Senior Operations Manager

Pearl Abyss; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Leave: 25 days

Transport subsidy €450/month

Gift cards €150/month

Growth Wallet €1,200/year

Health care allowance €150/month

Birthday/holiday benefits €600/year

Job summary

Pearl Abyss, the team behind Black Desert and Crimson Desert, is seeking a Senior Operations Manager to drive operational excellence across Live-Ops, Community, Localization, Marketing, Product Management, and Public Relations in Europe.

You will lead a global, cross-functional team, own live-service plans, monitor KPIs, manage incidents, and ensure growth for Black Desert, Crimson Desert, and upcoming titles DokeV and PLAN 8.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in live game operations, product management, or production.
• Professional-level fluency in English (written and verbal) with exceptional corporate communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Deep technical knowledge of online game live services, infrastructure, and deployment pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Directly manage and mentor a team of Live Operations managers, coordinators, and specialists.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration between Europe and global HQ across time zones.
• Create and execute live service operational plans and post-mortem analyses.
• Monitor KPIs to identify improvement opportunities and implement solutions.
• Own end-to-end project delivery from inception to execution.
• Lead incident management and post-incident reviews under pressure.

Skills

Live game ops

English fluency

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Technical live services

Time management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Pearl Abyss — the team behind Black Desert and Crimson Desert — is seeking a high-performing, innovative, and strategic Senior Operations Manager to drive and accelerate our gaming reach to millions of players across all platforms (PC, Mobile, Console, and next-gen) in Europe.

As a Senior Operations Manager, you will occupy a critical leadership role, orchestrating collaboration across results-oriented global teams including Live-Ops, Community, Localization, Marketing, Product Management, and Public Relations. You will be responsible not just for executing plans, but for shaping the operational framework that ensures sustainable growth.

You will join a diverse, dedicated team working across multiple communities and high-profile titles. This position offers an unparalleled opportunity to spearhead operational excellence for Black Desert and Crimson Desert as well as our highly anticipated upcoming releases, DokeV and PLAN 8, ensuring all Pearl Abyss titles achieve and exceed their European strategic goals.

Responsibilities

• Team Management & Leadership: Directly manage, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of Live Operations managers, coordinators, and specialists. Conduct regular performance reviews, set clear KPIs, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented team culture.
• Global Cross-Functional Leadership: Independently lead and optimize complex communication pipelines between multiple global teams across various time zones and channels, acting as the primary operational bridge between Europe and global HQ.
• Operational Excellence & Lifecycle Management: Author, develop, and execute comprehensive live service operational plans; proactively monitor, mitigate, and report on critical live service issues.
• Data-Driven Optimization: Establish, monitor, and analyze macro-level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify systemic areas for improvement and implement long-term solutions.
• End-to-End Project Ownership: Lifecycle manage high-impact operational projects from inception to execution, defining scope, objective KPIs, and thorough post-mortem analyses.
• Crisis & Incident Management: Serve as the ultimate escalation point for critical live-service incidents, leading the team through swift resolution strategies and post-incident reviews under pressure.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in Business, Project Management, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in live game operations, product management, or production, with a proven track record in a senior or lead capacity.
• Professional-level fluency in English (written and verbal) with exceptional corporate communication skills.
• Proven ability to excel in a high-pressure environment, building and maintaining robust stakeholder relationships globally.
• Deep technical knowledge of online game live services, infrastructure, and deployment pipelines.
• Advanced time-management, risk-assessment, and organizational skills required to juggle multiple high-priority initiatives.
• A "lead by example" mindset—willing to roll up your sleeves and do the groundwork alongside your team when necessary.
• Flexibility to work evening and weekend hours during critical launch windows or live incidents.
• Willingness to travel internationally as required for global alignment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional-level fluency in Korean (highly advantageous for HQ alignment).
• Avid Black Desert Online player with a deep understanding of its mechanics and community ecosystem.
• A profound passion for video games and an understanding of current industry trends.
• Mastery of industry-standard collaboration tools (Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, JIRA, Confluence).
• Extensive prior experience interacting with or managing gaming communities and player-facing initiatives.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days of Paid Leave based on full-time employment
• Public Transport Expenses Coverage - maximum €450/month
• Lifestyle Wallet - Gift Cards worth €150/month
• Personal and Professional Growth Wallet - €1,200/year.
• Monthly Health Care Allowance - €150/month.
• Special Benefits for birthdays and summer- and winter holidays - €600/year
• Sponsored Lunch in the office
• Free Snacks and Refreshments
• Free medical check-up
• Healthy Lifestyle Support: gym memberships, therapy sessions

PearlAbyss EU B.V. is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace environment. PearlAbyss EU B.V. adheres to the EU's GDPR, including the protection of personal data. Personal information will not be disclosed to unauthorized parties and only the information you provide will be utilized during the recruitment process.