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Lead Game Designer (Level) - Star Wars IP

We’re BossAlien, part of the NaturalMotion family, our mission is to bring AAA console visuals and deep, compelling gameplay to mobile platforms. As a key member of our team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse team of experienced developers and utilize leading-edge technology and content pipelines. In 2018 & 2019, NaturalMotion Studios were named one of the Best Places to Work in the UK games industry by gamesindustry.biz.

As Lead Game Designer (Level) at BossAlien, you will be the primary crafter of levels and content for a new, premiere mobile shooter set in the Star Wars Universe. You will plan and construct play spaces, build encounter content, and take ownership of the player's experience as they traverse the world.

You are a passionate fan of the shooter genre, and understand what makes your favourite maps and levels great, from well-placed chokepoints to smartly constructed player flow. You can clearly explain this to other team members, and evangelize the principles of good level construction to art, engineering, and design.

You are a proponent for designing through constant playtest and iteration, and are an ardent voice for the practice on the design team and to the studio at large.

You are a natural storyteller, not with words but with the game environment itself. You know that storytelling is a function of visual elements, emergent gameplay moments, and the interaction of systems and environments in novel ways that continually surprise and delight the player.

Finally, you have a love and admiration for the Star Wars universe, and embrace the opportunity to make your mark and tell your story within one of the most beloved and storied franchises of all time.

This role reports directly to the project's Design Director.

1. Key Roles & Responsibilities:

• Design and playtest gameplay spaces using greybox/editor tools.
• Work with art, creative leadership, and other designers to create environments that adhere to the vision for the game.
• Design, iterate, and polish levels through playtest with the team.
• Make smart use of analytics, heatmaps, and other data to inform level design and find and solve problems.
• Envision and implement quest, encounter, and event content in editor.
• Direct and support external level development.
• Own major pieces of the design from start to finish.
• Manage and mentor other level designers and provide feedback on their work.
• Drive the day to day functions of the level design team and set their priorities.

1. Experience & qualification

• A seasoned game designer with 7+ years of world and level design experience.
• Worked on a high-quality AAA game on any platform (PC/Console/Mobile), preferred experience on shooters.
• Well versed in industry-standard editors and tools.
• Deeply and intuitively familiar with the construction of environments and play spaces in AAA shooters. Ideally, you’ve shipped one.

1. Skills Requirement (required skills that are must have)

• Experience with Maya/Max or comparable 3D tools.
• Have shipped a AAA project.

1. Additional Skills (optional good to have)

• Able to communicate effortlessly with artists and other creative professionals to communicate your vision for the game world.
• A believer in the power, reach, and potential of the next generation of mobile gaming, even if you’ve never built one before.

What do we offer?

• Competitive salary, discretionary annual bonus scheme and Zynga stock allowance.
• Create next-gen games that will be played and loved by millions of players around the world.
• Work in a family-friendly, collaborative team that invests in your development and growth on-the-job.
• A diverse team of friendly, fun and supportive co-workers.
• Flexible working hours & crunch-free working culture.
• Communal music and laid-back atmosphere.
• Summer/Christmas parties and Happy Hour in the studio each Friday.
• 25 days holiday plus Christmas shutdown and public holiday.
• Private medical care and healthcare cash plan.
• Life insurance and critical illness insurance.
• 6 months fully paid maternity leave or 3 months fully paid paternity leave.
• Annual rail season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme.
• Well stocked office kitchen and free Monday studio lunch.

NaturalMotion is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, pregnancy, marital status or veteran status.

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