Who We Are:
2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming devices and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets. We are proud to publish and support many of today’s most critically acclaimed gaming franchises, including NBA 2K, WWE 2K, PGA 2K, BioShock, Borderlands, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM.
What We Need:
The Sr. Director and Head of Game Science & Insights is a member of the Production & Live Services team, responsible for leading analytics efforts that inform game design and live service strategy, execution and optimization across multiple key AAA franchises, including NBA 2K, WWE 2K, PGA 2K and multiple other unannounced 2K Sports franchises.
In this role, you will develop a team of data scientists and analysts located in the US and Dublin, Ireland in using sophisticated data sets to understand and influence player engagement, retention and monetization. The scope of this role is significant and critical to 2K’s success, leading all aspects of all recurring analytical operations, ad-hoc insights and experimentation functions across the 2K Sports portfolio.
Job Responsibilities:
Team Management
Developing staffing plans with a clear title & leveling framework across the team
Drafting JDs and driving team recruitment & interview standards
Developing a system for monitoring/maintaining/boosting morale and minimizing isolation/lack of individual connection across multiple time zones
Recurring team meetings and 1:1s with direct & skip level reports to communicate top-down information and navigate challenges as a group
Detailing specific guidelines and expectations for how each role/individual can make the best possible case for promotion
Assessing readiness for existing team members and crafting promotion roadmaps as appropriate
Mentoring people managers on professional development principles & execution
Strategic Planning & Prioritization
Aligning team capacity and business needs in order to develop/adjust FY OKRs
Evaluating, accepting and triaging incoming partner requests for work
Prioritizing team bandwidth and leading partner expectations, particularly as needs and vitality levels across various partners/results ebb and flow
Understanding bandwidth and bottlenecks/problems at any given time
Establishing clear expectations for the time/effort required to deliver different types of analyses and data requests
Ensuring team members are progressing projects at quality and in a timely manner
Overseeing the development of risk registers & contingency playbooks, particularly surrounding game releases
Willingness to jump in and provide direct support when team members get stuck and/or all-hands-on-deck data-related emergencies arise
Cross-Functional Partnerships
Establishing strong partner relationships through honest, precise and consistent communications & feedback
Consistently ensuring all relevant partner needs are known and being met to the best of GSI’s abilities
Identifying upstream and/or downstream partner bottlenecks and engaging appropriate cross-functional partners/teams to efficiently and effectively solve
Informing and guiding the development/licensing of key tools used by GSI and/or impacting GSI work
Communicating team plans, actions and outcomes to collaborator partners and across all levels of 2K and T2 leadership
Who We Think Will Be a Great Fit:
The ideal candidate is, first and foremost, passionate about optimizing great user experiences via data-driven insights, conceptualization and experimentation. They are a highly autonomous leader who is consistently focused on sustainably increasing productivity/efficiency. They always go above and beyond for the business, our partners, our people. They care deeply about their team and display a strong sense of ownership in the professional development of each team member.
The right candidate has the team seeking the ‘WHY’ and ‘So What’ insights needed to move the needle. They anticipate oncoming issues and help devise resourceful solutions. They are a strong, articulate leader who people are excited to partner with and follow. They are polished and ready to engage with all levels of the organization.
Finally, you should have a proven understanding of live service games today and their evolution across the industry. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have worked in the industry directly but does require an understanding of what live services look like across different genres and experiences today, including those listed above.
Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Statistics or Business or 10+ years of directly relevant industry work experience; Advanced degree a plus
Highly proficient with SQL and Tableau
Highly organized, upbeat, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a leader who can positively and efficiently impact both strategic and tactical operational initiatives
Strong understanding of user segmentation, targeting and A/B testing
Experience identifying, communicating, managing, and mitigating risks
Ability to manage ambiguity while solving ambitious problems
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Able to work collaboratively across numerous internal and external teams
Proven track record to contribute as a member of a leadership team in a driven, fast-paced, creative environment
Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.