Community Manager (4-month contract)

Important: This is a 4-month contract role for Ontario-based independent contractors only. Contractors are responsible for managing their own taxes, CPP contributions, and any other statutory obligations.

Location & Hours: This is a hybrid position with in-person collaboration required at our Toronto office (Queens Quay West) 3-4 days per week for the duration of the 4-month contract. Standard working hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

About Us:

Making fans - That’s what we’re all about! Since our humble beginnings in 2011, these two words have driven Big Viking Games to become the successful company it is today. We are focused on making our mark as a next-generation, live operations games company.

We believe that each Viking is unique and brings exponential value to the company. In return, we provide Vikings with the opportunity to solve problems through continuous learning and fostering feedback, ultimately mastering their craft. By investing in our Vikings and in new technologies, we can continue our success for years to come.

We are embarking on an adventure and rely on our team of skilled, enthusiastic, and collaborative Vikings to turn our ship towards a new horizon.

About the Role:

Big Viking Games is seeking a strategic and empathetic Community Manager to lead the communication strategy for the next generation of our flagship game, YoWorld.

This is not a "maintenance mode" role. You will be the bridge between the product team and the players during a massive platform evolution. You will be responsible for building hype for the new Unity-based client, managing player sentiment regarding the transition, and fostering a thriving community primarily on Discord and social channels.

What You'll Do:

As the Community Manager for the next gen launch of YoWorld, you'll be part Launch Strategist, part Community Builder and part Liaison.

The Launch Strategist:

• Communications Strategy: Craft the narrative for the platform migration. You will turn complex technical updates (inventory transfers, currency synchronization, and new features) into clear, exciting updates for players.
• Launch Hype & Marketing: Collaborate with Marketing and Product teams to execute launch campaigns, promote "Founder’s Pass" initiatives, and drive traffic to the new Unity client.
• Sentiment Management: Monitor community feedback closely during the transition. You will identify friction points (e.g., changes in game mechanics or migration rules) and work with the team to address them proactively.

The Community Builder:

• Discord Ownership: Own the architecture and engagement strategy of the YoWorld Discord server. Drive the community focus from legacy forums toward real-time engagement and live events.
• Content Creation: Write high-quality blog posts, newsletters, and patch notes. Create engaging social content (images/video snippets) to showcase the new graphics and features of the updated platform.
• Event Facilitation: Work with LiveOps to run in-game events that span both the legacy and new platforms, incentivizing players to try the new experience.

The Liaison:

• Product Feedback Loop: Act as the voice of the player in internal meetings. Gather data-driven feedback on bugs, UI/UX issues, and feature requests for the new client to help shape the roadmap.
• Customer Support Collaboration: Work closely with CS to create FAQs and templates regarding the migration to ensure consistent messaging across all support tickets.

Requirements

The Must-Haves

• 3+ Years in Community Management: Specifically in the gaming industry.
• Toronto-Based: Ability to work from our Toronto office 3-4 days per week.
• Migration/Launch Experience: Experience managing a game community during a launch, a major patch, or a platform migration is highly desired.
• Discord Mastery: You are an expert in Discord community architecture, bots, roles, and safety tools.
• Crisis Communication Skills: You have high emotional intelligence and can deliver difficult news (e.g., sunsetting old features or explaining new rules) with empathy and clarity.
• Marketing Savvy: You understand how to use community channels to drive conversion (e.g., encouraging players to download the new client).
• Exceptional Writing Skills: You can write in the "YoWorld" voice—fun, welcoming, and clear.
• Strong Attention to Detail: So you'll notice we'd like you to mention "Kattegat" in your cover letter.
• Data Literacy: You don't just read comments; you analyze sentiment trends and report them back to the Product Owners.

Bonus points if you've got:

• Experience with Unity game development cycles.
• Basic graphic design or video editing skills (for creating social assets).
• Experience with project management tools (Jira, Confluence).
• Familiarity with Customer Service platforms (Zendesk/Salesforce).

Benefits

• Regular in-person collaboration with a high-performing, passionate team of gamers at our downtown Toronto office.
• High-impact work on established live-ops games.
• Access to BVG tools, documentation, and support to do your best work.
• Potential for future contracts or longer-term engagement, based on performance and business needs.

Does the idea of shepherding a massive community into a brand new era of gaming sound like the career challenge you’ve been looking for? If so, we'd love to hear from you! Please apply with your resume and cover letter.

Big Viking Games is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. We welcome applications from individuals of all abilities and will provide accommodations throughout the hiring process as needed. If you require any accommodations, please email [email protected] so we can work with you to support your needs.