About the position
Shipping a new game at Riot is a monumental effort that takes more than just a great game. It requires turning a creative vision into a robust, scalable, and reliable live service that can delight millions of players worldwide. New game teams are hyper-focused on finding the fun, but to launch successfully, they need to be connected to Riot's ecosystem of central technology and prepared for the rigors of day-to-day live operations. That's where you come in. As a Principal Technical Producer on an R&D team, you will be the single point of accountability for a new game's technical readiness to launch. You are the critical bridge between the game team and Riot's central platform and technology teams. You will partner closely with your Publishing Ecosystem Product Manager counterpart to deliver high quality work that align with critical player and business outcomes. Drawing on a deep understanding of both game development and live service operations, you will work with fellow technologists to define the integration roadmap, drive technical requirements, and instill a 'Live Ops Mentality' long before the game is in players' hands. You will ensure our game launches on a foundation that is ready for massive scale, rapid releases, and the chaos of a live environment. This role is for a battle-tested leader who knows what it takes to not just ship, but to ship successfully.
Responsibilities
- Own the Integration Master Plan: Act as the product and production leader for all integrations between the game and Riot's central technology platforms.
- Drive Technical Product Definition: Partner with game leadership and central tech teams to define technical requirements for new platform features.
- Champion Live Operations Readiness: Develop and execute a comprehensive plan to prepare the R&D team for the transition to a live service.
- Lead Cross-Functional Execution: Shepherd complex, multi-team integration projects from initial concept through launch and beyond.
- Collaborate on Shared Ecosystems: Partner closely with the Ecosystem Product Manager on shared responsibilities such as console certification, localization, regional launch capabilities, and beta programs.
- Mentor and Level Up the Team: Act as a subject matter expert on live operations and technical production.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in senior technical production, technical product management, or engineering leadership roles within the games industry.
- You have shipped AAA games in a production or product leadership capacity on PC or console.
- Experience with the full lifecycle of live service games, from pre-production through launch and live operations.
- Proven ability to lead large-scale, cross-functional technical projects, especially those involving the integration of new products with existing central technology platforms.
- Expert-level understanding of at least three of the following domains: game patching and delivery, live operations, developer platforms, or game server infrastructure.
- Experience working directly with engineering teams to define technical requirements, manage backlogs, and drive a product from concept to completion.
Nice-to-haves
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience with strong technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and understanding of basic programming concepts.
- Experience shipping games on console platforms (Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox) and navigating their technical certification requirements.
- Experience with the technical and operational requirements for launching a game in China and Korea.
- Experience building a 'live ops' culture and capability within a team that was previously R&D-focused.
- A deep network and established relationships with central technology, platform, or publishing teams at a major game studio.
- Experience driving work in matrixed teams and complex organizational structures.
Benefits
- Open paid time off policy
- Flexible work schedules
- Medical, dental, and life insurance
- Parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
- 401k with company match
