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Senior/Lead Narrative Designer

4 years ago

Blackbird Interactive is looking for a full time Senior/Lead Narrative Designer to help with our latest project.

You are....

A narrative designer : you’ve worked in games for a while now and you understand that constructing and implementing an effective narrative consists of far more than just writing a cool plot and kick-ass cutscenes. There are restrictions to be acknowledged and opportunities to be seized and techniques to be mastered in order for a narrative to mesh fully with gameplay and become as effective as possible.

A professional team player : you’ve been at this long enough to know that it’s a collaborative process, and so you’re always open to feedback and constructive debate; you're a diplomatic communicator, both within your own team and as you coordinate with others; you can take direction even when you have reservations, and execute on the tasks given with professional vigour and enthusiasm.

A confident leader : you are able to lead a cross discipline team of designers, artists, and engineers to develop tools, workflows, and quality standards for a non-linear, open world, narrative experience. You are comfortable defining and allocating tasks, coordinating with production, reviewing work and providing feedback.

Detail oriented : you can manage a large number of documents, organize them, communicate the content to other team members, all-the-while understanding the details of the full narrative so they can be conveyed and discussed with team members at a moments notice.

Responsibilities

Write story treatments, character bios, VO dialogue, cinematic scripts, casting documents, world building backstories, and other support materials as needed
Work closely with game designers to merge narrative with gameplay
Design and implement non-sequential spatial stories that tie progression and overall player experience together
Work with multidisciplinary team members, including the directors group and other designers, to help define and deliver on the creative vision
Develop narrative techniques and systems that will aid in the execution of our story inside the game space
Manage scripts and other dialogue related documentation, ensuring they are up to date, easy to access, and clear
Understand story requirements and deliver on the essential story and gameplay goals
Respond to feedback from creative leadership, design, audio, and production to enhance the narrative, clarify concerns, and facilitate the development process
Present collaborative solutions for adjustments as conflicts arise

Requirements

5+ years of game development experience as a narrative designer
Shipped at least one AAA game title working as a narrative designer
Understand the process of both game and narrative development, including how audio, art, level design and other disciplines can affect narrative and how they can be effectively leveraged to deliver a more comprehensive and engaging story
Knowledge of games and interactive storytelling, character development, scriptwriting, and user engagement
Self direction and a proven ability to thrive in a highly dynamic and technical environment
Strong inter-disciplinary & collaboration skills, including verbal and written skills
Excellent creative writing abilities
Be a passionate storyteller with a strong interest in advancing the quality of game narratives
Writing samples, as requested, that exemplify a skill level and proficiency of craft that specifically speaks to the position under consideration

At Blackbird, we're all about being true to our roots. We started small in our CEO's garage, and even though we're expanding, our desire is to stick to that foundation of creativity, community, and collaboration. Our team has proved that great ideas can come from any position in any discipline, so it's important to us to make sure every voice is heard.

Work/life balance is extremely important to us, and we've demonstrated that over the years by severely limiting over-time requirements. We want people to be happy about coming to work every day, and to that end we offer lots of opportunities for growth and development--whether it's lunch and learns, team events, or our generous vacation days, paid holiday closure and flexible schedules. We also try to provide every opportunity possible for our employees to spearhead R&D initiatives through our BlackOps program. In short, don't expect to feel like a cog in a machine working for BBI.

Must be eligible and available for Full Time & On-site work in Vancouver, BC.

Please send a cover letter with your resume and application. If applying for an artistic role, please provide a link to your portfolio and/or demo reel.

Blackbird Interactive is committed to diversity and building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an equal opportunity employer we encourage applications from all qualified individuals. BBI does not discriminate against applicants based on genders, races, national and ethnic origins, religions, ages, sexual orientation, marital and family status, and/or mental or physical disabilities.

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