This job might no longer be available.

Head of Design

Welcome to Bossa Studios! An immensely talented, daring, multicultural team of individuals (or as we like to call ourselves - Bossians! ).

Chances are, you know us as that quirky, London-based studio behind several critically acclaimed, YouTube-renowned hits, many of which have become an integral part of gaming meme culture ( Shhh… I doctor now! ). These include Surgeon Simulator , I Am Bread and the BAFTA-winning Monstermind.

While most games studios are mainly driven by their bottom-line, Bossa is leading a movement of creativity-first. We create together. We laugh together. We innovate together. As we believe that’s the only way to build legacy, and the only way we can revolutionise the way in which games are experienced. Games that are truly fun and relevant to people’s lives.

As part of the Bossa’s Senior Management Team and reporting to the COO you will be responsible for overseeing the design discipline and designers within the studio. You will be a seasoned design lead and manager and have built, grown and improved teams of designers to deliver proven critical and commercially successful games.

You will be a mix of mentor, manager, collaborator and creator. You will draw as much professional enjoyment from the successes of your team and your colleagues as you do from your own personal hands on involvement in the games, something which you will still be required to do where needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Quality - Increasing the quality of all games in development at Bossa.
• Management - Managing a team of designers, allocated across multiple projects.
• Mentoring - Working individually and collectively on a day to day basis to mentor and coach the designers.
• Development - Planning and coordinating an ongoing learning and development plan for the long term growth and improvement of individuals and the team as a whole.
• Communication - Maintaining frequent and robust communication with senior management and representing the design discipline to the rest of the studio.
• Hiring - Where needed, hiring and integrating new designers.
• Collaboration - Working with colleagues in other departments and our community of players in an open and holistic way to incorporate multiple viewpoints and deliver games which understand the multi-faceted demands of today’s market.
• Hands on - Whilst you will be predominantly working through your team of designers, you will still be required to pull on your own personal design skills in a more hands on manner. You will also understand that ultimately the goal is to impart these skills to your team and have a design department which is highly functioning by default and with you pulling them to even greater heights.

Requirements

• Exceptional design instincts
  
• A deep understanding of design mechanics and systems, as well as game direction and vision
• Awareness of past, current and future trends
• Design awareness at an academic level, you understand the “science” of game design
• A natural affinity with players, how they think, and how to “talk” to them through our games
• A passion for the discipline, you derive as much interest from making games you wouldn’t play, as those you would, because of the challenge and learning opportunities that this presents
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• A natural problem solver
• A fascination for finding new and better approaches to problems
• An open and inclusive approach to management
• You understand that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and you respect those around you
• A drive to learn, improve and share
• The ability to adapt to fluid situations, you know when to stick to the plan and when put it to one side

EXPERIENCE

• Extensive design experience
• Solid management experience
• Minimum 5 projects shipped
• Experience of the full development cycle
• Multiplayer experience
• Multi-platform experience
• Experience with different business models
• Experience working with new and evolving technologies

Benefits

• Annual Holiday Allowance - 22 days, to increase 1 day after every year up to a maximum of 25 days
• Private Medical Insurance – Provided by Bupa
• Life Assurance – Tax free lump sum payment of 4 x annual salary
• Pension Scheme – We match up to 5%
• EMI Share Scheme - Generous lump sum of shares awarded upon joining which will vest over a 4 year period
• Flexible Working - Work from home days and flexible core hours 10.00-16.00 (standard hours 09.30-18.00)
• Supportive family policies - 6 months fully paid maternity leave and 3 months fully paid paternity leave
• Employee Assistance Programme - 24/7 Helpline
• Cyclescheme - up to £1,000 loan deducted from monthly salary over 12 month period
• Discounted gym membership
• Travel to Work Loan – Loan deducted from monthly salary over 10 or 12 month period
• Food - Free snacks, fruit and drinks
• Social Events - We have fantastic company culture and loads of fun social events

JOIN US!

Bossa is leading a movement of creativity-first. We create together. We laugh together. We innovate together. But to excel at this we need folk from all corners of the world and walks of life. Our policy means that we are committed to diversity and inclusion beyond any legal minimums and all Bossians work together to create the ideal environment for making games and celebrating the diversity that requires.