Join the award-winning team that created God of War

Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Product Development to play a critical leadership role in the successful operation and delivery of our studio’s game development projects. This position blends high-level studio leadership with hands-on production and development management, ensuring alignment between creative vision, production execution, and business objectives.

This role requires a strong leader who can balance business, creative, and operational priorities, ensuring that the studio delivers high-quality games while maintaining a strong, sustainable, and inclusive work environment.

Responsibilities

Studio Leadership & Strategy

• Play a collaborative role with the rest of the leadership team to define and execute the studio’s vision, strategy, and operational goals
• Help develop the studio growth strategies, including talent planning, team expansion, and external development partnerships
• Represent the studio both internally and externally, fostering strong relationships with publishing, platform, and industry partners

Game Development & Production Leadership

• Own the production strategy for game development, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest quality standards
• Establish and refine production methodologies, ensuring efficiency, scalability, and risk mitigation across projects
• Drive cross-functional collaboration between design, engineering, art, QA, and publishing to ensure seamless execution
• Lead milestone reviews, ensure alignment on goals, and proactively address development roadblocks
• Champion an agile and iterative development approach while balancing creative aspirations with production realities

People & Team Leadership

• Build, lead, and mentor high-performing production teams, fostering a culture of accountability, creativity, and growth
• Partner with HR to define and execute career development, talent acquisition, and retention strategies
• Promote a healthy, inclusive work environment that emphasizes work-life balance, psychological safety, and long-term team sustainability

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a key liaison between development teams, publishing, finance, and corporate leadership, ensuring alignment and transparency
• Work closely with creative and technical leadership to balance artistic vision with production constraints and business objectives
• Manage relationships with external development partners, outsourcing vendors, and co-development teams to scale production efforts effectively

Qualifications & Experience

• 15 years of experience in game development leadership, with a strong background in production, project management, or studio leadership
• Proven track record of leading AAA or high-profile game development projects from pre-production to launch
• Deep expertise in development methodologies, scheduling, risk management, and live operations
• Strong understanding of game development disciplines, including design, engineering, art, and publishing
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align teams
• Experience working with publishing and executive teams to drive alignment on business and development priorities
• Passion for gaming, player-focused development, and building world-class teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing remote and hybrid teams
• Familiarity with a variety of business models, multi-platform development, and global release strategies
• Background working in or with global organizations and managing international teams
• A track record of mentoring future leaders and fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace

What We Offer

• A pivotal leadership role in one of the industry’s most exciting and successful studios
• Competitive compensation, bonus structure, and benefits
• A collaborative, inclusive, and growth-minded studio culture
• Opportunities to shape the future of award-winning IP and original titles

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