• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, August 10, 2010

As Google strengthens its focus on gaming to enter the social network space through a variety of acquisitions and Android development kits, Facebook has put out a call to find an executive who can spearhead deals with game publishers and development studios.

The social networking company, which recently reported more than 500 million active members, wants a leader for its Strategic Partner Development team to nurture "successful partnerships and influence internal and external partners and industry stakeholders in the Gaming industry."

Facebook wants someone whose "high levels of creativity and strategic thinking" allows them to comfortably interact with incumbent gaming companies and venture-backed gaming start-ups developing innovative social gaming experiences, building on Facebook Platform.

The company also wants an experienced product marketing manager for games who can join the Strategic Partner Development team to help drive the expansion of Facebook Connect and other Platform programs.

I've beat this topic to death, but it's restless, keeps rustling in the trees. And it likely will continue until Google launches its social game site.

With the success of Zynga's FarmVille, games on Facebook continue to grow substantially almost daily. On Tuesday, Facebook members willing give up info to the Golden Nugget Vegas Casino can gain access to play on their social site. The game created by Last Legion Games rewards players for building and maintaining their own casinos and playing Blackjack, Video Poker and Roulette at the parlors their friends design.

Photos and applications have flourished on Facebook and many believe games will become the next to explore on the social site. As Facebook looks to expand its audience to one billion members, it will need additional resources to support social games, which The Nielsen Company believes continue to rise.

Google, however, won't give up until it creates the backbone for its social gaming strategy. Although unconfirmed, the Mountain View, Calif., tech company bought Jambool and its Social Gold payment product for $55 million plus another $15 million to $20 million later down the road in earnouts, according to sources.

Americans spent 22.7% of their time on social sites in June 2010, compared with 15.8% in the year-ago month, according to research titled "What Americans Do Online" from The Nielsen Company. Online games ranked No. 2 with Americans spending 10.2% of their time, up from 9.3%, respectively.