Games R&D - R&D Team Lead

Join us at Playtika (NASDAQ: PLTK), where we're driven by the belief life needs play. We’re on a mission to deliver infinite ways to play using cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning to craft immersive experiences that connect, inspire and entertain millions of players worldwide. 

From our start as a small mobile games company founded in Israel to our current position as a publicly traded company and industry leader, we continue to be a dominant force in interactive entertainment. With a diverse portfolio of award-winning, category-leading Casual and Social Casino-themed games, including nine of the top 100 highest-grossing mobile games in the US, we're setting the standard for excellence. 

Our success story is co-authored by a dynamic team of storytellers, strategists, creators and data scientists who thrive on innovation. We are home of the best, advancing an inclusive culture that embraces our core values and reflects our agile DNA. 

With a strong financial foundation, disciplined operations, unwavering player-focused approach and  relentless can-do spirit, we're well-positioned for sustained growth. If you're ready to join the driving force behind the evolution of interactive entertainment, we invite you to come play with us.  

We are looking for an experienced Team Lead who combines strong technical expertise with proven leadership and delivery ownership. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, high-throughput environments and is passionate about leveraging AI to transform engineering practices and outcomes.

You will take end-to-end ownership of team deliverables, ensuring high-quality execution aligned with the product roadmap, while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation. A key aspect of this role is driving AI adoption within the engineering organization and translating emerging technologies into tangible team impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery: track milestones, manage scope and timelines, proactively identify risks, and ensure commitments are met


• Take full accountability for team outputs, ensuring high-quality and timely delivery aligned with the product roadmap


• Operate effectively in a fast-paced, production environment, leading incident response and driving rapid resolution when needed


• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Architecture, and other stakeholders on planning, prioritization, and execution


• Lead Agile ceremonies and ensure alignment with established ways of working


• Uphold and promote engineering best practices, quality standards, and scalable development approaches


• Foster a strong culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team


• Support team growth through mentorship, feedback, and professional development initiatives

AI Leadership & Innovation

• Lead or actively contribute to AI adoption initiatives within the engineering organization


• Define AI strategy, onboard teams to AI tools, measure impact, and drive cultural change toward AI-assisted development


• Identify opportunities where AI can accelerate delivery, improve quality, and reduce operational toil


• Enable experimentation and create space for teams to adopt new tools and practices


• Stay personally engaged with the AI landscape, including building agents, automating workflows, and evaluating emerging technologies

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience leading engineering teams in an Agile environment


• At least 4 years of hands-on software development experience (e.g., Java, C#, Unity, or JavaScript)


• Background in project or program management, with experience owning delivery end-to-end


• Experience managing both projects and people (not only individual technical contribution)


• Solid technical understanding of high-throughput, high-availability systems and ability to engage in architectural discussions


• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills


• Confident decision-maker, able to perform under pressure and work independently with Product Managers and business teams


• Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken)

Nice to Have

• Experience in game development


• Familiarity with B2C product environments


• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and modern delivery practices

Playtika's Benefits:

• Annual bonus


• Daily lunch and refreshments


• Meal vouchers


• Holiday vouchers


• 21 vacation days


• 6 long weekends


• 1 day off for your birthday


• Additional days-off


• Private medical subscription


• Private dental subscription


• Glasses allowance


• Private pension


• Wellbeing plan


• Birthday gift


• Bonus and gift cards for special events (Easter, 1st of June, 8th of March, Christmas)


• Transport settlement


• Parking facilities


• Exciting company events


• Games: pool table, ping-pong, fuzzball, air hockey, etc.


• Central location: Timpuri Noi (Hybrid Work)