Company Description

Smoking Gun Interactive, a Keywords Studio, is an industry-leading game development studio founded in 2007 by award-winning industry veterans. SGI is fearless in creating IP and boldly partners with renowned brands to develop a wide range of world-class, immersive titles and interactive experiences that resonate with strategy gamers worldwide and entertain millions of casual players every day.

Job Overview

As the Head of Operations, you will play a critical leadership role in managing the day-to-day operations of the studio. You will work closely with the executive team and department heads to ensure effective project execution, resource planning, budgeting, and overall organizational efficiency. Your mission is to enable our creative talent to focus on building great games.

This is a permanent full-time position based in our Downtown Vancouver office. Candidates must be currently located or willing relocate to the Greater Vancouver Area with the expectation to be able to come into the office as needed and eligible to work in Canada.

Benefits

• 15 days vacation leave
• 5 paid days personal leave
• 7 paid sick days
• 5 paid parental leave days
• Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Extended Healthcare Benefit
• Dental Care
• RRSP matching
• Training & Development

Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000 CAD

Smoking Gun Interactive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.

Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice at https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice.

Experience & Requirements

In this role, you will:

• Lead the day-to-day business operations of the studio, ensuring alignment across departments.
• Define, implement, and oversee studio-wide operational strategies and processes.
• Lead business planning, forecasting, and strategic goal-setting alongside the executive team.
• Evaluate and improve existing workflows and production pipelines.
• Identify and mitigate risks across development teams
• Drive continuous improvement of workflows, tools, and internal processes.
• Represent the studio in external business relationships, including publishing partners, vendors, and clients
• Partner with the Studio head to sell the companies services at conferences
• Identify business opportunities, potential partnerships, or funding sources.
• Drive contract negotiation and terms with support from the Studio Head
• Participate with studio leadership on product vision and viability
• Collaborate with producers and department leads to allocate resources efficiently across multiple projects.
• Support Producer(s) and project leads in delivering high-quality games on time and on budget.
• Monitor project timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure they meet operational and financial goals.
• Partner with IT and HR departments on operational needs.
• Support talent management initiatives: recruitment, onboarding, retention, and performance management.
• Drive continuous improvement of performance management process.
• Promote a healthy and inclusive studio culture that aligns with the company’s values.
• Maintain studio documentation, internal communications, and company handbooks or policies.
• Own office management, including lease coordination, safety protocols, supplies, and facilities.
• Develop and manage operating budgets in coordination with Finance and the executive team.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and process improvements.
• Be a back-up for the studio head in P&L discussions
• Work with legal counsel to manage contracts, vendor relationships, and compliance requirements.
• Oversee studio policies to ensure legal and regulatory compliance, including data protection and employment laws.
• Work with IT and the Tech Director to:
• Oversee studio infrastructure, including software tools, hardware procurement, and remote work systems.
• Ensure systems are secure, scalable, and support team productivity.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• 7+ years of operations leadership experience, ideally in a creative or tech-driven industry.
• 3+ years in a senior leadership role within a game studio
• Exceptional presentation skills
• Strong understanding of game development lifecycles, production workflows, and cross-discipline collaboration.
• Proven track record of managing budgets, teams, and complex organizational systems.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Supported teams in taking games all the way from initial concept to live operations.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks.
• A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed – demonstrated ability to work independently.
• A positive attitude and a great team-player.