Director, Blizzard HR Strategy & Business Operations | Irvine, CA (Hybrid)

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Job Title: Director, Blizzard HR Strategy & Business Operations

Reports To: Blizzard Chief People Officer

Location: Irvine, CA (Hybrid)

Your Mission

This role is anticipated to be assigned as a hybrid work model position, with some work on-site at an Activision Blizzard office and some work remote As Blizzard Entertainment’s Head of HR Strategy & Business Operations, you will serve as the Business Lead (i.e., Chief of Staff) for the Blizzard Chief People Officer. This is a highly visible role working with the Blizzard President, Blizzard HR Leadership Team, and the Activision Blizzard (ABK) HR Leadership Team to achieve Blizzard’s business objectives through planning, change management and operational excellence. They also improve HR organization effectiveness by leading the “rhythm of the business,” managing key HR metrics/KPIs, and driving a critical portfolio of cross-functional pivotal initiatives.

The Blizzard Chief People Officer served as Chief of Staff/Business Lead to four Chief Human Resources Officers prior to becoming Blizzard Chief People Officer. He believes strongly in the potential for this role to have highly visible impact and lead to other senior HR leadership roles. This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities – all in very close partnership with the Blizzard Chief People Officer:

• Manage the Blizzard people strategy and metrics, and work across Blizzard and ABK HR to achieve results: Build and communicate a strong strategic plan and story to support Blizzard’s RAID (Retain, Add, Include, Develop) people strategy, track related critical initiatives and metrics, and ensure regular alignment and progress to achieve the plan.

• Lead and participate in several critical initiatives, with a focus on change management and operational excellence: Drive responsible change across Blizzard to improve Blizzard performance, culture and the employee experience. Ensure strong alignment and governance for initiatives that have the most impact on Blizzard’s people strategy. Partner with others to draft and prepare people-related communications from the Blizzard Chief People Officer and (occasionally) Blizzard President.

• Improve Blizzard HR efficiency and effectiveness: Develop and implement plans to improve how Blizzard HR operates. This includes (but is not limited to) optimizing Blizzard policies and processes, leading HR knowledge management and accessibility, and ensuring strong communication to partners.

• Optimize Blizzard-specific HR policies and processes: In partnership with ABK HR colleagues, improve the efficiency and effectiveness Blizzard-specific HR policies and processes, including

• Facilitate the agenda of the Blizzard Chief People Officer and HR Leadership Team: Ensure highly impactful meetings of senior leaders across Blizzard and ABK. Build executive-level presentation materials to tell compelling narratives that drive decision-making and action. Drive follow-up actions to completion and at high quality.

• Run the “Rhythm of the Business” for Blizzard HR: Ensure relevant Blizzard HR data and information is provided to ABK and Blizzard leaders as requested. Maintain HR budget and headcount as prescribed by our Annual Operating Plan.

• Improve Blizzard HR engagement: Ensure timely and relevant communications across Blizzard HR, including ABK HR partners where relevant. Partner with the Blizzard HR Leadership Team to make the HR organization an even better place to work.

• Join the Blizzard Chief People Officer in several initiatives and meetings; represent the CPO and HR function when needed. Take on a large variety of tasks from the Chief People Officer as needed.

Player Profile

The successful candidate is a strategic leader with proven results leading large programs/projects and helping senior executives facilitate change. They must possess unquestionable character and absolute integrity. They will also possess exceptional attention to detail, strong initiative and critical thinking skills while serving as a hands-on leader and collaborator. The successful candidate is just as comfortable collaborating with others as they are with “figuring things out” in a fast-paced, highly complex and ambiguous environment.

Essential criteria

• 7+ years of experience in human resources, corporate strategy and/or management consulting
• Exceptional trustworthiness and integrity with a successful history of managing extremely confidential data, information and programs
• Demonstrated success leading – from inception through to completion – impactful change programs within very large, complex and fast-paced companies
• Deep understanding of business and/or HR strategy as demonstrated through strong cases with highly visual and data-driven presentation materials
• Measurable results using change management and project management frameworks
• Highly experienced in business analytics, including the ability to build and maintain metric dashboards that lead to practical insights
• Expert ability to facilitate executive-level discussions and decisions
• Solid understanding of modern HR operating models (i.e., HR Business Partners, Centers of Expertise, Shared Services) in highly complex organizations
• Ability to prioritize several competing demands while still achieving objectives
• A high sense of urgency and bias for action, while always achieving results the right way
• Expert-level user of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills; achieves results more through influence than authority

Education

Undergraduate degree required. Relevant graduate degree preferred.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Accommodation Request: We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

Our World

At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .