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Lead Designer (Core Systems)
1 year ago
Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.
In 2022, we announced that our studio is implementing a four-day work week as well as supporting in-studio, remote within Canada, and hybrid work arrangements as permanent options to our employees.
Blackbird Interactive is looking for a Lead Core Designer to join our growing studio. We have an exciting 3D real-time strategy game, and are looking for a key hire to own the development and execution of the core game systems.
Do you want to build compelling game experiences having designed, prototyped and delivered high profile gameplay systems, features or tools? Do you love working with a small team of talented designers, artists and programmers to create ambitious in-game content? If so, this role could be for you! As a Lead Core Designer you will be highly collaborative and able to creatively solve challenging design problems while mentoring and helping grow team members. You care about working with your team to shape the core experience of the game while bringing together a blend of creative and technical experience.
Responsbilities
- Maintain a holistic overview of the complete gameplay experience from the Player perspective. Ensure that the team’s design work is in-line with this overview, and make recommendations on areas for improvement.
- Collaborate with designers, artists and coders to expand on and fine-tune the core gameplay systems, with the goal of maximizing variety and meaningful experiences for Players.
- Conceive, implement, and iterate on a wide range of core game systems, such as Controls, Progression, Economy and Ships.
- Help drive playtests to gather critical gameplay and game system feedback from players and develop a plan of action to address issues.
- Assist the Game Director in reviewing all game systems and features, as well as full builds of the game, and providing regular feedback to the project leads and development team.
- Act as a liaison between high level intentions and low level implementation, both for design and other disciplines.
- Push for innovative design that improves the player experience while fitting in the scope limitations.
- Assess requirements and provide effort estimates to guide an evolving development plan, working closely with Production and the Game Director to build long-term production plans.
- Establishing quality benchmarks and driving the team in reaching them.
- Overseeing the creation and maintenance of detailed, comprehensive documentation.
- Contributing to the creation and constant improvement of pipelines and processes.
- Work with the Game Director managing the Design team: Establishing tasks, working on individual growth plans, conducting one-on-one discussions.
Requirements
- Knowledge of competitive products and a variety of gameplay genres, as well as a personal understanding of video game fun.
- Strong written communication skills and the ability to convey abstract concepts.
- Ability to think logically with a high level of attention to detail.
- Able to work in-engine, helping implement core systems.
- 6+ years in a design role.
- 1+ years in a lead role or similar.
- Ability to mentor and grow other designers.
- The ability to own an entire game feature and work with other discipline groups to carry said feature from concept through to completion.
- Past experience in a leadership role.
- Shipped at least one game.
- Experience working Unreal Engine.
Pluses
- Experience with other areas of design (level design, UX/UI, encounter scripting, etc.)
- Experience with shipping a title on multiple platforms and input devices.
- Experience playing RTS at a casual or competitive level
- Interest in single-player and co-op gaming.
Vacation & Extras
+ 4-day, 32-hour work week for all full-time staff
+ Mentorship program
+ Skunkworks internal game jam program
+ 4 weeks paid vacation per year
+ 11 paid stat holidays
+ 3 paid days per year for professional development
+ December holiday studio closure (extra paid time off!)
+ Comprehensive health/dental benefits from day 1
+ Life insurance
+ $300 Healthcare Spending Account per annum
+ RRSP matching
+ Profit-sharing bonus program
If applying for an artistic role, please provide a link to your portfolio and/or demo reel.
Any questions about the role and/or accessibility requests can be sent to: recruitment@blackbirdinteractive.com
Unfortunately, we cannot reply to everyone. Only successful applicants will be contacted about the next steps. Thank you for your understanding.
If you are interested in the role, please apply even if your experience and skills don’t perfectly match our ideal credentials. We are committed to inclusion and especially encourage members of historically marginalized communities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer we encourage applications from all qualified individuals. BBI does not discriminate against applicants based on gender, race, national and ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital and family status, and/or mental or physical disabilities.
Blackbird Interactive is privileged to be developing our projects on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ /Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
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