Development Director

Electronic Arts; Guildford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Electronic Arts is seeking a Development Director to drive and oversee complex game development programs. You will translate creative vision into executable plans, lead with a servant mindset, and build high-trust teams.

You will manage cross-disciplinary workflows, track progress, and enable data-driven decisions to prevent blockers and deliver high-quality games on schedule. A passion for games like The Sims is a welcome bonus.

Qualifications

• Deep background in project management methodologies (Agile, Sprint Planning, Milestones) within game development or tech.
• Strong ability to design and optimize cross-discipline workflows across Design, Engineering, and Art.
• Proven track record as a servant leader who fosters autonomy, mentorship, and delivery.
• Excellent data-driven decision making using tracking data to surface risks and mitigation plans.

Responsibilities

• Drive Project Delivery & Goals: ensure work meets scope, timeline, and quality targets.
• Define Project Process & Strategy: design cross-discipline workflows and tool integrations to optimize velocity.
• Lead as a Servant Leader: remove blockers and empower the team, not command.
• Enable Data-Driven Decisions: surface risks and dependencies; present actionable scenarios to leadership.
• Master Multi-Level Planning: own tactical roadmaps and execution-level planning for sprints.
• Tracking & Reporting: oversee weekly capacity/scope tracking and milestone reporting.
• Cultivate Follow-Through & Culture: build trust, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Project management

Agile methodologies

Cross-discipline thinking

Servant leadership

Analytical thinking

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Mentoring talent

Team motivation

Tools

Jira

Miro

Airtable

Google Sheets

Job description

Development Director

Welcome to Maxis, home to tinkerers, craftspeople, & storytellers. Our drive is to inspire everyone to make a better world through creative play. As the developer of The Sims, we create games and experiences for millions of people around the world and are always looking for new ways to inspire our players. Maxis is a place where you can do what you love and help others grow while doing it; a place where your unique voice can be heard and seen. We put creativity and inclusivity at the core of our work and don't settle for seeing the world only as it is, but strive to build a world as it could be.

As a Development Director (DD) at Maxis, you are the ultimate driver of project execution, serving as both a strategic project manager and a supportive people manager. You are the engine that translates high-level creative vision into concrete, playable reality. By building high-trust team culture, defining smooth cross-discipline workflows, and mastering data-driven tracking, you enable your team to dodge blockers and deliver high-quality games on schedule. Operating as a servant leader, you empower creative talent, clarify complex paths, and turn project chaos into predictable success.

Responsibilities

• Drive Project Delivery & Goals: Partner with Producers and Craft Leaders to ensure work meets strict scope, timeline, and quality targets without setting priorities yourself.
• Define Project Process & Strategy: Design and manage cross-discipline workflows, development strategy, and tool integrations (Jira, Miro, Airtable) to optimize team velocity.
• Lead as a Servant Leader: Focus on removing operational blockers, framing trade-offs, and equipping the team with clarity and resources rather than commanding.
• Enable Data-Driven Decisions: Surface project risks, dependencies, capacity bottlenecks, and ripple effects, presenting actionable scenarios and solutions to leadership.
• Master Multi-Level Planning: Own the tactical (mid-level roadmaps, milestone definitions) and execution-level planning (sprints, task tracking) to align cross-functional teams.
• Tracking & Reporting: Oversee weekly capacity/scope tracking and bi-weekly milestone reporting (burndowns, roadmaps) to predict issues early and avoid end-of-cycle surprises.
• Cultivate Follow-Through & Culture: Foster a team mindset of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement while following through on commitments to guarantee completion.
• Facilitate High-Impact Daily Operations: Run structured stand-ups, maintain task discipline, clear individual blockages, and publish transparent status updates.

Qualifications

• Game Production & Project Management Expertise: Deep background in project management methodologies (Agile, Sprint Planning, Milestones) within game development or tech.
• Cross-Discipline Systems Thinking: Strong understanding of craft-specific workflows (Design, Engineering, Art) to build effective overall project processes.
• Servant Leadership Mindset: Demonstrated ability to build team autonomy, mentor talent, and measure success through team growth and delivery.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional skill in leveraging tracking data (burndowns, velocity, capacity) to build visual scenarios and risk-mitigation plans.
• Mastery of Project Management Tooling: Hands- on proficiency with industry tools (Jira, Miro, Airtable, Google Sheets) for tracking, roadmapping, and reporting.
• You love videogames; knowledge of The Sims is a welcome plus!

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.