Development Director

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.

• Development Director
  
  Welcome to Maxis, home to tinkerers, craftspeople, & storytellers. Our drive is to inspire everyone to make a better world through creative play. As the developer of The Sims, we create games and experiences for millions of people around the world and are always looking for new ways to inspire our players. Maxis is a place where you can do what you love and help others grow while doing it; a place where your unique voice can be heard and seen. We put creativity and inclusivity at the core of our work and don't settle for seeing the world only as it is, but strive to build a world as it could be.
  
  As a Development Director (DD) at Maxis, you are the ultimate driver of project execution, serving as both a strategic project manager and a supportive people manager. You are the engine that translates high-level creative vision into concrete, playable reality. By building high-trust team culture, defining smooth cross-discipline workflows, and mastering data-driven tracking, you enable your team to dodge blockers and deliver high-quality games on schedule. Operating as a servant leader, you empower creative talent, clarify complex paths, and turn project chaos into predictable success.
  
  Responsibilities:

• Drive Project Delivery & Goals: Partner with Producers and Craft Leaders to ensure work meets strict scope, timeline, and quality targets without setting priorities yourself.

• Define Project Process & Strategy: Design and manage cross-discipline workflows, development strategy, and tool integrations (Jira, Miro, Airtable) to optimize team velocity.

• Lead as a Servant Leader: Focus on removing operational blockers, framing trade-offs, and equipping the team with clarity and resources rather than commanding.

• Enable Data-Driven Decisions: Surface project risks, dependencies, capacity bottlenecks, and ripple effects, presenting actionable scenarios and solutions to leadership.

• Master Multi-Level Planning: Own the tactical (mid-level roadmaps, milestone definitions) and execution-level planning (sprints, task tracking) to align cross-functional teams.

• Tracking & Reporting: Oversee weekly capacity/scope tracking and bi-weekly milestone reporting (burndowns, roadmaps) to predict issues early and avoid end-of-cycle surprises.

• Cultivate Follow-Through & Culture: Foster a team mindset of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement while following through on commitments to guarantee completion.

• Facilitate High-Impact Daily Operations: Run structured stand-ups, maintain task discipline, clear individual blockages, and publish transparent status updates.

Qualifications:

• Game Production & Project Management Expertise: Deep background in project management methodologies (Agile, Sprint Planning, Milestones) within game development or tech.

• Cross-Discipline Systems Thinking: Strong understanding of craft-specific workflows (Design, Engineering, Art) to build effective overall project processes.

• Servant Leadership Mindset: Demonstrated ability to build team autonomy, mentor talent, and measure success through team growth and delivery.

• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional skill in leveraging tracking data (burndowns, velocity, capacity) to build visual scenarios and risk-mitigation plans.

• Mastery of Project Management Tooling: Hands-on proficiency with industry tools (Jira, Miro, Airtable, Google Sheets) for tracking, roadmapping, and reporting.

• You love videogames; knowledge of The Sims is a welcome plus!