Director, Business Development & Partnerships, Minecraft

Overview At Mojang Studios, the creators of Minecraft, we are on a mission to build a better world through the power of play.

Why play? Well, play is at the heart of everything we do. It’s the blocky backbone of our games, the core of our development philosophy, and even the origin of our name.

From the relentless experimentation of our endlessly inspiring community to the classrooms where Minecraft has become an essential teaching tool, play is the bedrock of our existence.

We enable millions to create and play together, connect people across the globe, and foster a community that is among the most active and passionate in the world. Our community is global and incredibly diverse. When we are developing anything within our franchise, we keep this in mind.

We want everyone to not only feel included in Minecraft, but also to see themselves in what we make. Our goal is for the Mojang Studios team to be as diverse as our community.

As a Director, Business Development you will lead the team that designs, negotiates, and executes the partnership and licensing programs that power the Minecraft game franchise. This is a full people-management role with direct accountability for a team of Managers, Business Development, each running their own categories across content collaborations, IP licensing, brand integrations, and new businesses.

You will set strategy and standards for the team, manage the deal pipeline end-to-end, lead the most strategic and complex negotiations personally, and serve as a senior commercial voice both inside Mojang and with external partners.

You will work hand-in-hand with Brand, Product, Legal, Finance, Franchise Enforcement, and Marketing / Live Ops to translate franchise priorities into a coherent multi-year deal roadmap and to make the deal engine scale as the franchise grows.

In the end, it’s the people of Mojang Studios that make this place truly special. When you join, you’ll find yourself in the company of incredibly bright, warm, and creative individuals – all united and working toward a single goal. Come help us reach it!

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic negotiations and partner relationships. Lead franchise-defining deals: economics, rights, term, territory, exclusivity, approvals, KPIs, and exit.
• Lead and develop the Business Developement team. Manage and grow a team of Managers of Business Development, each owning a category and partner portfolio. Hire, level, and retain talent; run the team operating rhythm (1:1s, deal and pipeline reviews, performance, career development); and set a consistent standard for diligence, structuring, and execution across the pipeline.
• Set deal strategy and own the portfolio with Business pillar leads. Translate franchise priorities into a multi-year deal roadmap with Brand, Franchise, Product, and Marketing. Own end-to-end execution across content collaborations, IP licensing, brand integrations, and new businesses, including pipeline, structure, and economics.
• Run the deal process and cross-functional execution. Own the pipeline, approval governance, deal-review cadence, and post-signature handoff, and build the templates and playbooks that let the team scale. Partner closely with Legal, Finance, Brand and Product, Franchise Enforcement, and Marketing / Live Ops.
• Manage risk and brand stewardship. Balance commercial ambition against player trust, franchise integrity, and compliance, and escalate the right issues to senior leadership at the right time.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Liberal Arts, Sciences, or related field AND 10+ years relevant work experience (e.g., investment banking, consulting, finance, marketing, corporate strategy, sales, venture capital, legal, business development, product management, project management, software development, or related field)
• OR equivalent experience.
• 3+ years people management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Gaming industry experience with a publisher, platform, developer, or gaming-adjacent entertainment company.
• Experience structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial agreements involving licensing, partnerships, content collaborations, or strategic business initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of strategic partnerships and driving measurable commercial outcomes.
• Experience managing consumer entertainment, media, licensing, or IP-driven businesses.
• Experience influencing senior executives and driving decisions in a highly matrixed organization.
• Expertise in licensing, brand partnerships, content collaborations, promotions, and commercialization strategies.

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Business Development M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $165,600 - $272,300 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:

https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances.

If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.