Senior Game Designer - EA SPORTS NHL

EA SPORTS; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 114,000 - 156,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation time (3 weeks per year)

Health & dental coverage

Retirement plan / 401(k) style

Job summary

EA SPORTS NHL is seeking a Senior Game Designer to lead a design pod and own features end-to-end from concept to polish. You will push for high-quality experiences across presentation, core gameplay, and AI-driven systems while collaborating with cross‑functional teams to deliver engaging hockey experiences.

The role requires a strong design leadership background, passion for sports games, and the ability to translate data and market trends into compelling player value.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a game designer on console/AAA titles.
• Experience leading design teams and mentorship.
• Ability to drive features from concept to polish with quality.
• Familiarity with AI/automation in game features and workflows.
• Data-driven design mindset using KPIs and product insights.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end feature vision from inception to delivery.
• Create design docs, pitch decks, and wireframes for cross‑functional teams.
• Lead prototyping, playtests, and iterations to refine gameplay feel.
• Manage and mentor a team of designers, coaching daily.
• Lead design reviews and foster knowledge sharing and growth.
• Incorporate AI and automation to evolve game features and systems.
• Collaborate with Production, Audio, Art, UI/UX, and Engineering.
• Analyze broadcasts and player data to shape creative direction.

Skills

Game design

Leadership

AI foundations

Data-driven design

Communication

Job description

Description & RequirementsElectronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Description & RequirementsElectronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen. Senior Game Designer - EA SPORTS™ NHL EA SPORTS NHL has revolutionized sports gaming for millions of players worldwide. We’ve pioneered award-winning creative technology and experiences to connect players to the speed, skill, and heart of the NHL. The EA SPORTS NHL franchise is founded on passion and new ideas. Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, the team is composed of diverse talent dedicated to creating on-ice experiences that connect gamers around the world through play. If you're a creative pioneer with a passion for your craft, this will be more than a job. It’ll be what you love. At EA, Game Designers are responsible for crafting the product. They are the individuals who take initial ideas and find the fun in experiences that surprise and delight millions of gamers around the world. As a Senior Game Designer on the development team, you will report to the Game Design Director and manage a pod of designers to deliver high-quality experiences across defined areas of the product. You will be a versatile self-starter, taking end-to-end ownership to drive the vision for diverse features, from immersive presentation and broadcast components to core gameplay systems. You will adopt and build upon AI and automation foundations to create evolutionary changes in how we construct our game. By remaining adaptable and striving for the highest possible quality, you will be empowered to chase and own features across whatever areas the franchise requires to succeed.

Your Responsibilities

• End-to-End Ownership: Act as a self-starter to drive the vision for features from inception to completion, striving for the absolute best quality possible in every experience you own.
• Clear Communication: Create and maintain comprehensive design documentation, pitch decks, and wireframes to clearly communicate feature vision and mechanics to cross‑functional teams and leadership.
• Iterative Design: Champion a culture of prototyping and iteration, actively participating in playtests and using peer feedback to refine and polish game feel and mechanics.
• Team Leadership: Manage, mentor, and grow a team of designers, actively shaping their careers and providing daily coaching.
• Design Excellence: Lead and participate in design reviews, fostering a culture of constructive critique, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement within the design discipline.
• Evolutionary Design Approach: Adopt AI and automation foundations to drive evolutionary changes in how we construct game features, from dynamic commentary and broadcast packages to next‑gen gameplay systems.
• Adaptable & Utilitarian Design: Maintain a flexible approach with the ability to expand and adapt to different areas of the product, tackling core game systems, UX flows, presentation features, or game modes as the needs of the franchise evolve.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with Production, Audio, Art, UI/UX, and Engineering to ensure all features and sequences are flawlessly integrated at a high quality.
• Data-Informed Vision: Analyze real‑world sports broadcasts, market trends, and player behavior to form a creative vision aligned with business goals.

Your Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Game Designer working with internal teams on console/AAA game development, including shipping high-quality titles from concept to completion.
• Direct experience in personnel management, coaching, and developing design talent.
• Demonstrated ability as a highly motivated self-starter who consistently pushes for top‑tier quality from pitch to final polish.
• Familiarity with adopting AI foundations or automation logic to evolve game features, provide more player value, and improve game development workflows.
• Familiarity with data‑driven design methodologies, including working with KPIs and product insights to make informed design decisions.
• Valued Asset: Experience in sports game presentation, broadcast styling, or scripting dynamic commentary systems.
• Proven versatility in tackling diverse design challenges and adapting to varying product needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• This will be an onsite hybrid role at the EA Burnaby campus.

Pay Transparency - North America

Compensation And Benefits

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$114,300 - $156,200 CAD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA. For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth. We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well‑being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.