VP/Head of Technology, Candy Crush Soda Saga

Purpose
To build a world-class technology organisation inside Candy Crush Soda Saga
To help create, communicate and implement Soda’s technology strategy
To contribute technical expertise and perspectives to the Soda Core Leadership Team and beyond.
To partner closely with the Head of Product and Head of Creative to set the direction of Soda, build an organisation that can deliver on it,
To help to turn Soda into a growing game developed by a healthy and high-performing team.



Main responsibilities
Partner with the Head of Product on how best to develop and execute on the product strategy - this should be a close collaboration between the Head of Product, Head of Tech and Head of Creative, with the Head of Product ultimately accountable
Align technical direction across all technical crafts with the product strategy
Build a technology org and a technology strategy (for both engineering and QA) that helps to deliver Soda’s product strategy
Coach, challenge and develop Soda’s technology leaders
Identify, prioritise, and execute on improvements in the major areas of opportunity and challenge in the Soda and King technology stack and technology orgs
Help to figure out how Soda can increase the speed and quality of what we deliver to players
Define ways of working within the central tech teams in Soda, and in how your team collaborates with the Shared Tech team, that drive operational and development excellence
Build productive working relationships with your key partners
Set Soda priorities and allocations for King shared capabilities, such as Shared Tech
Develop a creative, productive, collaborative and psychologically safe environment
Make significant contributions to the overall direction and success of Soda as part of the Soda Core Leadership Team
Represent Soda’s technology team and plans in discussions with the King and Activision Blizzard senior leadership team, especially with the King CTO
Act as a role model for the King values and leadership behaviors



What you will be accountable for
Together with the Head of Product and the Head of Creative, the Head of Tech is accountable for:
Speed: Increasing Soda’s speed to market
Quality: Increasing the quality of (1) the Soda player experience, and (2) the experience of technologists working in Soda
Growth: Growing Soda net revenue, audience reach, product quality, and team health in line with Soda’s annual goals



The Head of Tech is solely accountable for:
Soda’s technical performance
Soda’s tech strategy
Alignment and consistency among technical leaders across Soda
Guidelines and principles for technical work in Soda
Soda’s contributions to the strategies and operations of Shared Tech



Valuable skills and experience
Track record of executive-level technical and strategic leadership
Experience leading large technology organisations that are intertwined with Product
Strong technical background – early career in Engineering / Development
Clear communication in all contexts and forms
Comfortable and conversant in product metrics and strategy
Able to attract and retain great talent
Experience in mobile free-to-play games



About King
King is the game developer behind the world- famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as mobile game hits including Farm Heroes, Bubble Witch and Pet Rescue. Candy Crush is the top- grossing franchise in US app stores, a position it has held for the last two years, and King’s games are being played by 245 million monthly active users as of Q3 2021. King, which is part of the Activision Blizzard group since its acquisition in 2016, employs nearly 2,000 people in game studios in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona and Berlin, and offices in San Francisco, New York, and Malta.


A Great Saga Needs All Sorts of Heroes
Making games is fun. Especially when you do it with people who share the same idea of what makes a good workplace great. We design games for everyone, no matter where they are or who they are, and we employ all sorts of people from all kinds of backgrounds to bring them to life. Truth is, we simply cannot expect diversity in our players and originality in our games without first nurturing it in our people. A great saga needs all sorts of heroes.


Making the World Playful
Making the World Playful is what inspires us to create new experiences and raise the bar. It’s what makes King a place where we can all dream bigger, continue to add innovation to our games, broadening the portfolio and exploring new territories in mid- core and casual. We take the art and science of gaming to the next level through our curiosity for the unexplored, passion for games, respect for each other and love for our players - and we’re not afraid to have fun along the way. In fact, together with our parent company Activision Blizzard and experts around the world, we believe having fun is good for you. There has never been a better time to join us. We're dreaming bigger and see a world of possibilities ahead. If you share our passion, our values, and our hunger to shape the future, join us in Making the World Playful!