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Activision Blizzard, headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, is the premier worldwide publisher of interactive entertainment software. Activision Blizzard's portfolio includes such best-selling video game franchises as Activision Publishing's Call of Duty, Spider-Man, X-Men, James Bond, and Transformers, in addition to Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft, Diablo, Warcraft and the #1 subscription based massively multi-player online role-playing game, World of Warcraft.
 
TOOLS TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
Activision's Central Technology group has an immediate opening for a hands-on Tools Technology Director.  Reporting to the VP of Technology, this role's primary objective is to direct the development of significant tools technology across multiple Activision studios and titles.  The ideal candidate will be an exceptional leader with the ability to recognize what tools and pipeline processes are critical to ensure the efficient development of highly polished titles across a range of genres and target platforms.  Additionally, he/she will possess a clear understanding of the importance for both ambition and risk mitigation when developing video games.
 
The Tools Technology Director must be an excellent and persuasive communicator, capable of dealing with a wide variety of disciplines and levels of expertise.  He/she must be comfortable with all degrees of ownership: from ground-up coding work on a tool or feature, through personally managing a tool's development, through providing high-level feedback or guidance.  To be successful, they must thrive in a challenging and ambiguous environment, and be adept at driving quality regardless of team, schedule, or budget.
 
The Tools Technology Director has three broad areas of responsibility.
 
Tools Technology Oversight
-          Review tools plans in light of prospective game features and TDD's. Provide verbal and written assessments.
-          Work with teams early on to establish tools needs, stay in touch throughout project to ensure tools tech is progressing appropriately.
-          Provide expert opinions of internal and 3^rd party tools technology.
 
Tools Technology Assistance
-          Act as tools liaison across ATVI teams.
-          Actively shepherd and represent high-priority tools issues across departments within ATVI.
-          Oversee the design, implementation and deployment of critical tools technology.
-          Find and direct resources to solve critical tools problems.
-          Engage in hands-on development and troubleshooting work where appropriate.
 
Tools Technology Leadership
-          Identify, prioritize, and deploy tools solutions across all of ATVI
-          Personally manage a staff of Tools Engineers
-          Personally represent ATVI to first parties and other senior technology partners
-          Champion critical tools technology within ATVI
 
Requirements:

• Minimum 8 years relevant industry experience, with minimum 3 years in a technical leadership role
• Must have a strong technical and strategic tools and pipeline vision
• Comfortable in a fast paced environment and able to cope with ambiguity and effectively allocating limited resources
• Comfortable communicating with team members from both engineering and content creation disciplines

• Able to be flexible and work independently when necessary

This job listing originated on Gamasutra.com, the game industry's leader.