Lead Designer

31st Union$127K — $190K *
Consumer Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of professional game design experience, including 1 year in a managerial role.
  • Experience in developing and launching live-service games or systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to design and lead multiplayer features that integrate multiple systems.
  • Strong theoretical knowledge of multiplayer gameplay design.
  • Familiarity with various production components to ensure cohesive gameplay integration.
  • Proactive mindset, capable of driving projects forward.
  • Expertise in filtering feedback for actionable improvements.
  • Deep understanding of multiplayer PvP competitive gaming dynamics.
  • Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine and Blueprint; knowledge of programming is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Lead feature teams by defining scope and design objectives aligned with game goals.
  • Manage and mentor designers, providing growth and feedback on their work.
  • Set sprint and milestone objectives, balancing tradeoffs and focus areas effectively.
  • Evaluate ongoing work for improvement opportunities with actionable plans.
  • Communicate and coordinate cross-functionally to align on project status and dependencies.
  • Enforce high standards for design execution and scripting quality.,

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance.
  • 14 paid holidays and annual vacation time (15 to 25 days).
  • Paid sick days and parental or compassionate leave.
  • Wellbeing programs for mental health and wellness support.
  • Family planning assistance and commuter benefits.
  • Fitness-related expense reimbursements.
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:
  • 8+ years of professional game design experience, including at least 1 year managing, mentoring, and maintaining accountability for multiple designers within a feature team or area on a AAA development team.
  • Background in shaping and building a live-service game or major live-service systems from development through launch.
  • 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.

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