Regional Content Manager

$72,000 – $100,000 per year (dependent on experience)

Regional Content Managers – Auckland and Christchurch

1x permanent full-time job, 35 hours / week in Auckland

1x flexible permanent part-time (21 hours / week) in Christchurch; we would also consider up to 35 hours / week (full-time) for the right applicant with skills that can be applied more broadly for CODE

$72K - $100K annual salary based on experience (or pro-rata if part-time). We expect work to be carried out Monday to Friday; there may be occasional weekend work around industry events, and time in lieu will be granted if this occurs.

Join the New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) as we expand our team to support the game development community of Aotearoa New Zealand. CODE is an independent, innovative programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to grow a sustainable and diverse digital game development ecosystem.

CODE is an inclusive organisation with a small, diverse team of professionals dedicated to our mission to support and uplift the industry and improve participation rates by underrepresented groups. Our work is built on three pillars – grant funding, industry capability and education / pathways. Although we predominantly work with smaller developers and start-ups, the whole of the industry benefits from our workshops, mentorship and support programmes.

We are looking for two talented people with game development (or adjacent) backgrounds to act as the facilitators, supporters and champions of game developers across two regions:

Upper North Island (servicing Northland, Auckland, The Coromandel, Waikato & Waitomo and Bay of Plenty)

Christchurch and Surrounds (servicing Christchurch, the Canterbury region, Nelson, Blenheim and Upper South Island locations)

We anticipate the former role will most likely be based out of the greater Auckland region, working alongside an existing RCM, and the latter from the greater Christchurch region, but are open to candidates from locations with feasible, cost effective transport links to these centres or who are prepared to re-locate.

The rest of the South Island will continue to be supported directly from our headquarters in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

What you’ll be doing in this role

Closely supported by the Industry Development Manager, you’ll be facilitating and leading our work with a wide variety of game developers – from students to studio heads, from games for entertainment to serious games, from tiny indies to larger studios.

Our ideal candidates will have experience in indie game studio environments, production, business development or management within the game development or adjacent industries. However, we would stress that you will receive a high degree of support from the team in Ōtepoti, and ample opportunity to learn and grow in the role.

Some of the tasks will include:

Working day-to-day with game developers, nurturing their skills, helping them improve their projects and looking after their long-term prospects as independent developers or employees of larger studios.
Coaching and supervising developers as they ready their applications before submission into our grant programmes.
Taking part in CODE’s wider workshop programme, observing how this work impacts studios and their performance and helping refine and improve our capability work.
Identifying the need for early/mid-career mentorship for game developers and facilitating its effective provision.
Connecting with as many game developers within the region as possible, making contacts both through inbound opportunities (externally organised meetups, events, inbound messages) and outbound (studio and city visits, CODE organised events and call-outs).
Advising early-stage studios on their planning, encouraging them to improve on areas of weaknesses and recommending where they need to focus efforts to achieve greater success.
Developing relationships with interested local educational institutions to support curriculum development, and assisting students and graduates to find pathways into the industry.
Identifying opportunities to partner with other organisations to further CODE’s goal of accelerating the growth of a sustainable, more equitable game development ecosystem in Aotearoa.

The skills and knowledge we expect to see includes:

Solid understanding of indie game production or adjacent digital media creation, from early-stage ideation, to project selection, pre-production, production and delivery.
Appreciation of the challenging launch environment for indie developers and a good overview of the platforms, structures and routes to market for the international video game industry.
Basic understanding of target audiences, demographics and market segmentation.
An ability to self-manage your time and priorities while remaining closely plugged into the wider team.
A talent for creating and maintaining effective professional networks.
The ability to manage the expectations of game developers from disparate backgrounds and with wildly varying ability and experience with good grace, tact and diplomacy.
The strength of character to provide difficult advice and endure some tough conversations.
Good organisational skills and the ability to use initiative is critical.
We particularly appreciate good verbal and written communication skills.

These are remote-based roles with flexible working conditions dependent on candidates’ locations and personal situations. We allow work from home if this is best for productivity, or equally we can cover the cost of working from a co-working space or similar – or a mixture of the two.

Equipment will be provided for carrying out the role.

Applications

Although we have a small team, we have a highly diverse existing workforce and inclusive culture. We especially welcome candidates who can bring lived experiences from groups underrepresented in the games industry of Aotearoa, especially Māori, Pasifika, women and LGBTQIA+ community members.

CODE is committed to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and our work within the game development ecosystem of Aotearoa will always reflect this. Kaupapa CODE is as integral to CODE as the Treaty is to Aotearoa.

The role will suit someone who wants to grow and explore new possibilities with the organisation, someone who is motivated to see the success in those they nurture and support rather than stand in the limelight themselves.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly fulfilling job that will include opportunities to experience the game industry internationally as we expand our offerings and address opportunities for the industry to network overseas.

CODE offers a flexible work environment that is designed for an appropriate work/life balance. Given our team are also professional cheerleaders of the game development industry in Aotearoa, we have an internal environment which is highly supportive and will assist you to grow personally and professionally.

The flexible working hours / locations are subject to common sense and regular team assessment. Staff will be expected to collaborate sensibly regarding overlapping of work hours with their fellow team members and external agencies even if located in different cities, to ensure the organisation functions effectively.

Attitude and fit with our team and goals are more important to us than strict adherence to the skills and experience above, so you if do not tick every box, but can demonstrate to us how you can shine in this role, please don’t hesitate to apply.

If this sounds like it is for you, please send us a cover letter explaining why you’re a good fit for either of these roles and resume to [email protected]