At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage analytics projects and facilitate data science processes for iconic video games.
- Company: Join 2K, a leader in creating culture-shaping video games like NBA® 2K and BioShock®.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic, global team environment with excellent career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of gaming innovation and make a real impact on game development.
- Qualifications: 4+ years in program management with a focus on data science and analytics.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
At 2K, we create some of the most iconic and culture-shaping video games in entertainment, including NBA® 2K, one of the top-selling franchises in the world, and legendary titles like BioShock®, Borderlands®, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization, and XCOM®, as well as fan favorites WWE® 2K, TopSpin®, and PGA TOUR® 2K. We build unforgettable experiences by pushing the boundaries of creativity, authenticity and innovation across every genre. Our portfolio is brought to life by some of the most influential game development studios in the world.
What We Need
The Program Manager – Game Science & Insights serves as the central operational hub for 2K’s analytics, machine learning, and game intelligence initiatives. Operating as a seasoned professional individual contributor, this role orchestrates workflows, tracks timelines, and ensures seamless execution across the entire analytical project lifecycle. The Program Manager acts as a vital bridge between a distributed team of data scientists and cross-functional business units, providing critical operational visibility and status tracking to leadership to enable strategic decision-making.
What You’ll Do
- Analytics Lifecycle Facilitation: Facilitate the end-to-end data science process from initial concept (including scoping and data requirements verification) through to final deployment and subsequent lifecycle tracking.
- Project Orchestration & Roadmapping: Build and maintain comprehensive project timelines, work-back schedules, and team allocations to guarantee data models and insights milestones are hit on schedule.
- Agile Administration & Workflow Automation: Act as the specialized Jira and Confluence champion for the team. Establish, operate, and optimize centralized tracking systems for technical workflows, documentation, sprint backlogs, and team velocity metrics.
- Risk & Dependency Mitigation: Proactively surface, track, and resolve project dependencies, data pipeline blockers, infrastructure delays, or operational risks. Escalate unresolved issues to appropriate stakeholders to minimize delivery delays.
- Cross-Functional & Team Operations: Manage operational communication and workflows between the Game Science team, internal business units, and the Central Data team. Coordinate special operations, including internal functions, knowledge-sharing workshops, and team offsites across global locations.
- Reporting & Executive Visibility: Prepare and distribute detailed project status updates, progress charts, and milestone reports to ensure the Senior Director and key stakeholders maintain absolute visibility into all analytical phases.
Core Competencies
- Operational Execution: Exceptional capability in handling complex workflows, establishing structure out of ambiguity, and driving multi-stakeholder initiatives forward within a matrix organization.
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Proactive problem-solving mindset suited to managing the unique, iterative, and non-linear R&D nature of data science and advanced analytics environments.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills to interface successfully across highly technical roles (data scientists, engineers) and corporate business stakeholders.
- Communication Excellence: Skill in translating project statuses, data risks, and technical dependencies into concise operational insights for senior leadership review.
What Will Make You A Great Fit
Required Qualifications, Knowledge, and Job-Related Skills
- Experience: 4+ years of dedicated program or project management experience, specifically supporting data science, advanced analytics, or machine learning teams.
- Technical Familiarity: Conceptual understanding of data workflows, machine learning lifecycles, and data engineering pipelines (“Why” and “What”) without requiring direct coding expertise.
- Tool Expertise: Professional-level mastery of Jira and Confluence for managing team backlogs, dependencies, and complex technical roadmaps.
- Education: University degree or equivalent practical experience in project management, business operations, data systems, or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within a global, distributed team architecture spanning multiple time zones (e.g., US and Europe).
- Familiarity with the gaming industry, entertainment industry, or AAA game publishing lifecycles.
Program Manager, Game Science employer: 2K
At 2K, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a vibrant and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to innovate and excel in the gaming industry. With a commitment to professional growth, we offer unique opportunities for collaboration across global teams, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. Join us in creating unforgettable gaming experiences while enjoying a supportive environment that champions creativity and diversity.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Program Manager, Game Science
✨Get Involved in Data Science Meetups
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We think you need these skills to ace Program Manager, Game Science
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Projects:In the world of data science, your projects can speak volumes about your skills. Make sure to showcase a few key projects in your CV or portfolio, especially those that highlight your ability to work with data sets, build models, or use relevant tools like Python, R, or SQL. Don’t forget to include links to any GitHub repositories if applicable!
Quantify Your Achievements:Employers love numbers! When drafting your CV, highlight your achievements with quantifiable results. For instance, mention how your data analysis led to a certain percentage increase in efficiency or revenue at a previous job or project. These details can really make your application pop!
Craft a Tailored Cover Letter:For a full-time role at 2K, your cover letter should reflect your passion for data science and your excitement about the specific projects or values of the company. Dive into why you’re a good fit, how your skills align with their needs, and any unique perspectives you can bring to the team.
Stand Out with Relevant Courses and Certifications:Although experience talks, relevant courses or certifications can be your ticket to impressing hiring managers at 2K. Mention any standout courses you've completed that equipped you with essential skills, such as machine learning certifications or data visualisation courses. This shows your commitment to continuously developing your skills in the field!
How to prepare for a job interview at 2K
✨Brush Up on Your Statistics
For a data science role, we need to seriously sharpen our statistics skills. Get ready to tackle technical questions on probability distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression analysis. These are often the bread and butter of data science interviews, so don't just skim over them!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Prepare a killer portfolio showcasing your data science projects. We should include details about the datasets used, the tools and techniques applied, and the impact of your findings. If we can walk them through a particularly challenging project or a cool visualisation that had real-world implications, it’ll really make us stand out!
✨Get Comfortable with Python and R
Most data science positions require us to be proficient in programming languages like Python and R. We should practice common libraries like pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn, and be ready for live coding exercises or algorithm questions. Showing off our coding chops can really impress the interviewers at 2K!
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect to encounter real-world case studies during the interview. We might be asked how we’d approach a data problem or analyse a dataset to extract insights. It's essential to think out loud and demonstrate our problem-solving process so that the interviewer can see our logical thinking in action.
