Head of Publishing (Mobile and Browser F2P Games)

About the company

The company is a games publisher that licenses free-to-play mobile and browser games from international studios and brings them to players in Russia and the CIS. It already has a live portfolio, partnerships with major regional platforms, a release and operations team, and a steady flow of new titles to evaluate.

The company is looking for a Head of Publishing who will own publishing decisions and turn that flow of games into a profitable portfolio.

About the role

As Head of Publishing, you will decide which games the company takes on, build the economics behind every title, and make sure each game delivers a financial result. The role comes with real autonomy: leadership sets the goals, and you own the decisions and the plan to get there.

Responsibilities

• Review a steady flow of games across genres and make fast, well-reasoned go / test / no-go decisions
• Build a financial model and P&L for every title: investment, payback period, revenue forecast
• Negotiate licensing deals with developers and take them all the way to signature
• Oversee user acquisition through the company’s UA agency and partners, and make sure campaigns pay back
• Work with regional platforms and app stores on launches and commercial terms
• Set priorities for the release, operations and scouting teams; define processes and responsibilities
• Identify gaps in the team and plan the next hires
• Report regularly to the company’s leadership: current financial position and the plan for the next 1, 3 and 6 months

Requirements

• 3+ years in publishing of F2P mobile and/or browser games as a Publishing Producer, Producer, Product Lead, Publishing Manager or Head of Studio (management side), with ownership of results
• Hands-on experience building financial models and game P&Ls in Excel / Google Sheets, and the ability to explain and defend your assumptions
• Strong command of game metrics: retention, ARPU / ARPPU, LTV, ROAS, cohorts, payback
• Experience evaluating many games across different genres and making go / no-go decisions
• Track record of negotiating and closing deals with game developers
• Solid understanding of UA unit economics and experience working with UA teams or agencies
• Good knowledge of the Russian games market and what works for local players
• Experience managing people or cross-functional processes
• Working English for calls and correspondence with international partners
• Fluent Russian
• Based in Russia, or able to travel to Russia regularly
• Makes decisions quickly, takes ownership of them and comes to meetings with checked numbers
• Finds solutions when budgets are limited

Nice to have

• Experience with regional platforms and stores: RuStore, VK Play, VK Games, Yandex Games, OK Games
• Experience publishing licensed games from Asian developers
• Experience at a publisher with a large and diverse portfolio
• Startup or small-team experience, wearing multiple hats
• Plays games personally

Benefits

• Full ownership of publishing decisions without micromanagement
• Competitive fixed compensation plus a performance-based bonus
• Fully remote work
• A steady pipeline of new titles from international studios
• The opportunity to build the publishing function and team
• Fast decision-making: days, not months