.

What’s in it for you? Glad you asked!

• Competitive salary plus annual bonus scheme
• Central location in Guildford (5 minutes from main train station)
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Pension scheme
• Life insurance
• Stock plans
• Free onsite gym
• Employee discounts
• Rail season ticket loan
• Annual game points and digital download allowance
• Onsite café
• 25 days holiday (including 3 days company shutdown days between Christmas & New Year)
• Two annual staff parties (Summer & Christmas)
• Casual dress code
• Games Area

We thought you might also want to know:

• More about our studio: http://ghostgames.com/
• More about our location: http://careers.ea.com/our-locations/guildford

Take your career to the next level – apply today!            

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Community / Marketing Title: Development Director

Company Profile:

We are a global team of creators, storytellers, technologists, experience originators, innovators and so much more. We believe amazing games and experiences start with teams as diverse as the players and communities we serve. At Electronic Arts, the only limit is your imagination.

EEOText:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

Days Open: 224

Can this position be remote?:

EEO Employer Verbiage:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.