Expert Technical Designer

2K; Burnaby; On-site; CAD 118,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Small Axe Studios in Burnaby, BC, part of 2K, is seeking an Expert Technical Designer to bridge design and engineering, prototype gameplay, and build robust content workflows.

You will own technical implementation, mentor other designers, lead a team, collaborate with engineers, animators, and UI/UX, and help scale systems for a sports-focused core fantasy experience.

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in technical design or related gameplay implementation roles.
• Deep expertise with scripting systems (e.g., Unreal Blueprint).
• Proven ability to implement complex gameplay systems from prototype through ship.
• Strong understanding of game systems, mechanics, and their interactions.

Responsibilities

• Prototype and implement gameplay systems from design to ship.
• Own technical implementation of features with collaboration across disciplines.
• Optimize workflows and tooling for faster iteration and fewer bugs.
• Mentor and support other designers, reviewing implementations and removing blockers.
• Lead a team of technical designers and coordinate with engineering, art, and production.

Skills

Unreal Blueprint

Gameplay scripting

Debugging

Documentation

Collaboration with engineers

Leadership

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 2023, Small Axe Studios is 2K's newest stand-alone studio, built to push the boundaries of game development and bring 2K's next groundbreaking sports franchise to life. Headquartered in Burnaby, we are assembling a world-class team of visionaries, builders, and passionate gamers who thrive on creative collaboration, technical excellence, and bold ideas. At Small Axe Studios, we believe big things start with sharp focus-and we're crafting an exceptional, player-first experience from the ground up. If you're ready to tackle unique challenges, leave your mark on a brand-new IP, and help shape the future of interactive sports entertainment, we want you on our team!

What We Need

We're looking for an experienced and versatile Expert Technical Designer to help drive the implementation and iteration of our gameplay systems and features. You will play a key role in bridging the gap between design and engineering-prototyping features, building robust content workflows, and ensuring technical feasibility for our sports-focused core fantasy experience.

As an Expert Technical Designer, you'll work across disciplines to bring features to life-from paper design to implementation-and guide the team in crafting flexible, scalable systems. You'll be instrumental in building our toolsets, scripting gameplay behaviors, and helping define the future of how we build and iterate on gameplay content.

This role reports to the Design Director (Core Fantasy) and collaborates with engineering, design, and production leadership to deliver compelling, player-driven experiences.

What You'll Do

Prototype and Implement Gameplay Systems

• Design and build functional prototypes in collaboration with engineers and gameplay designers
• Implement and iterate on gameplay mechanics, core loops, and systemic features using visual scripting or other proprietary tools
• Ensure technical feasibility of design solutions while maintaining creative goals

Own Technical Implementation of Features

• Collaborate with designers to translate high-level concepts into robust in-game behaviors and systems
• Script game logic, define system flows, and integrate features into live builds
• Act as a technical point-of-contact for feature teams, identifying dependencies and integration risks early

Optimize Workflows and Tool Usage

• Partner with tools engineers to improve designer workflows and content pipelines
• Develop best practices and reusable templates for design teams to improve iteration speed and reduce bugs
• Identify inefficiencies in data structures or tool usage and recommend improvements

Mentor and Support Other Designers

• Provide technical guidance to other designers and help raise the team's scripting and tool proficiency
• Review and troubleshoot design implementations and help resolve blockers across features
• Champion technical documentation and help maintain a healthy tech design culture

Lead a Team of Technical Designers

• Be a Craft Lead for fellow Technical Designers and lead the hands-on technical approach of implementation
• Take on people management duties for other Technical Designers

Collaborate Across Disciplines

• Work hand-in-hand with engineering to ensure designs are performant, scalable, and shippable
• Partner with animators, audio, and UI/UX teams to deliver features with high-quality execution
• Contribute to design planning, backlog grooming, and prioritization of technical work

Champion the Core Fantasy Vision

• Ensure technical design solutions reinforce the overall player experience goals
• Help prototype and validate systemic interactions that create emergent or player-driven outcomes
• Contribute to creative problem-solving that enables new gameplay opportunities

What Will Make You A Great Fit

• 7+ years experience in technical design or related gameplay implementation roles
• Deep expertise with scripting systems (e.g., Unreal Blueprint)
• Proven ability to implement complex gameplay systems from prototype through ship
• Strong understanding of game systems, mechanics, and their interactions
• Experience working in collaboration with engineers, especially on feature integrations
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and optimization skills
• Strong documentation habits and ability to explain technical solutions to non-technical teammates
• A proactive, collaborative attitude and a passion for empowering creative teams

Beneficial Qualifications

• Experience working on sports games or other systemic titles
• Familiarity with content pipelines, modular design approaches, or data-driven systems
• Experience with tool development or technical design documentation
• Experience in performance profiling and optimization on console/PC
• Background in programming or computer science is a plus

The pay range for this position in British Columbia at the start of employment is expected to be between CAD $118,300 and CAD $175,060 pe