Business Development Manager

Gamebreaking; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Gamebreaking Studios seeks a Business Development Manager to build and scale our BD pipeline across co-development, full development, and tools sales. You will cultivate relationships with AAA studios and publishers, negotiate deals, and report to leadership.

This role emphasizes long-term network development and strategic growth within a fully remote Bay Area-based team. You will lead end-to-end BD activities, attend industry events, and collaborate with founders and directors to shape our

Qualifications

• 5+ years in games and entertainment industry.
• Strong game industry network.
• Experience as a founder, business developer, or similar with deals/funding experience.
• Curiosity about meeting people and understanding their work.
• Strong understanding of the video game industry, development cycles, dynamics.
• Comfort influencing founders and senior executives.
• Proven negotiation skills and deal closing experience.
• Publisher and IP holder relationships are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with studios and publishers/IP holders to drive revenue across co-dev, full-dev, and BespokeCI tools.
• Attend industry events in SF Bay Area and conferences globally on a regular cadence.
• Own the BD pipeline from end-to-end.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with clients, partners, publishers.
• Develop and present business proposals and sales materials.
• Strengthen relationships with existing partners and seek new partnerships.
• Maintain reporting on BD activities and progress.
• Collaborate with leadership to shape BD strategy.
• Contribute to a positive culture at Gamebreaking.

Skills

Experience in games

Industry network

Founders/BD background

Negotiation skills

Executive relationships

Publisher/IP relationships

Job description

Gamebreaking Studios is looking for our first hire in Business Development. We believe former founders or ambitious business development/sales professionals are well-suited to this role, but are open to any folks with a strong network in games and a history of bringing in business. We want somebody ambitious enough to help us evolve from the pipeline that got us to 30 employees, to the one that will get us to 50 employees and beyond. We need somebody organized enough to take us from the founder-only BD/sales pipeline we have today, to a pipeline owned and operated by you, that our leadership team works within. We’re looking for somebody disciplined enough to take the hard road to building that pipeline sustainably with us.

As a Business Development Manager at Gamebreaking Studios, you will lead our effort to build and strengthen business relationships that will culminate in signed deals for our 3 lines of business: co-development projects, full game funding (in 3rd-party IP), and tools sales. While you will not manage others directly, you will be in charge of the pipeline that our founders, directors, and managers operate within to close deals and manage customers. You will have a particular focus on growing our network of AAA studios and publishers.

Gamebreaking believes that if we build relationships, the business will come. We believe in: building relationships over closing one deal, satisfying people instead of pieces of paper, and knowing the biggest deal is not the one you’re negotiating today, but the one they’ll offer you next. As a result, we focus on our reputation, think long term, and build a wide network that we offer to help early and often.

Gamebreaking is 100% employee-owned. We grew from nothing to a stable, prospering company with no outside investors. That means we work differently, and we like it that way. Employees own more, have more of a say, and are more responsible for our team’s success. It also means that sometimes we have to take the long way around, but we’re thinking big and bold, not fast or cheap. Expect to level up not just your individual craft skills but also your ability to operate teams and understand the inner workings of a business in games.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all of the skills listed here. We understand that your qualifications may shine through in different ways and can be based on unique perspectives and experiences.

Gamebreaking Studios is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity, and are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for our team.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years professional experience in games and entertainment industry
• Strong game industry network.
• Experience as a founder, business developer, or similar professional with experience closing deals/funding worth at least hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.
• A genuine curiosity and interest in meeting people and understanding their work
• Strong understanding of the video game industry, including game development cycles, market dynamics, and distribution models
• Comfort working with and influencing founders and senior executives
• Proven negotiation skills and experience structuring and closing deals
• Strong publisher and IP holder relationships a plus

Your Responsibilities

• Build relationships with studios and publishers/IP holders that drive revenue growth across our 3 business lines (co-dev, full-dev, and BespokeCI tools)
• Regularly attend industry events in/around the SF Bay Area (Monthly-to-weekly) and conferences globally (Quarterly-to-Monthly)
• Own our business development pipeline from end-to-end
• Negotiate and manage contracts and agreements with clients, partners, and publishers
• Develop and present business proposals and other sales materials to potential clients
• Build and strengthen relationships with existing partners, while continuously seeking out new potential partnerships.
• Build and maintain effective reporting on business development activities and progress
• Work directly with our leadership team (founders + directors) to develop our BD strategy
• Contribute meaningfully to growing & improving the positive culture at Gamebreaking.

Our Responsibilities To You

• Encourage healthy working hours, PTO, and a respect for your time
• Foster an environment of equal opportunity, treatment, and inclusion
• Create a fun and playful environment that remains professional and respectful
• Grow our culture positively and meaningfully through a high level of transparency and thoughtful conversation
• Provide opportunities for you to learn and grow

Potential Roles and Growth Paths (Choose One)

• Business Development Director — Hire, manage, and mentor a small group of Business developers.
• Head of Business Development — Hire, manage, and mentor a small group of Business developers.
• DIY — A small company means big opportunities if you\'re willing to forge your path, and we\'re here to support you!

Location & Work From Home

While Gamebreaking Studios as a whole is a fully remote, work-from-home environment, this position is only available to those living and working in the Greater San Francisco Bay area. Day-to-day, you will be working from home, but our leadership team believes deeply in events and in-person relationship building and is specifically looking for coverage in this region. As such, you will be expected to be able to regularly attend smaller functions in and around the Bay Area on short notice without incurring flight expenses.

Compensation

Greater San Francisco Bay Area (only)

Base Salary - $100k - $130k / year

Target Compensation - $140k - $180k / year (includes incentive-based compensation)

About Gamebreaking

Gamebreaking Studios is a young, growing, LA-based company founded by technology leaders from around games, entertainment, and software. We found early success providing work-for-hire to other studios and now build everything from end-to-end games to online game platforms to individual feature integrations. We also develop our own games with 3rd-party IP alongside other projects.

Our mission: We aspire to make games and media so fun that it improves people\'s relationships and behaviors. That is to say, while we are not a "serious games" company, we believe that making fun-first games enables us to have a positive impact. We believe deeply in our core values and hope to find people who share them:

• Take Responsibility
• Raise The Tide, Not One Boat
• Ambitious Goals, Disciplined Execution
• Design For People, Own Your Craft
• We Play Together