Indie Game Vendor & External Development Manager

Balor Games; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Balor Games is seeking an External Development & Vendor Manager to own vendor and partner relationships that support Localization, Porting/Co-Development, and QA. You will manage Balor Games' network of external partners; negotiate rates and contract terms, book Statements of Work (SOWs) and quotes against Producer requests, and ensure every engagement is scoped, priced, within budget and delivered on time.

You'll work cross-functionally with Production, Finance/Accounting, and Marketing.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in vendor/partner management, publishing operations, production, or business affairs within the video game industry.

Responsibilities

• Manage Balor Games’ network of external Localization vendors (in-game text and store page localization).
• Porting/Co-Development partners for first-party platforms (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Google, Apple, and others).
• QA vendors (FQA, CQA, LQA, etc.), and other publishing services partners.
• Source, vet, and onboard new vendors to expand Balor Games’ roster of trusted partners.
• Negotiate rates, terms, and contract language with vendors and partners, in partnership with Business & Legal.
• Draft, and review Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), and quotes for vendor engagements.
• Field requests from Producers for localization, porting/co-dev, and QA needs; scope requirements and book SOWs/quotes against those requests.
• Track and manage vendor budgets, purchase orders, and invoicing; flag variances against approved budgets.
• Maintain a current view of vendor capacity, specialties, rate cards, and performance history to recommend the right partner for each project.
• Monitor vendor quality and delivery performance, managing issue escalation and resolution alongside Producers and QA leads, and continually evaluate partnership effectiveness to ensure optimal collaboration and the highest quality outcomes.
• Coordinate with Producers to align Porting/Co-Dev partner requirements with platform-specific submission and certification needs.
• Track contract renewals, amendments, and expirations across the active vendor portfolio.
• Build and maintain documentation, templates, and tools that streamline vendor onboarding, contracting, and engagement tracking.

Skills

Vendor management

Negotiation

Contract management

Project management

Localization

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

Job description

Balor Games is seeking an External Development & Vendor Manager to own vendor and partner relationships that support Localization, Porting/Co-Development, and QA. You will manage Balor Games' network of external partners; negotiate rates and contract terms, book Statements of Work (SOWs) and quotes against Producer requests, and ensure every engagement is scoped, priced, within budget and delivered on time.

You'll work cross-functionally with Production, Finance/Accounting, and Marketing.