Games.com Jobs: Strategy & Strategic Partnerships (NYC)
About Games.com:
Games.com is a high-energy team focused on improving the games space, for our users, developers, advertisers and publishers. Working at Games.com you will find creative people who are passionate about all things games, constantly changing technologies, and having fun.
About the Role:
The NYC-based Strategy & Strategic Partnerships group is responsible for all partnerships including game developers, publishers and advertisers along with leading the strategic direction of the organization with the General Manager.
Every member on this team needs to be willing to commit the time to become extremely connected in the games space and be able to think outside the box in determining new partnership opportunities. These team members should be asked to sit on advisory boards for gaming companies, be some of the most connected people at gaming meetups, be the first call for publishers looking to add a gaming section to their sites, etc. This includes:
Knowing what new games are in development and when they will be released-e.g., there may be a deal to be done in order to have them launch on the Games.com platform
Working with advertisers to put together large, strategic partnerships
Working with publishers to determine game sections or other game sites that Games.com should power or partner with
Work with mobile developers to use the Games.com SDK in development
Work with game developers to get their games on our site
This group is also responsible for understanding the gaming landscape, where changes are coming and how the Games.com Group should react to these coming changes-and help shape these changes. This includes:
Being extremely connected to industry leaders from Nintendo, Xbox, Zynga to private equity firms that are selling units to large corporations that are making investments or changes to their game groups
Understand the projections research firms are making, how those changes would affect the Games.com Group and what our approach is to react
Work with product to determine what large bets we should make based on where this team sees the industry headed
Sit on industry committees to help shape standards
Lastly, it's important for this group to challenge the status quo and determine new ways to bring in revenue. Selling ads on a CPM and CPA basis may not be a long-term solution for games. We need to be working with advertisers hand-in-hand to determine custom partnerships that address their needs. This includes:
Sitting down with large ad clients to understand their key objectives and explaining the games space to them, and how it gets them in front of the right audience in a highly engaged way
Brainstorm the right ways to partner with them, whether it's creating a custom branded-game and powering distribution for it across the web or allowing an advertiser to interact with our users or even completely take over a section
The main point is we want to move into a space of viewing advertisers and agencies as strategic partners rather than just selling ad space
The Strategy & Strategic Partnerships group will be the go-to expert for all external partnerships and strategy. You will be responsible for taking the deal from start to finish (from initial contact through working with the legal team and General Manager to execute). We are looking for a top-notch team of high performers to join this group.
Requirements
The Games.com Strategy & Strategic Partnerships group will have proven their strategy, analytical and operational abilities in the past through working in business development, consulting, banking, finance, strategy or other similar fields. They will have graduated at the top of their class from a leading undergraduate academic institution, and will be able to demonstrate a passion for the gaming, consumer Internet and/or media industries.
Games.com has very high performance standards and everyone is expected to work aggressively to achieve challenging goals. We are looking for self-starters who can work in a rapidly changing industry, tolerate ambiguity, lead through influence and demonstrate problem-solving leadership with limited oversight.
BA/BS degree in engineering, mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, business or other related fields
MBA is a plus but not required
Strong interpersonal skills
Experience in or passion for the consumer internet and media industries
Strong knowledge of and/or passion for the online games space
Proven ability to lead and execute
Distinctive problem solving and analysis skills
Strong ability to adapt, parallel process and operate independently
Fluency in English, additional languages a plus
Experience in financial modeling and interpreting financial statements
Strong analytical skills and experience
Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills
About AOL:
Passionate, curious, creative? Our employees have helped to create popular and engaging online products and destinations that attract over 150 million unique visitors each month globally. As a result, AOL is a leading global web services company with a substantial worldwide audience, a suite of powerful web brands and industry leading products, and one of the largest advertising networks in the United States. We look for people that are exceptionally imaginative, collaborative, and truly psyched about our mission to inform, entertain and connect the world.
