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World Design Director

Our goal is a combination of best-in-class combat and exploration spaces to create a living world of possibility that will deeply immerse players.

We are looking for someone with:

• A drive and passion for creating meaningful and inspiring areas that players will want to explore
• Excellent knowledge of the competition and the methods they use to create open-world play spaces
• Good respect for combat spaces and the metrics used in their construction enable dynamic and compelling battle spaces
• The ability to operate both at a high world level but also at the low encounter-based level
• High-level awareness of environmental storytelling and knowing how to enrich the locations with this

What the role involves:

Working hand in hand with the art and design departments this is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and build your own team on a project where the world is a central part.

• Working with the Creative Director to define, own and champion the project living world pillars and vision.
• Drive the development and creation of high-quality AAA environments
• Be the representative for world design to all other parties.
• Work alongside the combat, AI, and narrative leads to design and implement gameplay enabling playspaces.
• Work alongside Artistic Direction to design a believable and coherent world.
• Balance artistic aspects with technical constraints to align all technical, design, graphic, and narrative features.
• Build up a world-class world and level design team by helping to interview and hire level designers.
• Be the mentor, guide, and leader of your team of handpicked designer
• Provide meaningful feedback to the world design team during a play session
• Create and maintain a prospering level design culture within the world design team.
• Help drive the development of standard-setting world design tools and workflow.
• Ensuring a productive internal workflow and beneficial relationships with external partners.
• Working with other teams to develop immersion enhancing features such as weather and night/day systems

Role requirements:

• Excellent track record - credited on at least 2 shipped games either as Lead level/world director, lead/ senior-level/world designer
• Working knowledge of at least one of the major 3D modeling packages and being able to get hands-on to create environments
• Strong level design skills - capable of defining level metrics and consistently applying them
• Good understanding of what works and doesn’t in leading open-world games - especially how combat spaces and terrain narrative intersect
• Strong communication skills - with the ability to communicate and collaborate across multiple teams
• Ability to lead by example and delegate as required

Good to have:

• Experience with procedural methods of content creation

YOUR LIFE AT SMILEGATE BARCELONA (and PERKS)

• Breakfast in the Office.
• Restaurant Tickets: approx 180 € per month (2.160€/year).
• 23 vacation days per year + Christmas to the new year (the office is closed from 24th December to 2nd January).
• Fully stocked studio kitchen (Nescafe coffee, organic fruits, snacks, and beverages).
• 16 weeks Maternity and Paternity leave
• Hybrid work model (3 days in the office, 2 days work from home) and Flexible Friday.
• Private Health insurance, including dental coverage.
• Incredible office in Barcelona in Torre Glories, 15min from the beach and 1 min from Glories Mall.
• Team Building Events.
• Relocation Package with VISA support.

We value diversity and as an equal opportunity employer we encourage applications from all suitable applicants. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.