Senior Producer / Group Leader

Description

At the Virtual Heroes Division of Applied Research Associates, our goal is to improve our nation’s safety, security, and way of life. Join us!

The Virtual Heroes Division’s Raleigh, North Carolina office is looking for a dedicated, hard-working professional to be a Senior Producer / Group Leader. The individual will coordinate and direct internal and external developers on multiple simultaneous serious games, training, and simulation products, from initial design through final delivery. The individual will manage multiple projects and supervise professional and technical personnel. Leadership in growth of the team is essential, from performing business development outreach to new customers along with leadership of proposal production in pursuit of new opportunities.

Why Work For Us?

• The opportunity to make a real impact. Everyone who works here is important, from new faces to those who have worked here since the beginning. Your contribution matters—you won’t be just a number!
• Flexible, reasonable hours. We encourage all employees to have a good work/life balance. We do not believe in burning you out! We invest in our people and want you to be happy with us for the long-haul
• Competitive salaries and outstanding benefits. We provide generous retirement contributions--one of the best packages in the industry. We also provide generous medical, dental, and vision coverage; company-paid life and long-term disability insurance; and annual performance bonuses based on individual, division, and corporate performance

Senior Producer / Group Leader Responsibilities:

• Manage internal and external projects to a defined budget and schedule to ensure their high quality, on-time delivery, and customer-defined success
• Provide point-of-contact communication directly with customers and external Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Lead business development/outreach/marketing efforts for growth to win new development opportunities
• Manage the proposal-preparation process, understand development costs and pricing roll-up approaches, and coordinate with the pricing department when required
• Direct the full project team on development efforts for multiple software products from concept to final product/program release
• Understand, refine, maintain, and communicate the product vision for all assigned projects
• Identify and resolve conflicts between the customer’s schedule, budget, and design goals
• Proactively track and maintain the master development schedule daily, identifying and fixing interdependencies early before they become problematic
• Perform project management administrative functions: establish/maintain project procedures, facilitate status meetings, produce customer status reports, and distribute project documentation and schedules
• Provide developers with material and technical support as needed
• Identify, contract, and direct individuals or organizations outside the project (e.g., independent contractors, sound, voice, and video production) in creating assets
• Foster positive working relationships and teamwork within the development teams with an emphasis on communication
• Manage the production timesheet system in accordance with US government DCAA standards
• Train and supervise personnel as needed
• Maintain all phases of the program budget from proposal through contract close-out
• Prepare staffing plans, including a skill and labor mix, to support contract operations
• Recruit, interview, and hire staff

Senior Producer / Group Leader Requirements:

• Candidates selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information
• BS / BA in relevant discipline, plus 10-12 years’ related experience. (*Or* MS / MA or higher in relevant discipline, plus 7-9 years’ related experience.)  
• Minimum of 5 to 7 years production experience with three or more complete development cycles in a project management role
• Self-directed, detail-oriented, problem solver with a strong desire to contribute to a uniquely creative environment
• Ability to multi-task and thrive in a fast-paced team environment
• Ability to create cost breakdowns for projects including labor, overheads, fees, etc
• Ability to create, track and maintain comprehensive project schedules
• Exceptional communication, business development, presentation, and management skills
• Skilled at distributing information and maintaining communication among many groups
• Excel as a team player and strive to maximize team/department performance and growth

Senior Producer / Group Leader Preference to applicants with one or more of the following:

• Strong technical background
• Experience with video game production on multiple platforms
• Expert knowledge of hardware and software game industry trends
• Additional experience with managing art production
• Mastery of MS Project and Excel
• PMP Certification
• Instructional design experience
• Scrum Certification

Company Information:

At Virtual Heroes we create immersive, 3D interactive learning solutions and high-fidelity synthetic virtual environments. As a division of Applied Research Associates (ARA), we work with scientists and engineers of many disciplines and diverse backgrounds to enhance the creativity and innovation of the mission-critical solutions we provide to our customers.

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems. Founded in Albuquerque, NM in 1979, ARA currently employs over 1500 professionals and is rapidly growing. Our culture supports our exceptional staff of valued employees and encourages professional growth through continued higher education, participation and publication at technical conferences, and membership in professional organizations. As an ARA employee you are encouraged to generate new ideas and bring those ideas to life. ARA offers competitive salaries and outstanding benefits including stock ownership, medical and dental coverage, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, a 401(k) profit-sharing plan, and annual bonuses. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at http://careers.ara.com.