Studio Manager

About us
We're Dinosaur Polo Club, an award-winning video game studio of thirty lovely people making games in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

At Dinosaur Polo Club we value a healthy work-life balance where our Dinos can flourish both inside and outside of the studio. We have a creative team, opportunities for growth, and a wholesome, supportive studio environment.

We value diversity and believe that our team should be as varied and wonderful as the people who play our games all around the world. Differences such as disabilities, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity and any other aspects of various cultures and identities are important perspectives that contribute to an inclusive, well-rounded, and engaging work environment. We know we’re creating better games when we have varied perspectives and experiences contributing to them. Women, LGBTQ+ community, Māori and Pasifika – we want to hear from you!

About the opportunity:
We are seeking an energetic and organised person to take on the role of Studio Manager for our thriving gaming studio. As the Studio Manager, you will play a pivotal operational role in keeping our Dinos thriving.

What you’ll do in this role:

• Studio administration
• Initiate and run people experience initiatives
• Manage our exceptionally beautiful office space that overlooks the harbour
• Work with our People Experience Coach to support onboarding of new Dinos and other people related tasks
• Managing our recruitment process either internally or through our recruitment agency
• Help our Dinos plan activities that are core to our studio culture, from workshops to shared lunches to crew outings
• Organising conference travel, training and development initiatives
• Developing and fostering relationships with other game development studios
• Engagement with the wider game development community.

(These responsibilities reflect the broad role a Studio Manager plays in the success of our studio. Adjustments to these responsibilities may be required based on the specific needs and focus areas of the studio as well as the strengths and interests of the successful applicant).

The skills and experience we're looking for:

• Someone who thrives on working autonomously as part of a team, can self-direct and manage their own time.
• Excellent communication ability, with a knack for connecting with a diverse group of people.
• Outstanding organisational skills, someone who is known for following through and getting things done.
• Understanding of office operations, ideally with office management experience - however this can come via a variety of roles and titles.
• Comfortable with G-Suite and popular office SaaS tools.
• People might describe you as: community focused, having a growth mindset, team focused, grassroots, approachable, patient.

Your skills may also include:

• People and Culture, particularly in tech, creative industries or game development.
• Managing budgets and finances.
• Event planning.
• Executive assistant or small business operations experience.

What we can offer you:

• A lovely bunch of skilled and enthusiastic team members for you to work alongside.
• Generous training allowance for things such as conferences, workshops, online courses and selfdirected learning.
• Dedicated training days.
• A four day work week - no Mondays!
• Support structure including regular one-on-ones.
• Team activities such as a pot-luck lunch, movie nights at the studio, holiday functions and more.
• Healthy snacks, yummy treats, and close proximity to some of Wellington’s best eateries! Plus an impressive array of locally made tea and coffee.
• Quarterly personal discretionary wellness allowance.
• Quarterly bonuses based on studio performance.
• Monthly workplace massages.
• Flexible workplace with core hours and optional work-from-home days.

Keen to apply?
If this strikes you as an exciting opportunity, click the button below and submit a CV and a cover letter outlining why you feel this would be the role for you.

Or if you would like more information contact Jamie (she / her) on [email protected].

This position is permanent, full-time and on-site in beautiful Wellington, New Zealand so you’ll either be living in Wellington or be willing to relocate. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

In order to keep the process as smooth as possible we’ll be booking in interviews as we receive applications, rather than after the closing date. It is possible that we’ll be in a position to make an offer to a successful candidate before the closing date.

If there is anything we can do to allow for easier participation in the interview process, please let us know. 

Applications close Friday 24th May at 5PM