Studio Design Director

Smoking Gun Interactive Inc.; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading game development studio in Vancouver is looking for a Studio Design Director to set the design direction of gameplay experiences. This role requires over 10 years of experience and a track record of shipping AAA titles. The candidate will lead design vision, manage teams, and collaborate with studio management. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits, contributing to innovative gaming experiences.

Benefits

10 days vacation leave

5 paid days personal leave

7 paid sick days

5 paid parental leave days

Life Insurance

RRSP matching

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in a Design Leadership role.
• Experience shipping at least three AAA quality titles.
• Able to manage and mentor design teams effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and champion the design vision for projects.
• Collaborate with management to ensure product vision consistency.
• Pitch new game ideas to external clients.

Skills

Game design vision

Team management

Game systems knowledge

Player psychology understanding

Communication skills

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Jira

Confluence

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Company Description

Smoking Gun Interactive, a Keywords Studio, is an industry-leading game development studio founded in 2007 by award-winning industry veterans. SGI is fearless in creating IP and boldly partners with renowned brands to develop a wide range of world-class, immersive titles and interactive experiences that resonate with strategy gamers worldwide and entertain millions of casual players every day.

Job Overview

As a passionate, experienced and visionary Studio Design Director with Smoking Gun Interactive (SGI), you're a key leadership role responsible for setting the design direction of our gameplay experiences, championing design quality across all projects, and developing the design team's talent and capabilities.

You work closely with studio leadership to pitch new compelling, innovative and genre-defining experiences. You have experience shipping multiple AAA quality titles on different platforms and excel at high-level direction and team management, with a deep passion for gameplay, systems and storytelling.

This is a permanent full-time position based in our Downtown Vancouver office. Candidates must be currently located or willing relocate to the Greater Vancouver Area with the expectation to be able to come into the office as needed and eligible to work in Canada.

Requirements

In this role, you will:

• Develop, communicate and champion the design vision for new and existing projects ensuring a consistent, player-centered experience across all titles
• Collaborate with Studio Management to deliver and drive a cohesive product vision
• Work with leadership to ensure the vision is achievable within the project constraints
• Generate and pitch new game ideas to external clients.
• Ideas must consider innovation vs reuse, scope/budget/schedule, commercial viability and target audiences
• Represent the design perspective in studio planning, product pitches, and publisher/development partner meetings
• Partner with Studio Head and recruiting to attract world-class design talent
• Working with Studio Management and leads to provide feedback and ensure consistency of the product vision among all aspects of design, art, audio, narrative, UI/UX, monetization and marketing
• Provide high-level oversight on all game design elements, including core mechanics, systems, level design, balance, and UX
• Manage senior and lead designers, fostering professional development and ownership
• Establish design principles and best practices that elevate gameplay, progression, narrative, and player engagement
• Lead and participate in concepting, prototyping, and playtesting new game features and mechanics
• Evaluate and iterate on designs based on player feedback, telemetry, and design KPIs
• Guide major design milestones from pre-production through post-launch live service
  
  

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• 10+ years of experience in a Design Leadership role on mobile, PC or console products.
• Shipped at least three titles of AAA quality in a Design Leadership role
• Taken games all the way from initial concept to live operations
• Deep understanding of game systems, level design, progression, player psychology
• Expertise in both Premium and Freemium game mechanics, KPI's, and monetization strategies
• Proven experience in pitching, landing and developing game ideas from conception to market
• Strong ability to drive vision and communicate it across teams of varying disciplines
• Experience managing and mentoring diverse design teams of all levels
• Proficiency in modern game engines (e.g. Unreal Engine, Unity, proprietary) and collaborative tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence)
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills; able to pitch ideas clearly to internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks
• A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed - demonstrated ability to work independently
• Willingness to push the envelope and innovate within game parameters
• Experience with Word, Excel, Photoshop
• A positive attitude and a great team-player
  
  

It would also be helpful if you had:

• Multi-platform development experience (ideally, Mobile, PC and console)
• Familiarity with user research, player data analysis, and telemetry tools
• Passion for innovation in gameplay, narrative systems, or player expression
  
  

Benefits

• 10 days vacation leave
• 5 paid days personal leave
• 7 paid sick days
• 5 paid parental leave days
• Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Extended Healthcare Benefit
• Dental Care
• RRSP matching
• Training & Development
  
  

Salary Range: $150,000 - $170,000 CAD

Smoking Gun Interactive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran's status, age or disability.

Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice athttps://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice.

Role Information: EN

Studio: Smoking Gun

Location: Americas, Canada, Vancouver

Area of Work: Game Development

Service: Create

Employment Type: Full Time

Working Pattern: Remote, Hybrid