Lead Level Designer

The role

The Lead Level Designer will spearhead the creation of engaging points of interest and levels, focusing on compelling gameplay spaces. They will develop and mentor the design team, fostering career growth and enhancing the team’s capabilities. The role involves hands-on work, when needed, to set a high-quality standard by example. They will also contribute to strategic decisions, ensuring the team targets the right elements, and collaborate with production to manage and assess design tasks effectively.

The team

The Design Team is a multi-disciplinary group focused on the delivery of compelling player experiences through ideation, iteration, and implementation. The team is passionate about finding creative solutions to design challenges and responsible for filtering the game vision into individual features, levels, combat, quests and encounters. Collaborating closely with all other disciplines, the design team supports features throughout the full development lifecycle to ensure high-quality experiences are delivered on schedule.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the design of our game world. Collaborating closely with all discipline directors to deliver our shared vision.
• Collaborate closely with the gameplay teams to define the metrics necessary for the low-level design of our world.
• Work alongside art and narrative leadership to design and deliver environments that are in line with the lore and visual goals.
• Along with the production team, create a clear content production schedule for your team.
• Assist the tech team in the definition and delivery of the tools needed to meet the level and world design needs for the project.
• Proactively work with the recruitment team to identify any resources you need to meet the goals of the world’s design.
• Provide line management to the level design team, ensuring 1-on-1’s take place, performance reviews are held, and design team meetings are run regularly.

Requirements

• Someone highly experienced in level design who has shipped at least one high-profile title.
• A passionate gamer, preferably with a love for open-world and online games.
• An experienced lead who will ensure design workload is delivered on time and to quality.
• You have a demonstrable experience of delivering high quality level content in your previous work.
• A team member who can develop productive, lasting relationships across all disciplines.
• Motivated, flexible and approachable. You will champion quality across the team.
• An individual with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

How you will grow

At Sharkmob we want you to be the best you can be. That is why in this role we will help you to learn and develop skills in:

• Taking ownership of the delivery of all world and level design content from the London studio for a big budget, online title.
• Enhancing the world and level design over time, post-release, based on the feedback of our playing community.
• Identifying the support you need and ultimately building a team to provide it.
• Playing a key role in a AAA team through proof of concept, pre-production and production.
• Managing the more junior members of your team to ensure delivery goals are consistently met.

Sharkmob London is a brand-new AAA studio in the heart of London, with aspirations to build one of the largest and most creatively ambitious development teams in the world. Just like the original Sharkmob studio in Malmö, Sharkmob London was founded by a team of industry veterans. As a part of Tencent Games we have the experience, backing, and ambition to build the games of the future!

At Sharkmob, we are committed to building an inclusive team that represents diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skillsets – because we believe that helps us create great games. We welcome all candidates that are aligned with our core values of shared ownership, smart decisions and last but not least – having fun!

Remuneration and benefits

• Competitive salaries based on up-to-date data from external benchmarking providers & reviewed annually.
• 30 days annual leave, in addition to all UK Bank Holidays.
• Hybrid work-from-home policy.
• Discretionary annual performance-based bonus.
• Private pension (10% total, up to 5% individual contribution matched by Sharkmob).
• BUPA private Healthcare, Cigna dental cover, life insurance scheme and income protection policy.
• £425 yearly preventative healthcare allowance.
• Core studio hours 10:00-16:00 with 1 'wellness hour' to be used per week.
• Daily breakfasts, snacks & refreshments at the studio.
• VISA sponsorship (individual & dependents).
• Relocation assistance for people outside the UK (1 month accommodation, flights/travel paid for, £2,500 logistics/removal costs reimbursed).
• Assistance for people relocating within the UK (up to £2,000 to spend on travel into London for flat viewings and moving vans/couriers).