Development Director

Job Title:

Development DirectorRequisition ID:

R025778:

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since our inception in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WWII (2017), and, most recently, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

As industry leaders in first-person shooter development, our commitment to excellence is reflected in every detail of our games, from highly polished multiplayer experiences to emotionally engaging single-player campaigns. At Sledgehammer Games, we believe in pushing boundaries, redefining the possibilities of interactive storytelling, and setting new standards for visual and gameplay fidelity. Together, we aim to deliver world-class gaming content that continues to set the bar for quality, innovation, and player engagement.

We are excited to invite a talented and passionate developer to join our growing team as a Senior Animator based in our Melbourne, Australia studio. In this role, you will work collaboratively with our talented teams across the globe, including our locations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

To learn more about our studio, please visit us at 

Your Mission

As a Development Director you will drive to quality targets and own schedules for your teams. You will work closely with various departments to identify needs, utilising resources efficiently and appropriately. The role of Development Director requires candidates to be excellent and clear communicators, capable of dealing with a wide variety of internal and external partners. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with all degrees of ownership, from personally managing to proactive planning.  Development Director candidates should be able to thrive in a challenging and ambiguous creative environment and be adept at driving quality in line with schedule, scope and team capacity.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Leading teams through all phases of development, establishing requirements from Creative Directors and Production leadership, allocating and managing resources, and managing execution to ensure the quality delivery of large components of a high intensity AAA title.
• Developing and implementing a method for effectively tracking project status for your teams.
• Preparing for and actively participating in milestone reviews.
• As required, acting as a liaison between internal and external parties to ensure smooth and effective communication between stakeholders.
• Directly managing your team leads, conducting 1:1 meetings, and partnering with them to grow their team's performance and capabilities.

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements:

• Multiple shipped titles, leading medium to large teams, or multiple small teams.
• Strong direct people management skills
• Experience collaborating with internal and external development teams across multiple locations and time-zones
• Strong project management fundamentals that include scope and capacity planning and management, risk management, and team management and motivation.
• Highly familiar and capable with development planning tools & methodologies, (i.e. Waterfall, Scrum, Jira, Confluence, etc.)

• Strong root cause analysis and resolution skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Extra Points:

• Experience working with engineering teams within a large central technology structure.
• Project Management training and certification.

• Qualification in game design, computer science, engineering, related technical field or relevant work experience.

• Active video game player across a variety of genres, especially FPS games

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our "press start" is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Sledgehammer Games is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.