Development Director 2

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Playdemic is a BAFTA Award-winning developer and publisher of mobile games, focused on creating fun and engaging, free-to-play game services for iOS and Android, including the global smash hit, Golf Clash.

Golf Clash has been entertaining millions of players for over 9 years, and our goal is to continue providing exciting new features and content to our fans for many more years to come. If you want to create games for millions of players to enjoy on the go, then this is the job you've been looking for! We are committed to continually improving our working practices and collective knowledge through training and supporting one another.

We are seeking a Development Director II to lead delivery across all Playdemic projects. This role is accountable for the end-to-end execution of our live service, ensuring we deliver high-quality, predictable, and commercially successful outcomes.

This is a critical leadership role within the studio, partnering closely with Senior Leadership, Product, Creative, and Technical directors to deliver projects with predictability and in a manner that engages and delights the millions of Playdemic’s loyal customers.

Responsibilities:

Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Own end-to-end delivery of all features, live ops content, and new product initiatives.

• Establish and evolve a predictable, scalable operating model for live service development.

• Drive roadmap execution, ensuring alignment to product strategy, commercial goals, and player value.

• Define and enforce clear production standards, processes, and workflows across all disciplines.

• Ensure consistent delivery against quality, timeline, and budget commitments.

Planning, Forecasting & Capacity

• Lead long-range planning, capacity modelling, and resource allocation across the game team.

• Translate product strategy into achievable plans, balancing ambition with execution realities.

• Partner with discipline leaders to ensure skill coverage, team structure, and scalability.

• Identify risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks early, driving proactive mitigation strategies.

• Continuously optimise team efficiency through data-driven planning and KPI frameworks.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Alignment

• Drive alignment across Product, Design, Engineering, Art, QA, and Analytics.

• Act as a central point of integration, ensuring teams are working toward shared outcomes.

• Communicate clearly with studio leadership and EA partners on progress, risks, and opportunities.

• Lead cross-team collaboration to solve complex problems and unlock delivery at scale.

• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and transparency.

External Development & Partnerships

• Drive continuous improvement in how we leverage global and distributed development.

• Oversee external development and partner integration, ensuring seamless collaboration.

• Define and manage partner scopes, SLAs, and delivery expectations.

• Own outsourcing budgets and vendor performance, ensuring value and quality.

• Build strong relationships with external teams, creating a “one team” operating model.

Financial Literacy

• Partner with Finance and Operations to manage forecasting, budget tracking, and cost optimisation.

• Ensure delivery plans align with financial targets and commercial objectives.

• Drive operational efficiency, identifying opportunities to maximise ROI.

Process, Tools & Continuous Improvement

• Define and evolve best-in-class production processes for a live service environment.

• Champion continuous improvement, identifying inefficiencies and scaling what works.

• Ensure teams understand both the “what” and the “why” behind processes.

• Leverage tools (e.g. Jira, dashboards, analytics) to create a single source of truth.

• Lead major transformation initiatives, including AI/ML-enabled workflows where applicable.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing production organisation.

• Build a culture of ownership, empowerment, and accountability.

• Support career growth, succession planning, and leadership development within the team.

• Create an environment where teams feel motivated, supported, and challenged.

• Model inclusive leadership and foster strong collaboration across disciplines and cultures. 

Strategic Leadership & Studio Impact

• Partner with studio leadership to shape long-term strategy, operating models, and growth plans.

• Contribute to studio-wide planning, including org design, capability building, and investment decisions.

• Use data, insights, and experience to drive strategic improvements in efficiency, quality, and scale.

• Act as a thought partner to the Head of Operations and GM, with increasing scope over time. 

Requirements:

Experience

• 10+ years in production, program management, or operations within game development or similar environments.

• Proven track record leading large, cross-functional teams delivering complex products.

• Strong experience in live service development and continuous content delivery.

• Demonstrated success in operational planning, capacity forecasting, and execution at scale.

• Experience working with external partners or distributed development teams.

Skills & Capabilities

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to connect vision to execution.

• Deep understanding of development workflows, pipelines, and team dynamics.

• Highly analytical, with experience using data and KPIs to inform decisions.

• Strong problem-solving and risk management capabilities.

• Financial acumen, including budget management and forecasting.

Leadership Expectations

• Builds alignment across diverse teams and drives outcomes.

• Creates clarity in ambiguity and leads teams through complex challenges.

• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement and learning.

• Develops talent and creates future leaders within the organisation.

• Operates with a studio-first mindset, thinking beyond immediate team boundaries.

Nice to Have

• Experience in mobile free-to-play games.

• Background in product management or analytics-driven development.

• Experience contributing to studio or franchise-level strategy.

• Familiarity with AI/ML applications in content or production pipelines.