Pocketgems

Program Manager (Development Manager)

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What Pocketgems is looking for in applicants

Pocket Gems seeks to build the greatest mobile games and most compelling interactive entertainment in the world. That’s the mission our founders began with, in an apartment above a pizza shop back in 2009, and it continues to inspire us today. Since then, we’ve grown to over 200 people headquartered in San Francisco, and with $155 million in backing from Sequoia Capital and Tencent, we’re constantly breaking new ground in mobile entertainment.

Our products have been downloaded over 500 million times by players around the world and have grossed over $1 billion in revenue. We continue to release brand new content for Episode, a mobile storytelling network and platform, and War Dragons, a visually stunning 3D real-time strategy game. 

As our community of players continues to grow, we’re committed to building diverse and inclusive environments across our teams, and in our games.

As a Program Manager (Development Manager) - Episode you will lead/manage the Episode team to ship our mobile games, delighting millions of players around the world. You will support a diverse set of developers focused on delivering more content and games to our players. You’ll inspire teams to collaborate and help guide work to ensure we’re focused on the work that brings the most value to players.

Note: This position is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area

What You’ll Do

  • Coordinate cross functional work as it pertains to the development on Episode
  • Navigate Scrum team to successfully meet sprint goals every sprint
  • Guide Scrum teams to solve intricate problems during emergency situations and fires
  • Own OKR/goal setting process to ensure that teams are focused on highest priority tasks that directly impact team level goals
  • Provide consistent transparency to Episode Leadership - identifying and reporting risks around development and team health
  • Build healthy teams by developing a culture of continuous improvement 
  • Be an enthusiastic proponent of quality and process to the Episode team
  • Manage and coordinate roadmap/releases for Scrum Team and run Scrum activities
  • Coordinate and collaborate with multiple teams, resources and timelines: Engineering, Art, UX, Marketing, and Player Experience to ensure strong team chemistry and execution
  • Proactively recognize process deficiencies and drive improvements
  • Be accountable for working with Scrum Masters to ensure proper Scrum practices

What You Bring To The Development Management Team

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
  • Passion for the entertainment or games industry
  • Ability to balance business level decisions while maintaining effective team collaboration and commitment to players
  • Deep spirit of perseverance and ability to guide teams and a dedication to seeing challenges through to the end
  • Ability to form own opinion and take ownership of critical decision making moments
  • Excellent intuition for solving problems
  • At least 5 years of experience in:
    • Managing and running scrum teams
    • Running cross functional teams
    • Online/Mobile Product experience with a technology company
  • Experience in running successful teams
  • Strong process oriented mentality to help teams run efficiently

Extra Gems For

  • Previous startup, consumer technology, engineering/software development experience
  • Scrum Master Certification

Read more about what we’ve been up to! 

At Pocket Gems, we're building teams that value originality, inclusivity, and accountability -- and we hope to engage with talent based on these and other core values. We also offer competitive perks, such as flexible vacation, 401k matching, and a generous benefits package, 

Pocket Gems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status. 
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Want some tips on how to get an interview at Pocketgems?

What is Pocketgems looking for?
If this role looks interesting to you, a great first step is to understand what excites you about the team, product or mission. Take your time thinking about this and then tell the team! Get in touch and communicate that passion.
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