Background Producer (Retro Studios)

Nintendo; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Retro Studios in Austin, Texas, a Nintendo subsidiary, seeks a seasoned Producer/Project Manager to guide cross-disciplinary teams through AAA game development, from pre-production to shipping, aligning art, design, and engineering with production priorities. You will run sprint planning, track velocity, and communicate status to Directors and stakeholders, ensuring risk mitigation and timely milestones.

The role emphasizes collaboration and strong communication.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in game development as a Producer or Project Manager for cross-discipline teams.
• Deep familiarity with pre-production and production phases of AAA game development.
• Deep familiarity with art content pipelines and overlap with design and engineering.
• Deep familiarity with ShotGrid/Flow.
• Excellent soft skills with a firm yet supportive demeanor.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Support Environment, Lighting and VFX teams to define, track, and prioritize work based on product readiness, critical path needs and development priorities.
• Support cross-discipline teams and initiatives by facilitating meetings, taking notes, resolving blockers and capturing/following up on action items.
• Work with Leads, Feature Owners, Stakeholders, and dependent groups to capture, vet, organize, prioritize and track development work.
• Coordinate and run sprint and milestone planning, reviews and retrospectives.
• Track team velocity and scope-versus-capacity data to improve forecast accuracy for future sprint and milestone commitments.
• Communicate high-level status (on track, at risk) and use historical data to inform strategies to hit long-term milestone goals.
• Share and refine risk mitigation strategies with Department Directors, Lead Producer and VP of Development.
• Collaborate with other producers and departments to establish and refine content pipelines and development processes.
• Coordinate with the Quality Assurance department for build deployments and build notes.

Skills

Project management

Cross-discipline teams

Game development

Communication

Time management

Tools

ShotGrid/Flow

Jira

Confluence

Excel

Miro

Job description

RETRO STUDIOS:

Founded in 1998, Retro Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd., and a powerhouse in game development. Working hand-in-hand with Nintendo, we craft award-winning titles for the company's cutting-edge platforms, blending innovation, artistry, and gameplay excellence.

Our home base is Austin, Texas, a vibrant city known for its creative energy, live music, stunning natural scenery, and forward-thinking culture. With year-round sunshine and endless options for outdoor adventures, Austin offers the perfect backdrop for world-class developers to stay inspired, balanced, and at the top of their game.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

• Support Environment, Lighting and VFX teams to define, track, and prioritize work based on product readiness, critical path needs and development priorities.
• Support cross-discipline teams and initiatives by facilitating meetings, taking notes, resolving blockers and capturing/following up on action items.
• Work with Leads, Feature Owners, Stakeholders, and dependent groups to capture, vet, organize, prioritize and track development work.
• Coordinate and run sprint and milestone planning, reviews and retrospectives.
• Track team velocity and scope-versus-capacity data to improve forecast accuracy for future sprint and milestone commitments.
• Communicate high-level status (on track, at risk) and use historical data to inform strategies to hit long-term milestone goals.
• Share and refine risk mitigation strategies with Department Directors, Lead Producer and VP of Development.
• Collaborate with other producers and departments to establish and refine content pipelines and development processes.
• Coordinate with the Quality Assurance department for build deployments and build notes.

* This job description outlines primary duties and requirements and is not intended to identify all tasks that may be performed; individuals occupying the position may be required to perform other duties. The company may modify job duties from time to time, either in practice or in writing.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS:

• 7+ years of experience in game development as a Producer or Project Manager of cross-discipline teams.
• Deeply familiar with pre-production and production phases of AAA game development
• Deeply familiar with art content pipelines and how they overlap with design and engineering disciplines.
• Deeply familiar with ShotGrid/Flow.
• Excellent soft skills with a firm yet supportive demeanor.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills.

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Familiarity with tracking efforts executed by external studios/vendors.
• Familiarity with Excel.
• Familiarity with Miro or similar collaborative whiteboard solutions.
• Familiarity with Jira, Confluence and other Atlassian products.

Retro Studios is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another, our products, the diverse consumers we represent, and the communities we call home. We do all of this with kindness, empathy and respect for each other.