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Lead Game Designer

Job Description

The ideal candidate:

Future Games of London is looking for a Lead Game Designer to head a new, arcade title from prototype through launch. This role has a high amount of creative freedom with a commensurate amount of responsibility. As the primary game designer on the team, you will lead the product from initial gameplay prototype through a process of live testing to validate a worldwide launch.

The ideal candidate is a versatile expert designer that is as comfortable designing innovative F2P metasystems as they are implementing ideas in Unity. Working directly with the Creative Director, you will own the game experience and collaborate with key stakeholders to launch and operate a mobile free to play game that will please hundreds of millions of players over years of release.

Key Requirements

• You possess multiple leadership styles. You put yourself first or last depending on the circumstances. You actively listen and question appropriately. You use a mix of skills to be convincing, to be dutiful, and to inspire greatness in your teammates and in our games.
• Make games with respect for and understanding of the average F2P mobile player, with an interest in user experience and user centric design. Balance KPIs against player satisfaction.
• Genuine interest in and enthusiasm for data-driven design. Use instincts, experience and evidence as appropriate to design better games.
• A deep understanding of the current mobile landscape, including the ability to discuss and analyse successful games and then anticipate upcoming changes, disruption and opportunity.
• Intellectual curiosity. Collaborative, flexible and detail-oriented approach to problem-solving.
• Business Insight: Understand the problems and issues our games and business want to solve.
• Must be able to effectively communicate risks and obstacles both to managed team members, as well as to senior management.
• Demonstrate a passion for videogames, but mobile games specifically.

Responsibilities or What will you do?

• Act as the principal for a new title. Set the vision, hone the designs, encourage the team, cross pollinate knowledge across disciplines, hone the roadmap and prioritize the backlog.
• Lead Game KPI improvements by optimizing team output and encouraging players’ satisfaction by responding to their feedback. Ensure scope, quality and timeline are balanced.
• Be the creative vision holder, responsible for all aspects of game design. Leverage the expertise of teammates to make everyone and everything efficient and better.
• Work closely with BI and live operations to ensure live tests run smoothly - and that the features being tested are relevant and useful.
• Assist the producer in maintaining appropriate documentation of designs, timeline, and roadmap on Confluence for easy stakeholder visibility.
• Own competitive analysis and market research.

Experience

• 8+ years of Game Design experience with at least 6 years in mobile free to play mobile games.
• Experience as a senior or lead designer on a F2P title, from development through post-launch.
• Captain of a successful mobile title from concept to Live Operations updates.
• The ability to prototype games, systems, and ideas in Unity without assistance by independently problem solving, but able to know when to ask for help.
• Has defined a game’s vision, quality expectations, and success. Acted as the principal team member that can answer almost all questions and guide almost all decisions.
• Used data and business intelligence to push live operations by making the smartest queries and asking the most appropriate questions about player behaviors. Questioned assumptions.

Nice to Have

• Experience with roadmap ownership and managing stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Tableau.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Economy balancing and modeling with advanced Excel skills.
• Comfort with SQL and JSON.
• Experience working with or creating a well-known IP.
• Optimism, humour, a can-do attitude, open-mindedness and the desire to improve.

Additional Information

COVID 19 note:

Both Ubisoft and FGOL are committed to the health and wellbeing of our staff. We are currently working remotely during the stages of lockdown the UK has been subject to. Our offices have been set up to meet strict health and safety standards appropriate to the challenges of COVID 19, and we currently keep any physical attendance to a minimum. Our policies are constantly reviewed and may change over time as the risk level varies.

BENEFITS:

Ubisoft FGOL offers its employees some great benefits which include:

• Flexible office working hours
• 25 days of annual leave + 8 UK Bank holiday + Christmas company day(s) off
• 1 day off if you get married (Wedding Day)
• Mobile and Tablet Allowance
• Game Allowance
• Duvet Day
• Personal Travel Allowance
• Home Office Furniture Loan Scheme
• Sick pay
• Fresh fruit selection delivered 3 times a week, Free monthly breakfasts, Team Lunches
• Weekly Football, Snooker table, ping pong tournaments, poker nights, Office events, social gatherings, Fun Games room
• Birthday Cakes/Cards
• Summer & Christmas parties, Roof terrace area
• Training Budgets
• Contributory pension scheme
• Private healthcare, Reduced gym membership, life insurance, critical illness & Disability cover
• Childcare vouchers
• Season ticket loan (for tube/rail costs)
• Profitability bonus
• Recruitment Referral Fee awards

Company Description

Future Games of London is a Ubisoft studio that designs, develops and operates free-to-play mobile and digital console games. Founded in September 2009, FGOL create original and unique games such as the Hungry Shark series which has been enjoyed by over half a billion people worldwide.

We are a dedicated team with drive, passion and creativity, who enjoy being part of a forward thinking studio in an exciting and ever-evolving industry.

Over the next 5 years, we expect to be typically developing two to three projects in parallel, with regularly scheduled new releases added to our catalogue.