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United States
Remote only
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior External Development Producer based in the United States.
The Senior External Development Producer will lead external game development partnerships, overseeing co-development studios, outsourcing vendors, and licensees from initial planning through live operations. This role combines production leadership, creative collaboration, and operational management, with a particular focus on 2D and 3D art, animation, and visual effects. Working closely with internal creative leads and cross-functional teams, the successful candidate will ensure external partners deliver high-quality assets and features that meet artistic, technical, budget, and schedule requirements. They will manage vendor relationships, define project scopes, coordinate procurement, and establish efficient production pipelines. The role also requires strong financial oversight, proactive risk management, and the ability to resolve delivery challenges before they affect broader project milestones. This is an opportunity to help shape ambitious gaming projects while collaborating with talented internal and external development teams.
Lead creative and technical reviews of outsourced 2D/3D art, animation, and VFX submissions, ensuring deliverables meet internal artistic standards and technical specifications before engine integration.
Serve as the primary point of contact for external co-development partners, outsourcing studios, licensees, and distributors, maintaining strong relationships and facilitating effective collaboration.
Partner with internal Art Directors and discipline leads to identify external resource requirements and establish efficient asset submission and review pipelines.
Develop and issue comprehensive Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and detailed Statements of Work (SOWs), defining project scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, milestones, schedules, and payment terms.
Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Business Development teams to evaluate partnership opportunities, negotiate contracts, manage procurement processes, and monitor external production spending.
Oversee vendor performance, production velocity, and deliverable quality through structured milestone reviews and regular progress assessments.
Ensure external submissions meet artistic, technical, and performance requirements while remaining aligned with project schedules and budgets.
Monitor vendor burn rates, resource capacity, delivery bottlenecks, and project risks, implementing scope adjustments and contingency plans when needed.
Coordinate external production activities with internal stakeholders to maintain alignment with overall development objectives.
7+ years of game production experience, including at least 3 years managing external co-development partners, outsourcing studios, and remote teams on successfully shipped titles.
Previous experience as a 2D/3D Artist, Art Lead, or Art Director in the gaming industry is highly preferred.
Strong understanding of game production pipelines, with hands-on knowledge of 2D/3D art, animation, and VFX workflows.
Proven experience managing technical asset integration, ensuring outsourced deliverables comply with memory, performance, formatting, and engine requirements.
Demonstrated ability to develop detailed SOWs, manage end-to-end RFP processes, evaluate vendor proposals, and work directly with Legal and Finance teams on vendor agreements.
Strong financial and budget management skills, including experience tracking multi-million-dollar external production budgets, forecasting resource requirements, and validating vendor invoices against milestone deliverables.
Advanced proficiency with Jira, Confluence, and vendor or asset management tools.
Experience adapting production processes and milestone frameworks to support successful external co-development.
Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive vendor relationships while maintaining accountability for quality and delivery.
Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple external partners, priorities, and production risks.
Annual base salary, based on work location:
$120,000–$153,000: San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.
$105,000–$133,000: Austin, Denver, Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Portland, Raleigh–Durham, Philadelphia, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City metropolitan areas.
$90,000–$113,000: All other U.S. locations.
Profit-sharing program.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with employer matching.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).
Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays.
Parental leave.
Remote work opportunity.
Occasional travel to Los Angeles may be required for in-person interviews or meetings.
Final compensation within the applicable range depends on experience, qualifications, and work location.
