Position Overview
Zynga's External Development (ExDev) team is the centralized hub that manages outsourced game development and services across Zynga's global portfolio. The ExDev Producer is the primary operational engine of this team — managing outsourcing pipelines, vendor relationships, contracts, and budgets to ensure that studios get the external support they need, on time and on budget.
You are an organized, polished communicator who thrives when juggling multiple simultaneous assignments. You are a proactive self-starter who works independently to manage project plans and schedules, and who takes ownership and accountability for the delivery of key outsourcing workstreams at high quality. You have the business acumen to negotiate with vendors, the financial literacy to manage budgets, and the interpersonal skills to align internal and external stakeholders at every level.
Working in ExDev means operating at the intersection of production, finance, legal, and creative. You'll partner with game studios across Zynga's entire portfolio and work with a global network of service providers. Our team values operational excellence, partner trust, and creative problem-solving in equal measure.
What You'll Do
As an ExDev Producer, your work spans four core domains: Outsourcing Pipeline Management, Vendor Relations, Financial Management, and Legal & Contracts.
• Outsourcing Pipeline Management
- Support multiple game studios with varying needs, geographic locations, and vendor rosters simultaneously (typically 5–8 active projects)
- Manage and contribute to outsourcing schedules, ensuring alignment between studios and service providers
- Break down project phases and communicate time/cost estimates; track progress and identify roadblocks to determine schedule risk
- Analyze situations to identify risks and roadblocks and mitigate / problem-solve around them at the project level
- Ensure alignment within projects; send project status reports, run meetings, and maintain meeting agendas
- Evaluate new vendor candidates against Zynga business standards
- Work collaboratively with central departments: Legal, Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, and IT
• Vendor Relations
- Evaluate new vendor candidates against Zynga business standards
- Troubleshoot any studio-vendor misalignments at the project level
- Resolve conflicts at the project level
- Knowledgeably negotiate with vendors at the project level on pricing, rates, and terms
- Maintain ongoing vendor relationships; explore and research new vendors
- Ensure alignment between studios and vendors throughout engagement lifecycle
• Financial Management
- Understand different vendor pricing structures and methodologies
- Evaluate acceptable rates per project status and make recommendations
- Evaluate acceptable payment terms and make recommendations
- Work with studios to forecast a budget and provide a detailed breakdown/justification as well as analysis on rightsizing based on historical actuals and context
- Draft contracts, manage purchase orders (POs), and approve invoices for ongoing projects
- Track and report budget spend; provide budget analysis and forecasting support to the Executive Producer and team
• Legal & Contracts
- Draft and review vendor contracts and statements of work (SOWs)
- Recognize legal and business risks in individual contract terms and communicate those risks clearly to Legal, studios, and vendors
- Understand the different types of contingent workers and constraints around each engagement type
- Raise employment risks to studios and employment counsel based on analysis of the engagement structure
• Communication & Reporting
- Ensure alignment within projects; send timely, accurate project reports
- Run meetings effectively; own the communication flow outward to studios and vendors
- Identify dependencies and create project plans
- Understands and articulates the rationale behind outsourcing roadmap items relevant to each studio engagement
• People & Culture
- Support and provide learning opportunities for Associate Producers
- Facilitate team communication and connections across a distributed team
- Identify risks to team culture and morale and propose solutions; actively seek input on team health
- Actively build and demonstrate core leadership soft skills: trust, advocacy, empathy, high EQ, and transparent communication
What You Bring
We are looking for a candidate who blends strong production fundamentals with the specific skills that make ExDev unique: vendor savvy, financial literacy, and the ability to build trust across a highly distributed, cross-functional ecosystem.
• Experience
- 3–5 years of production or project management experience in the game industry or a related creative/tech field
- Outsourcing or external development experience strongly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to work independently to manage project plans, schedules, and key deliverables at high quality
- Familiarity with the full game development lifecycle is a plus
• Outsourcing & Pipeline Management
- Proven ability to support multiple studios with different needs, geographies, and vendor portfolios simultaneously
- Experience building and managing production schedules; comfortable identifying and mitigating schedule risk
- Able to negotiate systems and administrative processes for working with external service providers
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional central teams: Legal, Finance, Procurement, AP, IT
• Vendor & Partner Management
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate new vendor candidates and maintain ongoing vendor relationships
- Comfortable knowledgeably negotiating vendor rates, pricing structures, and contract terms at the project level
- Experience troubleshooting studio-vendor misalignments and resolving conflicts constructively
• Financial Acumen
- Solid understanding of vendor pricing structures and methodologies (fixed fee, T&M, milestone-based, etc.)
- Able to evaluate acceptable rates and payment terms; experience building and justifying budget forecasts
- Proficient in MS Excel or Google Sheets for tracking spend, variance analysis, and budget reporting
- Experience drafting POs and approving invoices in a timely manner
• Legal & Contracts
- Able to draft and review vendor contracts and SOWs
- Can recognize legal/business risks in contract terms and communicate clearly to Legal, studios, and vendors
- Understanding of contingent worker classifications and associated engagement constraints
• Communication & Collaboration
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to adapt style for creative, technical, and business audiences
- Experienced working with highly distributed, cross-functional teams across time zones
- Strong relationship-builder with both internal studio partners and external vendors
- Confident running meetings, managing agendas, and owning follow-through on action items
• Tools & Technical Skills
- Proficiency in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and MS Office, especially Excel
- Experience with project tracking tools (Jira, Smartsheet, Asana, or similar)
- Comfortable navigating contract management, procurement, and AP systems (e.g., iProc, Ironclad, Coupa, or similar)
• Soft Skills & Work Style
- Highly self-motivated and organized; able to operate with autonomy on pre-defined workflows and project processes
- Forward-looking and proactive: anticipates challenges before they become blockers
- Detail-oriented with a solutions-first mindset
- Positive influence on team culture; adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced environment
- High emotional intelligence; builds trust through transparent and empathetic communication
What We Offer You
The pay range for this position in Ontario at the start of employment is expected to be between $71,400 and $105,660 per Year.
The pay range for this position in Chicago at the start of employment is expected to be between $77,100 and $108,00 per Year.
However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such
as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.
Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.
Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses. Ontario only: The use of Artificial Intelligence is not being used to screen candidates. The position is for an existing vacancy.
