Senior Manager, Partnerships - VR

At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.
We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.
Following the success of our first VR title Archangel, we elevated our ambition and tackled The Walking Dead universe in VR. The result was the 2020 genre-defining hit The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.
The Senior Manager, Partnerships - VR will work closely with the VP of Business Development to understand SDI project staffing needs and create a staffing augmentation plan and schedule. Partnering with the marketing, production and development teams, this role will cultivate relationships with our internal teams and external partners to ensure staffing augmentation plans of SDI projects are met. Our current mandate is to maintain our quality and position in the VR market with a plan to release two games per year, in addition to the development of a strong Publishing arm. While all major platforms are of interest to Skydance Interactive, we are a VR- First publisher and developer and are looking for someone who can identify vendor and development partners for our VR projects. 

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Own and source a portfolio of vendor and developer relationships. Your contacts should have the ability to adapt to a plethora of VR and Non VR projects across SDI’s divisions and specialties.
• Partner with marketing, production and development teams [clients] to identify staffing
• augmentation needs and calendar/roadmap for the current and upcoming game projects; meeting regularly to discuss progress and find new ways to optimize vendor relationships.
• Manage the RFP process which includes drafting a request for proposal and managing the vendor selection process, ensuring documents are timely filed and working alongside Finance and Legal to ensure best terms for the company/project.
• Work with VP of Business Development to negotiate and close partnership deals primarily with video game studios primed to augment existing SDI teams.
• Create and facilitate active channels of feedback between internal teams and external partners; ensuring project goals (including timelines and budget parameters) are met through the partnership.
• Maintain accurate vendor/partner records, keeping track of any contract updates, changes, or additional scopes of work and invoicing.

Requirements:

• Four to six years of relevant experience in business development, publishing and or production for video games.
• Previous experience sourcing and managing vendors or external teams
• A strong understanding of the existing VR market and the studios that support VR development.
• A strong background in productivity software, JIRA is a plus.
• Must have experience and knowledge of game development on a AAA studio level capable of publishing both large and small scale titles
• Strong team and customer service mindset as this role will be performed in collaboration
• Build and maintain relationships with studios experienced in both Unity and Unreal
• An ability to work in an environment laden with changes or iterations focused on video game improvement with development and production teams
• Excellent communications skills, able to facilitate and build strong relationships at all levels of management both internally and externally
• Experience managing multiple projects in a developing, fast-paced environment
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently

The salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $140,000 – $180,000.  The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors.  The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc. 
We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description. 
#Interactive #LI-hybrid
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature fil