Head of Gaming

Base pay range

This range is provided by Make-A-Wish® UK. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Overview

Are you ready to turn the power of play into life-changing impact? This is a rare and exciting opportunity to shape something truly special at Make-A-Wish UK. As our Head of Gaming, you’ll lead a bold and ambitious strategy to unite the gaming community, creators, studios, players and partners in granting unforgettable wishes for children living with critical conditions. With board-level support and a clear vision to generate £1m annual income within three years, you’ll be at the forefront of innovation, storytelling and purpose driven partnerships.

If you’re a strategic leader from the gaming, charity or social impact sector, with a passion for gaming and a heart for impact, this is your chance to build a legacy that transforms lives through play.

Core Purpose

As a visionary leader, the Head of Gaming is responsible for shaping and scaling our gaming strategy, unlocking £1m annual income within 3 years. The role drives innovation, forges strategic partnerships and aligns gaming initiatives and the power of play with Make-A-Wish UK’s mission to deliver life-changing impact for critically ill children. Working closely with senior leaders, the Head of Gaming champions cross-functional collaboration, embeds data-driven performance and fosters a culture of creativity and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the overall strategy for gaming aligned with the overarching Make-A-Wish UK organisational goals and market trends.
• Monitor and identify growth opportunities within the gaming sector that are unique to Make-A-Wish UK, including development of strategic partnerships, product diversification to drive sustainable income growth, and market expansion to position Make-A-Wish as the go-to charity for the gaming sector.
• Collaborate with the extended leadership team to execute the gaming strategy and ensuring the journey and development priorities align with our overall Income & Engagement goals and growth targets.
• Establish Objectives, shared KPIs and other performance metrics that drive alignment with common priorities and focus across teams to deliver on growth targets.
• Attend appropriate industry events and conferences to cement Make-A-Wish UK as contender within the UK videogame sector.
• Lead stakeholder management of high-value and high-profile gaming contacts, including senior Make-A-Wish advisors within the gaming industry.

• Lead and motivate the Gaming and Influencer Officer by providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development.
• Promote a creative and collaborative work environment to drive innovative partnerships, creativity and innovation.

• Oversee the entire gaming group wish development lifecycle from concept to launch, ensuring the project is delivered on time and within budget.
• Scale the group wish within the sector and develop commercial opportunities that resonates with the gaming audience.
• Leverage storytelling to engage with gaming influencers within the gaming community.

• Establish and nurture relationships with external partners, including publishers, hardware manufacturers, distributors, and platform holders.
• Identify, negotiate, and maintain relationships with gaming influencers and content creators.
• Collaborate with Brand and Corporate Partnerships to ensure the content and pitch is engaging for partnerships, campaigns and promotions.

• Oversee the planning, execution, and analysis of gaming-related marketing campaigns.
• Ensure that campaigns align with the company\’s objectives and target audience.

• Monitor campaign performance metrics and provide insightful reports to stakeholders.
• Adjust strategies based on performance data to improve engagement and ROI.
• Continuously analyse, refine, and optimise workflows, tools, and processes across gaming to increase lead time to value, reduce blocks, improve resource allocation and enhance productivity.
• Proactively identify and monitor risks that could impact product development timelines, from technical challenges to resource gaps, and proactively develop mitigation strategies.
• Identify and prioritise opportunities for the growth of income, gift in kind and networks in areas of Gaming for Make-A-Wish. This includes collaborating with the corporate partnerships team and relevant internal teams for new Gaming partners and sponsors for MAW.

• Manage the budget for gaming and influencer marketing initiatives, ensuring optimal allocation of resources in line with operational needs.
• Ensure cost-efficiency and return on investment for game projects.

• Support connections to help grant wishes for children with gaming-related wishes by establishing relationships with industry partners, networks and individuals who can help.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 5 years proven experience in gaming, influencer marketing, or a related field, with a strong understanding of the gaming industry.
• Passion for gaming and knowledge of trends, platforms, and community engagement practices.
• Proficiency in analysing data to assess performance, determine strategies, and make informed decisions.
• Experience with social media platforms, content creation tools, and gaming comms software.
• Experience in leading and inspiring creative teams while managing projects and resources.
• Strong understanding of digital marketing strategies, social media platforms, and analytics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with diverse teams and partners.
• Ability to develop and execute a long-term vision and strategy in gaming and influencer marketing.
• Strong relationship-building skills to connect with influencers, gaming communities, and industry partners.
• In-depth knowledge of current trends in the gaming industry, including emerging technologies and popular games.
• Understanding of influencer dynamics, audience engagement strategies, and campaign management.
• Familiarity with content creation processes, including video production, streaming, and social media management.
• Background in project management and/or team leadership.
• Understanding brand development and how to align marketing efforts with business objectives.
• A personal interest and enthusiasm for gaming trends and communities can enhance authenticity and engagement with stakeholders.
• Flexibility to adapt to rapid changes in the gaming and social media landscape is important.
• Using technology to support planning and prioritisation such as project management tools, including the ability to use MS Office tools such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel to support delivery of work.
• Experience in working on global campaigns.
• Experience working at a game developer/publisher, platform or hardware manufacturer.
• Experience working with NGOs.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Design and Strategy/Planning

Industries

• Non-profit Organizations