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Senior Level Designer - Star Wars

Zynga is proud to announce the opening of a brand-new game development studio in Austin, TX. The studio will partner with NaturalMotion, a Zynga-subsidiary, to develop a premiere mobile action game set in the Star Wars universe. The new Austin studio will collaborate closely with BossAlien, a division of NaturalMotion, and an award-winning games developer based out of Brighton, England.

If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Your passion and experience for building original games will be instrumental as we bring together a brand-new collective of developers to take on next-generation thinking and innovative products. As a studio leader, you will act as a key bridge in tight and effective collaboration with your UK-based counterparts.

This is a rare opportunity to play a part in the foundation of Zynga’s first action games studio in North America, and to make your mark on a brand-new franchise in the Star Wars universe and the future of mobile gaming.

About the position

The ideal candidate is a proven level designer with firsthand experience creating engaging and vibrant levels.

They are a passionate fan of the action and shooter genres, and understand what makes their favorite maps and levels great, from well-placed chokepoints to smartly constructed player flow. They can apply these learnings to new levels in our world, and own the creation/vision of those levels from the first moodboard images to coordinating with art for final art polish.

They are a proponent of designing through constant playtest and iteration, and are gracious and adept at taking constructive feedback and applying it to their level designs. They are a natural storyteller, not with words but with the game environment itself. They know that storytelling is a function of visual elements, emergent gameplay moments, and the interaction of systems and environments in novel ways that continually surprise and delight the player.

This role reports to the Associate Director of Level Design in Austin, TX.

In this role, you will

• Own the level design process and vision from concept to completion for multiple levels, from ideation and moodboarding, through greyboxing/blockout, to coordinating with environment art for final art polish.

• Work alongside engineering to communicate, prototype, and explore new concepts and level features within the game.

• Work with art, creative leadership, and other designers to create environments that adhere to the vision for the game.

• Take constructive feedback from repeated play to “find the fun” and craft AAA quality levels.

• Solicit, organize, and distill feedback from within the team and the broader organization.

• Help organize, collaborate, brainstorm, and prototype new features and level ideas.

• Grow with the business; stretch yourself and learn new skills and domains.

• Have fun; we’re making games!

Desired Skills/Experience

• Proficiency in Unreal

• 5+ years of professional level design experience

• Experience designing levels for multiplayer action/shooter games

• Blueprint scripting or other scripting experience preferred

• Desire to continue to learn and grow as a designer, take critique, be humble, and respectful of peers

• Excellent communication, analysis, and brainstorming skills

What we offer you:

• Competitive salary, bonus plan, Zynga RSU’s (Restricted Stock Units), ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)
• 401K Company Match Contribution
• Medical, dental, vision, EAP, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Virtual mental health and neurodiversity support programs
• Family planning support program
• Generous paid maternity/parental leave
• Subsidized Back-up child care
• Discretionary Time Off policy for many employees
• Flexible working hours on many teams
• Culture of diversity and inclusion including employee resource groups
• Work with cool people and impact millions of daily players

Zynga is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud of our diverse community; we do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome candidates, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds. Join us!

Zynga will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

Zynga is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, please let us know.

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