Schell Games is a highly talented group of artists, programmers, producers, and game designers led by game industry veteran Jesse Schell. We're the largest full-service education and entertainment game development company in the United States. Since 2002, we've worked with world-class clients and partners to create interactive experiences that engage and inspire players of all ages across all platforms. Presently, we are focused on virtual reality, augmented reality, location-based experiences, and social games.
Do you like to work on innovative projects in a motivating, friendly atmosphere? Would you agree that games can engage and inspire?
If you answered "YES!" to both questions, you might be a fit for our studio!
SENIOR GAME DESIGN POSITION
We are seeking a Senior Game Designer to establish and guide the vision for a wide variety of guest experiences. The ideal candidate has good instincts for game design and innovative gameplay, excels in leadership roles, enjoys mentoring designers in earlier stages of their careers, can balance between creativity and production, and is collaborative in an agile development environment.
EXPECTATIONS OF SENIOR-LEVEL ROLES AT SCHELL GAMES:
You are an expert in your discipline and share your knowledge with the studio. You have formed strong relationships inside and outside of the studio that allow you to leverage your expertise for the greatest impact. You think strategically about your craft and contribute heavily to your discipline community. You can be relied upon by your department leadership to represent your craft discipline.
You consistently build highly productive relationships by respecting your team members and clients, while effectively giving and addressing feedback. You set a high bar for delivery and hold others accountable, leveling up your team. You do this by demonstrating humility and empathy, building others' trust in you, and defaulting to trusting others. You maintain composure in the face of change and challenges.
You are deeply familiar with development methodologies and best practices. You identify and help improve faulty processes. You help solve problems. You drive consensus and move your projects toward their goals. You recognize and build off others' contributions.
Others consistently look to you as a leader (whether or not you are formally in that role). You quickly resolve conflicts, involving yourself or among others. You use empathy to seek understanding and common ground. You are a prime example to others of what a member of your discipline should be, and you actively promote those values. You respect and empathize with your colleagues and clients.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
- Synthesis: Unite the game team by engaging the team’s skills and experience and focusing effort towards game design goals; either overtly as a design lead or supportingly as a contributor.
- Features: Design and iterate game features and UX that connect high level goals to specific, implementable mechanics and sequences that realize the vision.
- Balance: Iterate, balance, and adjust gameplay elements based on internal feedback, playtest results, and data about player behavior.
- Leadership: Manage, mentor, and/or train designers or other team members as appropriate.
- Collaboration: Effectively communicate with multidisciplinary collaborators and stakeholders to scope, pipeline, and implement designs from paper to final polish.
- Documentation: Draft, maintain, and review internal design documentation, including feature specifications and implementation guides.
- Prototyping: Demonstrate and test gameplay using tools or scripting to primitively prototype new experiences and ideas.
- Conceptualize Draft client or internal pitches for a variety of game genres and RFPs.
DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
- Relevant education plus 10+ years of industry user-centered game design or equivalent user-focused design experience
- Demonstrated success designing and creating compelling gameplay
- Experience managing or mentoring other designers
- Ability to work collaboratively to support other designers, art & tech team members
- Strong knowledge of prototyping best practices
- Strong knowledge of playtesting best practices
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Comfortable working in Google Docs
BONUS:
- Experience or desire to work on VR/MR/AR platforms
- Multiplayer or social game design experience
- Working knowledge of Unity, Unreal Engine, Roblox, or other game engines (extra bonus for a degree in computer science or mastery of technical design in a game engine)
- A specialty in one or more design areas in addition to all-around design strengths (ex: Narrative Design, Transformational Design, Puzzle Design, Level Design, etc)
- Enjoys innovative, experimental, or weird games
DEI COMMITMENT:
Our studio is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive work environment that ensures that all applicants and team members are treated with dignity and respect. We will not tolerate any type of discrimination or harassment directed at any applicant or employee because of their sex, gender, gender identity, race, religion, age, disability, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, veteran, family or parental status or any other protected group characteristic. This equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy applies to all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training.
Prohibiting discrimination and harassment is only one part of the equation. “ Diversity makes us strong ” is more than just something we say. We value diversity in all forms because it is essential to our success, and we want every member of our team to feel their best creative self. Our development environment and social culture are based on welcoming, respecting, and celebrating differences among our team members and our players. We rely on each person to add their own unique skills and perspective to our culture. Every member of our team is responsible for making the studio as inclusive and equitable as possible.
Return to the studio's home page .
The candidate selected for this position will be subject to standard employment verification and criminal background check upon offer of contingent employment.