Senior Specialist, Production & Operations | Marketing | Irvine, CA

Team Name: Marketing Job Title: Senior Specialist, Production & Operations | Marketing | Irvine, CA Requisition ID: R027968 Job Description: Your Mission At Blizzard, our games are built by passionate teams working together to create extraordinary experiences for millions of players around the world. We are seeking a Senior Specialist, Production & Operations to help drive operational excellence across development initiatives, business processes, and cross-functional programs. This role is ideal for a highly organized and proactive professional who thrives in fast-paced environments, enjoys solving complex operational challenges, and excels at bringing clarity, structure, and accountability to teams. You will partner with leaders across production, development, publishing, and support functions to improve planning, execution, communication, and operational workflows that enable teams to deliver their best work. This role is a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. Responsibilities Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities: Program & Operational Excellence Support the planning, coordination, and execution of multiple projects and operational initiatives across the organization. Develop and maintain project schedules, milestone tracking, status reporting, and operational dashboards. Identify risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, and resource constraints, driving proactive resolution and escalation when necessary. Establish and continuously improve operational processes, workflows, and documentation. Monitor project health, delivery timelines, and key performance indicators to support informed decision making. Cross-Functional Coordination Partner with Production, Development, HR, Finance, IT, Publishing, and other stakeholders to align priorities and execution plans. Facilitate meetings, reviews, and operational ceremonies to ensure accountability and progress toward objectives. Serve as a central point of coordination across multiple teams and initiatives. Ensure timely communication of project updates, risks, decisions, and action items. Process Improvement & Business Operations Analyze existing operational processes and recommend scalable improvements. Implement tools, reporting mechanisms, and best practices that increase visibility, efficiency, and predictability. Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, collaboration, and operational effectiveness. Support organizational planning, workforce planning, budgeting, vendor coordination, and resource management activities as applicable. Reporting & Analytics Build and maintain operational reporting frameworks and dashboards. Gather, analyze, and present data to leadership teams to support strategic planning and decision making. Develop insights and recommendations based on operational metrics and program performance. Track progress against established goals and business objectives. Minimum Requirements 5+ years of experience in operations, program management, project management, production, business operations, or a related field. Proven experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives from planning through execution. Strong organizational and prioritization skills with exceptional attention to detail. Experience creating project plans, status reports, dashboards, and operational documentation. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment without direct authority. Experience using project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, or equivalent. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint. Preferred Qualifications Experience working in game development, software development, technology, entertainment, or digital media environments. Experience supporting large-scale programs, live operations, or production organizations. Knowledge of Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or other project management methodologies. Experience with workforce planning, resource management, budgeting, or vendor management. Familiarity with Power BI, Tableau, or other reporting and analytics platforms. PMP, Agile, Scrum, Lean, or related certifications. Knowledge & Skills Exceptional organizational and execution capabilities. Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment. Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills. Data-driven mindset with the ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations. Ability to navigate ambiguity while maintaining momentum and focus. Demonstrated initiative, ownership, and accountability. Collaborative approach with a commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. What Success Looks Like Programs and operational initiatives are delivered on time and with high quality. Stakeholders have visibility into priorities, risks, and key milestones. Processes become more scalable, efficient, and predictable. Leadership teams receive accurate and actionable operational insights. Teams spend less time navigating operational friction and more time delivering results. Your Platform Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ( www.blizzard.com ), 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 availab