Senior Producer

Overview

Nex is looking for a Senior Producer, External Japan to drive our externally developed game projects on Nex Playground in the Japanese market. Sitting in the Publishing organization and reporting to the Japan General Manager, this is a pivotal role as we expand beyond our internal development capacity, and a unique opportunity to tap into Japan’s world-class game development ecosystem and its rich landscape of iconic IP.

You will own the external product pipeline from ideation through launch and sustain phases, working with a wide range of Japanese game developers, from major studios to mid-size and boutique teams, as well as leading IP holders spanning anime, manga, character, and entertainment franchises, to bring bar-raising experiences to Nex Playground.

The Senior Producer, External Japan will partner closely with internal game development teams, QA, BD, Legal, and the Japan GTM team, while collaborating with the US Publishing organization to ensure Japan’s external content pipeline is aligned with the global roadmap and platform standards.

The Role

Your core focus is managing Japan’s external game development pipeline end-to-end, from identifying and onboarding the right developer and IP partners, through green light, production, launch, and live operations. That includes:

• Owning the full production pipeline for externally developed experiences in Japan, from developer pitch and selection through GTM and sustain.
• Building and managing relationships with Japan-based game developers of all scales, from major studios to mid-size and boutique teams, as second-party development partners.
• Negotiating and managing partnerships with Japanese IP holders, including anime, manga, character, and entertainment licensors.
• Serving as the primary Japan-side partner to the US Publishing team, ensuring Japan’s external content pipeline is integrated into the global roadmap.
• Reporting to the Japan General Manager and representing Japan’s external development strategy in global publishing forums.

What You’ll Do

• Game Quality & Creative Direction
• Develop a deep, inside-out understanding of each externally developed title, its gameplay systems, creative vision, target audience, and quality bar, so that all feedback and decisions are grounded in a clear view of what the game needs to be.
• Set the destination clearly for each project, defining the quality bar and creative vision, while leaving how to get there to the developer and their Director. The Producer’s role is to bring out the best in the development team, not to do their job for them.
• Conduct regular, structured playthroughs and build reviews throughout the development cycle, providing sharp, meaningful, and timely feedback through questions and commentary that motivate the team and elevate quality without overriding the developer’s creative ownership.
• Continuously assess whether each project is tracking toward the right vision, not just technically complete, but genuinely fun, polished, and right for the Nex Playground audience, and course-correct early when it is not.
• Recognize that a project requiring the Producer to take over creative direction is already in trouble; intervene early through clear communication, targeted feedback, and escalation before a project reaches that point.
• Exercise the Producer’s ultimate authority decisively and with sound judgment when necessary, including recommending a change of Director or, in extreme cases, replacing the Developer entirely. Knowing when and how to make that call, and having the courage and clarity to act on it at the right moment, is one of the most critical responsibilities of this role.
• Budget, Schedule & Green Light Management
• Drive the green light process for each Japan external project, proactively coordinating with BD, Finance, Legal, and US Publishing to gather required inputs, align stakeholders, schedule green light reviews, and secure formal approval to proceed.
• Own the milestone approval process end-to-end: prepare milestone review materials, schedule and facilitate approval meetings with relevant internal stakeholders, manage pre-meeting alignment, and ensure decisions are documented and communicated clearly.
• Manage the full budget for each Japan external development project, tracking costs against approved budgets, processing milestone payments, managing change requests, and flagging financial risks to the Japan GM and Finance team.
• Define, maintain, and enforce project schedules and milestone plans for all Japan external titles, holding developers accountable to agreed timelines and proactively identifying and resolving schedule risks before they become blockers.
• Escalate budget overruns, schedule slippage, or unresolvable quality concerns to the Japan GM and US Publishing team promptly, with clear context and recommended actions.
• External Production Pipeline Management
• Oversee the entire production pipeline for Japan externally developed experiences, including developer pitch and selection, green light, project planning, milestone tracking, and launch readiness.
• Build out production frameworks and implement tracking mechanisms to manage the Japan external pipeline from pre-green light through GTM and sustain phases.
• Foster a collaborative, problem-solving approach with Japan development teams to drive high-quality games and experiences that meet Nex Playground’s bar.
• Work with the internal Development team to support Japan external projects as needed, ensuring smooth integration with Nex Playground’s platform and technical standards.
• Developer Relationships & Onboarding
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard Japan-based game developers across all scales, from major studios and mid-size teams to boutique developers, as Nex Playground external development partners.
• Manage the full developer onboarding process for Japan developers, including documentation, tooling access, Discord channel management, and ongoing developer communications.
• Contribute to an evolving green light process for new Japan development projects, coordinating with BD, Finance, and Legal to conduct thorough developer due diligence and reviews.
• Build long-term, trust-based relationships with Japan’s game development community across all studio sizes and types, positioning Nex Playground as a premier platform partner.
• Represent Nex Playground at Japan game industry events, developer conferences, and networking forums to identify and cultivate new development partnerships.
• Japanese IP Partner Management
• Identify and pursue partnerships with Japanese IP holders across anime, manga, character franchises, and entertainment properties that are a strong fit for Nex Playground’s audience.
• Develop and implement a constructive feedback loop for Japanese IP holders and key internal stakeholders to enhance overall game quality while upholding high standards across gameplay, visuals, branding, and design.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with IP licensors, including approval processes, creative reviews, milestone sign-offs, and compliance with licensor brand guidelines.
• Work closely with BD and Legal to structure and negotiate IP licensing agreements, ensuring commercial terms and usage rights are clearly defined and protected.
• Navigate the nuances of Japanese licensor relationships with cultural sensitivity and professionalism, building mutual trust and long-term partnership value.
• Localization Support & Planning
• Work closely with the Localization Manager to ensure localization is planned, scoped, and resourced from the earliest stages of each Japan external project, not treated as an afterthought.
• Incorporate localization milestones into each project’s master schedule, ensuring string freezes, asset handoffs, translation turnarounds, and localization QA are accounted for and protected throughout the production cycle.
• Monitor localization progress against the schedule, proactively identifying risks or delays and working with the Localization Manager and external developer to resolve blockers before they impact the launch date.
• Facilitate communication between the external developer and the Localization Manager, ensuring developers understand localization requirements, handoff processes, and quality standards from the outset.
• Ensure that localized builds are reviewed and signed off as part of the milestone approval process, and that localization quality is treated as a non-negotiable component of overall game quality.
• Live Operations & Sustain
• Plan and manage for success with Live Operations for Japan external titles, including developing update plans, quality of life improvements, and major content releases.
• Monitor post-launch performance of Japan external titles using data-driven insights to inform live ops decisions and improve KPIs aligned with business goals.
• Coordinate with Japan GTM, QA, and the US Publishing team on content release cadence and sustain strategy for Japan external titles.
• Manage IP licensor approvals for ongoing live content updates, ensuring all new content meets licensor standards and is cleared efficiently.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with:
• Japan General Manager: direct reporting line; external production strategy, green light decisions, and Japan content roadmap
• US Publishing team: align Japan external pipeline with global roadmap, share production frameworks, and coordinate on platform standards
• Japan GTM & Performance Marketing Manager: coordinate on launch readiness, GTM planning, and content marketing for Japan external titles
• Internal Game Development team: technical integration support for Japan external projects
• Localization Manager: support localization planning and execution for Japan external titles, ensuring localization is scoped into the project schedule from the outset, milestones are met, and the final localized product meets Nex Playground’s quality standards
• BD & Legal: developer due diligence, IP licensing negotiations, and contract management
• Finance: budget management, milestone payment processing, and development cost tracking
• Communicate project updates, risks, and timelines clearly and proactively to cross-functional teams and leadership across Japan and US time zones.

What You Bring

• Must-Have
• 6+ years of experience in game production, including full ownership of project budgets, milestone schedules, payment processing, and quality management from green light through launch.
• Proven experience driving green light and milestone approval processes, coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, facilitating approval meetings, managing pre-meeting alignment, and securing sign-off across BD, Finance, Legal, and publishing teams.
• Deep, inside-out knowledge of game development, able to assess the quality and direction of a project at any stage and provide feedback that is sharp, meaningful, and motivating without overriding the developer’s creative ownership.
• Proven ability to set a clear destination for a development team, defining the vision and quality bar, while empowering the developer’s Director to own how to get there.
• Sound judgment and courage to make the hardest calls when necessary, including recommending a change of Director or replacing a Developer who is not delivering, and the experience to know when that moment has come.
• Experience managing relationships with Japan-based game developers across varying studio sizes and types, with a strong understanding of Japan’s game development culture and industry dynamics.
• Experience managing IP partnerships with Japanese licensors (anime, manga, character, or entertainment franchises), including approval processes and creative reviews.
• Strong knowledge of game development disciplines, including engineering, design, art, and QA.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong, trust-based relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Adaptability to change and composure in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• Native or near-native Japanese proficiency (written and verbal) for developer and IP partner relationships; strong English proficiency for collaboration with US Publishing and internal teams.
• Nice-to-Have
• Experience with motion-based, interactive, or family-focused games.
• Passion for kids’ and family entertainment, with an understanding of what resonates with Japanese family and kids’ audiences.
• Existing relationships with Japan-based game developers of any scale, IP licensors, or entertainment companies.
• Experience working in a global publishing organization, bridging Japan-side production with US or international HQ teams.
• Familiarity with live operations frameworks, including update planning, content release cadence, and player retention strategies.
• Experience using data-driven insights to inform production and live ops decisions.
• Background in or strong understanding of Japan’s anime, manga, and character licensing ecosystem.