Head of Product Development

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>Appodeal</strong> is a dynamic US-based product company with a truly global presence.</p> <p>We have offices in <strong>Warsaw, Barcelona and Parkland (FL), </strong>along with remote team members located around the world.</p> <p>Our company thrives on diversity, collaboration, and innovation, making us a leader in the mobile app monetization space.</p> <p><strong>Why Appodeal?</strong></p> <p>At Appodeal, we’re more than just a company—we’re a team united by a common mission: <strong>Help people discover and grow their talents through products that enable successful mobile app businesses!</strong></p> <p>We take pride in our cutting-edge product and our internationally dispersed team of talented professionals.</p> <p>Here’s what we value, and what we hope you do too:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Continuous Learning and Growth:</strong> We are passionate about learning, growing personally, and building rewarding careers.</li> <li><strong>Making an Impact:</strong> We are committed to building a history-defining company that leaves a lasting impact on the mobile app industry.</li> <li><strong>Solving Exciting Challenges:</strong> We tackle complex problems every day, supported by a team of world-class professionals and mentors.</li> <li><strong>Enjoying the Journey:</strong> We believe in having fun while working toward our goals.</li> </ul></div><div class="p-rich_text_section"> <div class="p-rich_text_section"> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>Appodeal</strong> is looking for a <strong>Head of Product Development</strong> to lead the full ownership of both product and engineering across our mobile gaming business unit — WordMaker, Solitaire, and Brick Blast.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This is a single leadership role that owns both product and engineering across Appodeal's mobile gaming portfolio. <strong>The Head of Product Development</strong> operates as a player-coach: shipping work alongside the team, setting the bar by example, and growing people through proximity — not through management layers.</p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">This is not a director role. It's the most senior hands-on contributor in the department who also happens to own the direction. We are looking for someone who has built and shipped at the intersection of product and engineering in mobile gaming, is deeply AI-native, and is energized by ownership without guardrails.</p> <hr class="border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5"> <h4 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">What You Own</h4> <strong>Product Direction</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Define and evolve the product strategy for the games portfolio — grounded in eProfit outcomes.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Own the quality of PRDs, roadmap decisions, and product hypotheses across the team. Write them yourself on the highest-priority bets.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Maintain live knowledge of product metrics across the portfolio: retention, ARPU, ARPDAU, experiment results. Stay in the data daily.</li> </ul> <strong>Technical Direction</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Own the full technical architecture of the product department — game clients (Unity), backend systems, release pipeline, and internal tooling.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Define engineering standards, development workflows, and code quality bar across the team.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Ensure reliability, performance, and scalability of all systems supporting the games portfolio.</li> </ul> <strong>AI as an Operating Layer</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Drive AI adoption across both product and engineering functions — from PRD generation and competitive research to test automation, release pipeline, and analytics agents.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Build and iterate on the intelligence layer that replaces manual coordination and reporting: analytics agents, QA agents, LiveOps automation, reporting pipelines.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Continuously improve development velocity through AI tooling and process optimization (e.g., Copilot, GPT-based workflows, GitHub Actions automation).</li> </ul> <strong>Hands-On Delivery</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Personally contribute to both product work (specs, experiments, analysis) and engineering work (architecture decisions, code review, shipping core systems) — not one delegated to the other.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Lead by doing on the highest-stakes initiatives. The team should be able to follow your PRDs and your pull requests.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Participate in debugging, optimization, and solving complex technical challenges alongside the team.</li> </ul> <strong>Team and Culture</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Lead, develop, and grow a lean team of Product Owners and ICs (Unity engineers, backend developers, design, QA).</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Set a high bar for ownership, speed, and AI fluency. Address performance gaps directly.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Foster a culture where people act as DRIs, not ticket-resolvers.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Grow engineers into independent, high-impact contributors and tech leads.</li> </ul> <strong>Cross-Functional</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Work closely with monetization, UA, data, and RnD departments to ensure portfolio decisions are grounded in full eProfit context.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Enable fast hypothesis testing and iteration cycles within product teams.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Partner with product and data teams to build scalable systems for experimentation, analytics, and performance tracking.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Coordinate the RnD department → internal team handover process and maintain hit-readiness and de-handover criteria.</li> </ul> <hr class="border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5"> <h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold">Requirements</h3> <strong>Must-Have</strong> <ol class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-decimal flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>8+ years</strong> of software engineering experience, including senior leadership roles in mobile gaming or mobile product environments.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Genuine hands-on in both product and engineering</strong> — you write PRDs and you write code. Not one delegated to someone else.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Strong expertise in Unity (C#)</strong> and mobile game architecture; solid understanding of scalable backend systems and client-server architecture.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>AI-native, not AI-curious</strong> — you have concrete production examples of AI tools accelerating your output. You don't describe it in theory; you show it.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Leadership by proximity</strong> — you have led small, high-performance teams in a fast-moving environment. You grow people by working alongside them, not by reviewing their work from a distance.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Data-driven mindset</strong> — experience working in environments with frequent experimentation cycles, A/B testing, and metric-driven decision-making.</li> </ol> <strong>Strong Signals</strong> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Founded or co-founded a mobile gaming studio.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Have directly scaled an ad-monetized casual game from early traction to meaningful portfolio revenue.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Have built internal tooling, automation pipelines, or SDK integrations alongside product work.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and release processes (Unity Cloud Build, GitHub Actions).</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Familiarity with analytics tools: Firebase, GameAnalytics, Amplitude.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Experience with mobile game monetization systems (ads, IAP).</li> </ul> <hr class="border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5"> <h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold"><strong>Why Join Us?</strong></h3> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Ownership without guardrails.</strong> You set the direction for both product and engineering — no committee, no layers.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Real products, real traction.</strong> WordMaker, Solitaire, and Brick Blast are live, growing games with real users and data to work with.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>AI-first environment.</strong> We are building the next generation of mobile games with AI at the core of how we develop, test, and iterate.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Lean, high-trust team.</strong> Small team, fast decisions, high impact per person.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Competitive compensation.</strong> Competitive salary, performance-based bonuses, and clear career growth opportunities.</li> </ul> <hr class="border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5"> <h3 class="text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold"><strong>We believe in the following values, and hope you do too:</strong></h3> <ul class="[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Leverage data to build product.</strong> We rely on data to make informed decisions and create products that solve real problems. While data guides us, we apply insight, context, and wisdom to interpret it thoughtfully.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>We work together to serve others.</strong> Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. By serving others — customers, teammates, and stakeholders — we create value and build trust.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Relentless pursuit of excellence.</strong> We commit to grow and evolve in everything we do, constantly seeking opportunities to refine our processes, skills, and results.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Passionate curiosity fuels perseverance.</strong> Passionate curiosity drives us to explore challenges, learn from setbacks, and adapt with resilience.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Direct and straightforward, no politics.</strong> Transparency and honesty are essential. We communicate clearly, focus on facts, and avoid unnecessary politics or hidden agendas.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Lean startup mentality: start small, iterate quickly.</strong> We prioritize experimentation, fast learning, resourcefulness, agility, and innovation.</li> <li class="font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"><strong>Ownership and accountability.</strong> Everyone is empowered to take ownership of their work. We are accountable for our decisions, actions, and outcomes.</li> </ul> </div> <p><strong data-start="2350" data-end="2380">Ready to lead with impact?</strong><br data-start="2380" data-end="2383"><strong>Apply now and help us build the next generation of mobile game experiences!</strong></p> </div><div class="content-conclusion"><p>With an outstanding product and a mission that excites and inspires, Appodeal offers a unique opportunity to make an impact while being part of an amazing team.</p> <p><strong>Join us</strong> and help shape the future of mobile app success!</p></div>