Associate Manager, Release Management

Team Name
Job Title:

Associate Manager, Release Management

Requisition ID
R026223

Job Description
At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes, including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we've been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We're on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration, and polish go into the Blizzard "secret recipe," but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision.

The concept of "Blizzard polish," that is, the infinite care and loving detail put into every aspect of our games, is something we take seriously and pride ourselves on delivering to our players. It's a responsibility shared across the company – and its undisputed heart and soul is Blizzard QA. Blizzard QA is a close-knit team; we care about iteration, problem-solving, and succeeding as a group. We genuinely love what we do for a living and expect the same from everyone who joins us

This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio locations are in Albany, NY, and Irvine, CA.

Job Summary
The Associate Manager, Release Management helps manage a team that will collaborate with internal and external partners to set up bundles, promotions, and events, ensuring the timely delivery of all necessary assets. Responsibilities will include preparing and submitting builds, downloadable content, and metadata to first parties and proactively addressing any issues that may arise during the approval process.

Additionally, they will configure and release products and updates, execute quality control checks, and provide development teams with expert technical guidance and platform support. They understand and help oversee submission activities and participate in or lead product development meetings. They have mastered the fundamental submission process, collaborating with stakeholders to meet objectives. Additionally, they play a key role in developing their team, championing best practices, and driving long-term vision for quality assurance.

What You Bring To The Table

• Lead a team for submissions, ensuring the quality of all deliverables, workflows, and relationships
• Support in leading the configuration and release of products and updates to development and live environments for first-party submissions and releases, collaborating with internal and external partners
• Ensure the team prepares and submits bundles, promotions, events, downloadable content, metadata, and other submission activities to first parties
• Execute and document quality control checks for submissions and releases
• Process, verify, and deliver builds to quality assurance teams across all supported platforms
• Keep stakeholders informed on all first-party policies and process changes
• Maintain an archive of all final assets and supplemental materials submitted to first parties
• Host test closure activities, such as testware evaluation, knowledge transfer, and retrospectives
• Create, monitor, and control metrics impacting product and team quality, analyzing product quality and usability, associated system limitations, and reporting on risk
• Lead and support projects and initiatives with regional teams, cross-functional partners, and QA teams
• Provide leadership, support and guidance to the assigned team, ensuring their performance is managed effectively and fostering a productive, positive, collaborative work culture
• Champion efforts that build synergy, trust, collaboration, and inclusivity within the organization. Own and manage relationships with key partners, resources, colleagues, and leaders ensuring transparency around critical decisions and trade-offs
• Performs other duties as assigned

Experience
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 6 years Quality Assurance, first party submission experience or a similar role
• Minimum 2 years of experience leading teams or projects via direct or indirect leadership

Knowledge & Skills

• High School diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor's Degree in a related field preferred
• Ability to maintain scripts to automate manual repetitive tasks
• Strong knowledge of all first party submission tools and platforms
• Thorough understanding of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), specifically QA processes in agile and waterfall development environments
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret data/workflows, recognize critical issues, and raise concerns.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, planning, organization, and time management skills.

Extra Points

• Technical requirements testing experience (TRC, XR, App Store Review Guidelines, etc.)
• Certifications: PMP, Scrum Master and/or Product Owner, ISTQB
• Scripting or software tool creation experience. White box testing experience
• Coding Knowledge: XML / HTML, JavaScript, Python, Java, C / C++ / C#, SQL
• High level of gaming knowledge and/or skill
• Passion for Blizzard's line of products and services

Your Platform
Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry's most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via , Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World
Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.
We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards
Requirements
We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $80, $149,400.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role's range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.