2k Games

Lead Designer

2k Games$127K — $190K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of game design experience with a focus on multiplayer systems
  • Proven leadership in managing and mentoring game design teams
  • Strong background in designing engaging multiplayer features
  • Deep understanding of cross-disciplinary components (UI, Art, Engineering, etc.)
  • Proficiency with Unreal Engine and Blueprint visual scripting
  • Ability to filter and synthesize player feedback into actionable design improvements
  • Experience in navigating trade-offs for game design integrity

Responsibilities

  • Lead a feature team by setting design objectives that align with game goals
  • Provide direction and actionable feedback to other designers in the team
  • Define sprint objectives and prioritize work for effective development
  • Evaluate current projects for improvement opportunities and implement solutions
  • Coordinate with other teams to communicate work dependencies and align efforts
  • Maintain high standards for design and scripting execution
  • Ensure cohesive integration across various gameplay components

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage
  • 14 paid holidays and vacation time ranging from 15 to 25 days
  • Up to 10 paid sick days
  • Paid parental and compassionate leave
  • Wellbeing programs for mental health and wellness support
  • Family planning support through Maven
  • Fitness-related expense reimbursements
  • 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program eligibility
Full Job Description
Who You Are:

We're looking for a Lead Designer to join our team and help us shape the future of online multiplayer gaming. This role will be a key leader on one of our major gameplay pillars to lead the team on day-to-day work, where you will help the vision come to life, align the team around gameplay objectives and ensure how we design meets a high bar of rigor. You have proven expertise in leading mechanics and systems-based teams and features, developing people and building buy-in through strong working relationships across disciplines to bring things into reality. If you have a passion and drive to bring out the best in others, build teams and shepherd a great experience for players, we'd like to hear from you.

What You'll Do:
  • Lead a feature team by setting scope, approach and design objectives that meet our overall game goals
  • Manage other designers by giving them support, growth and actionable feedback on both what they work on and how they work
  • Define and set sprint and milestone objectives for your team - including appropriate tradeoffs, costs, and the right areas of work to focus on
  • Evaluate and diagnose work to find improvements and opportunities for improvement - along with plans of how to get there
  • Work cross-functionally within and outside of your team to communicate and align on the work, tradeoffs and dependencies. Radiate changes across the organization
  • Maintain and enforce good executional standards and practices for scripting and design execution - including in-engine and documentation

What Will Make You a Great Fit:
  • Experience in managing, mentoring and maintaining accountability in people within a single feature set or area
  • Proven experience designing and leading multiplayer features that touch multiple systems and need strong integration - such as game mode, characters, economy, progression, etc.
  • Theory-crafting skillset & past experience designing for depth and multiplayer gameplay.
  • Deep understanding of the various components (UI, Art, Engineering, Audio, VFX, etc.) to ensure gameplay is cohesive and integrated
  • Proactive approach that creates movement in the right direction
  • Capable of rapidly filtering large volumes of feedback into concrete and useful improvements
  • Adept at managing, articulating and advocating for effective tradeoffs
  • Well-played in the multiplayer PvP / Competitive Space and able to deconstruct what works and why.
  • Capability to abstract designs outside of single solutions into patterns and models of player behavior; providing options and flexible design solutions
  • Strong experience with Unreal Engine and Blueprint visual scripting; programming experience (C++, C#, etc.) is a plus.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $127,500 and $190,000 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company's discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses. Ontario only: The use of Artificial Intelligence is not being used to screen candidates. The position is for an existing vacancy.

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About 2k Games

2K Games is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. The company was founded in January 2005 by Take-Two Interactive, and is best known for publishing the NBA 2K series of basketball games. Other popular franchises published by 2K Games include the Borderlands series, the BioShock series, and the Mafia series. The company has also published several licensed games based on popular movies and TV shows, such as The Walking Dead and WWE.
Learn more about 2k Games
Size
500 employees
Industry

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