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Studio Design Director - SUMO SHEFFIELD
4 years ago
We build ground-breaking games and content for some of the world’s biggest publishers including Microsoft, Sony, Apple and Sega. Sheffield is our largest studio and headquarters, situated just north-east of the city centre, where we’ve built and contributed to some of the world’s best-loved game franchises.
It’s an exciting time to be part of Sumo , winners of the Develop: Star Awards 2019 Best Studio ; big things are on the horizon and we want you to be part of our continued journey. Join us!
The role @ Sumo
We need a design leader to join us in our Sheffield studio and spearhead the design discipline on all projects across the studio. Reporting to the Studio Director, you will also be a key participant in the strategy for the studio.
As part of the Studio Leadership team you will be responsible for the processes and philosophy through which each of our titles execute against their individual product goals.
Work with each of the project’s Design Directors to help define the vision and pillars for their respective products then support them throughout the product’s development cycle to ensure their titles are delivered on time and to quality.
Within this role you will:
- DESIGN DIRECTION ~ work with all design leadership teams to establish a product vision and strong product pillars to guide the design of projects across the studio. Touch base with the teams regularly to ensure pillars and vision are being upheld throughout development.
- KNOWLEDGE ~ has broad knowledge in all areas of game production, introducing new tools, design trends and workflows across all projects.
- MENTOR ~ coaches, inspires and directs the design leadership teams on all projects.
- BEST PRACTICES ~ ensure that best design practices are implemented and optimized across all teams in the Sheffield studio.
- RESOURCE PLANNING ~ determine design resource needs, budget & composition; recruit, build and arrange training across all design teams in the Sheffield studio.
- COMMUNICATE ~ ensure that the design vision, across all projects, is being effectively communicated to the teams, to Studio Leadership and to our customers.
- DOCUMENTATION ~ supervise the creation and maintenance of detailed, high production value design documentation, across all projects.
- PROTOTYPING ~ work with design leadership teams to establish prototyping goals based on core design needs and design unknowns for all projects.
- REVIEW ~ be the design sign-off for the development framework, you will review & feedback on all titles currently in production across the studio.
- STRATEGY ~ actively contribute to the strategy and goal setting for the Sheffield studio with a focus on, but not limited to, the design discipline.
We will need you to have:
- Full cycle experience as a Design Director, on at least 1 shipped AAA title.
- Demonstrable, hands on design skills. Preferably across multiple design sub-disciplines.
- Excellent man-management skills.
- Excellent written & verbal communication skills.
- A thorough understanding of current gaming trends and design methodologies.
What we Offer:
Sumo Digital continues to be one of the UK's most prolific game developers, enjoying year on year stability and growth since its founding in 2003.
We have UK studios in Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leamington Spa, The Chinese Room in Brighton and Red Kite Games in Leeds, along with Sumo Video Games in Pune, India.
We offer a superb benefits package including generous holidays and flexi-time. We care about our people, with an emphasis on the work/life balance and out-of-office events such as our legendary annual Sumo ‘Big Day Out’, plus epic Christmas parties and much more! Our regular studio Game Jams are a highlight - winning concepts can go on to commercial release, so far including Snake Pass and the upcoming Spyder for Apple Arcade.
Sheffield itself offers all the benefits of a big city with a village attitude. Renowned for its friendly inhabitants and green spaces, Sheffield is a phenomenal place to live and work whether you’re just starting out in your career, or if you’re looking to establish roots and family. The city includes world-class sporting facilities, stunning theatres and galleries, the National Video Game Museum, shopping and restaurants, and a third of the city lies inside the stunning Peak District National Park, offering easy access to incredible recreation and history.
Our Sheffield studio is adjacent to the Meadowhall shopping centre and its rail, tram and bus links and to the M1 motorway, making for an easy commute from places like Leeds and Nottingham.
Our environment is relaxed, friendly and built on every team member having the opportunity to shine and have real, meaningful input into the games that we create. We pride ourselves on our positive atmosphere and sociable team who regularly partake in shared interest groups, lunchtime and after-work clubs, and charity fundraising events.
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