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Lead Systems Designer

Phoenix Labs is looking for a Lead Systems Designer to join our new game initiative in our Los Angeles studio.

This role will champion the systems design, working on an early stage game with a small and nimble interdisciplinary team of designers, programmers, artists, and production staff to shape one of our next game IP’s. The successful candidate will have strong communication skills and a passion for collaborative problem solving in an R&D environment.

Phoenix Labs is a dynamic and iterative environment. We pride ourselves on our ability to continuously improve and do hard things. People are our most important asset, and we look for each new person to add to our mosaic culture. Our goal is to be a place where a diverse group of driven, collaborative, and empathetic developers can do their best work.

This role is a full-time, permanent position in our Los Angeles studio. Currently, our team is working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll continue to follow local government guidelines to keep our team safe. However, once we’re able to return to normal work conditions, this role will be onsite in Los Angeles, CA.

Responsibilities:

• Champion and shepherd the game’s system design, collaborating with the rest of the team to nail down the game’s core systems and experiences.
• Pitch, design, prototype, implement, and iterate systems that help inform the game concept using a wide range of tools.
• Iterate on systems by running playtests, evaluating feedback, reviewing data, and proposing and implementing updates.
• Regularly facilitate discussions and brainstorming sessions on system designs.
• Can be relied on to effectively manage, support, and grow other designers.
• Remain current on game industry trends including new games and game genres, emerging game design methods and techniques.

Required:

• Extensive experience in professional game design.
• Strong sense of key components of a fun and compelling player experience for a game system.
• Deep experience and proficiency in designing and implementing progression and engagement systems in-engine.
• Experienced at using data and analytics to inform game and systems tuning.
• Self-starter who is comfortable working in an early stage R&D environment with a small, collaborative, cross-functional team on an ambiguous and evolving problem space.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Shipped or worked on at least one AAA+ online game.
• Can create and iterate complex game systems, and anticipate player impact and downstream effects.
• Experience leading and growing a team of designers.
• Passion for video games, with a relentless thirst for learning from playing them.

Preferred:

• Experience in social systems, meta-game systems, and/or monetization.
• Experience with Unreal Engine.
• Proficiency at scripting in game engines.
• Experience working on a multi-platform game.
• Experience working on a live product.