Gaming Operations Manager (Competitive & Technical)

ABOUT THE ROLE

GameSquare produces large-scale events for AAA brands with a focus on gaming and internet culture. Our most recent production was a major esports event across an international main stage, but we also produce several casual gaming events each year, which focus on influencers and internet culture. Game release events, online tournaments or contests for fans, listening parties, fan events for creators, etc.

This role exists because three things have to happen at once at our events: the gaming components have to run, the hardware has to work seamlessly, and the event structure needs to be authentic to that game’s community. You will support all of these, and the administrative work that comes along with operating gaming events. 

You will not be expected to arrive knowing how to do all of it - you will be expected to arrive knowing how tournaments feel, how gaming PCs work, and how to work in a live event/broadcast environment and the pressure that comes with it.

You will work directly under the director who owns competitive operations and technical production, on a team small enough that you will touch real decisions in your first month. This is a genuine growth seat, not a support seat. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Tournament operations

• Player and team communications: check-ins, roster confirmations, schedule distribution, and event Discord administration
• Score sheet maintenance and results entry into publisher tournament portals
• Bracket and standings upkeep across qualifiers and main events
• Keeping rulebooks, format documents, and team-facing briefs current and distributed
• Managing the admin team: backstage coordination, team escorts, transition time-keeping
• Post-event reporting: delay logs, transition times, incident summaries

Gaming technology

• Assisting the build-out, imaging, and validation of competition PC fleets
• Peripheral inventory, testing, and replacement tracking
• Player drive handling: labeling, assignment, and hot-swap support between teams on stage
• Player practice area support and first-line troubleshooting on Windows, game clients, peripherals, and network
• Asset tracking, cable and hardware inventory, kit prep, and pack-out

Event and production support

• Ticketing platform support
• Freelance technician scheduling, onboarding paperwork, and on-site check-in
• Vendor and load-in labor coordination alongside venue teams
• Supporting as a sounding board for other teams to gauge the authenticity of an idea
• Supporting taking high level ideas from the creative team and workshopping them into something that’s feasible.
• Putting together recap data and feedback to be included in post-event recap decks

Between events

• Assisting in pre-production for the next event. Ideating on formats, signal flows, etc. while working in lockstep with the broadcast team of each event
• Bootcamp booking requests and scheduling for the Frisco facility
• Assisting with budget development and reconciliation, collecting invoices and W9s from vendors, etc.
• Player payment information collection and prize paperwork handoff to accounting
• Advising on creative elements that will be integrated into competitive broadcasts. (leaderboard or bracket, a PiP frame should land here for this game, etc.)

WHAT YOU NEED

• Hands-on tournament experience at any scale - collegiate, grassroots, online leagues, or small LANs all count. What matters is that you have run something with real players and real stakes.
• Practical competence with gaming PCs: you can build one, diagnose one, and swap parts without supervision
• Comfort in Windows beyond the desktop - drivers, settings, game clients, basic network troubleshooting
• Clear, fast written communication. Much of this job is getting accurate information to the right person under time pressure.
• Willingness to work event schedules: nights, weekends, extended show days, and domestic or international travel
• Discretion. You will see unreleased schedules, rosters, and publisher material before the public does.

NICE TO HAVE, NOT REQUIRED

• Windows deployment experience: sysprep, DISM, WIM or FFU imaging
• Basic understanding of network infrastructure
• Familiarity with tournament platforms such as start.gg, Battlefy, FACEIT, or Challengermode
• Working knowledge of competitive formats in tier 1 esports
• Prior on-site experience with a LAN of 32 or more machines
• Experience with a ticketing platform such as Tixr

Salary: $5,000 / month