Associate Game Design Director | Farm Heroes Saga

TN United Kingdom; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Associate Game Design Director to elevate the creative vision for a beloved game. This role involves leading design projects, mentoring a talented team, and fostering a collaborative environment. You will work closely with various stakeholders to enhance player engagement and drive innovative design solutions. Join a vibrant team committed to creativity and diversity, where your contributions will shape the future of gaming and inspire millions of players. If you're passionate about game design and leadership, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in design leadership within casual games.
• Strong understanding of creative functions like Game/Level Design.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Product Lead to define a creative vision.
• Lead Game Design projects from Discovery to Iteration.
• Manage and mentor a diverse team of creative professionals.

Skills

Design Leadership

Game/Level Design

Art Direction

UI/UX Design

Player Research

Economy Design

Data-Informed Decision Making

Communication Skills

Job description

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Associate Game Design Director | Farm Heroes Saga, London

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Client:

King

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

5f2c62a0ed48

Job Views:

6

Posted:

05.05.2025

Expiry Date:

19.06.2025

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Job Description:

Craft: Games Design & Production

Job Description: At Farm Heroes Saga, we don’t just bear the title ‘Heroes’ – we embody it. We’re the proud minds behind 360 million global downloads and a thriving community of 5 million daily players. As Kingsters, we don’t just play games; we live them. Our team’s commitment to creativity, diversity, and collaboration has made Farm Heroes Saga the third biggest game at King. With the combined strength of an established brand and our steadfast drive to improve the game, the possibilities for growth are limitless. Just as our game uplifts millions, our workspace thrives on empowering each member, celebrating our unique backgrounds, and sharing findings daily. Join us on this journey where fun meets passion; every day is a new level to conquer.

Your role in the Kingdom:

We have an exciting opportunity for an Associate Game Design Director to join our team, whose primary focus will be to elevate the creative vision for our game and develop the creative talents of our team members. You will also be responsible for improving creative aspects of our game, growing our audience, and forging stronger connections with our players to boost engagement. In this role, you will collaborate closely with the game's leadership team and multidisciplinary team members.

Your responsibilities would include:

1. Report into and collaborate with the Product Lead to define and craft a creative vision for the core gameplay, ensuring alignment with the game strategy and objectives.
2. Lead Game Design projects in your domain area, overseeing the end-to-end process from Discovery, Testing, to Iteration.
3. Manage and mentor a team of dedicated representatives from various creative crafts (such as game designers, UX designers, and level designers), fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
4. Collaborate with craft leaders to create a supportive environment that enables team members’ growth, and coach, support, and challenge other leaders to contribute to this.
5. Develop and oversee design processes and standard methodologies, ensuring high-quality design, processes, and creative elements across the game. Translate insights from User Research, Market Research, Data Analysis, and A/B Tests into robust game design solutions.
6. Align with UX, Level Design, Developers, Producers, and Product Managers to build a roadmap of features that positively impacts our players. Bridge the gap between roles, ensuring smooth communication and a fluid design process.
7. Champion creative excellence within the team, driving design innovation and ensuring a player-focused approach to all aspects of game development. Actively seek feedback from team members to ensure inclusive participation in the design processes.

Skills to Create Thrills:

1. Proven experience in design leadership within the free-to-play casual games industry, including live game development and operations.
2. Strong understanding of creative functions such as Game/Level Design, Art, UI, UX, Player Research, and Economy Design.
3. Excellent people leadership and line management skills aimed at mentoring and growing creative teams, motivating and inspiring them to reach their full potential.
4. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in an agile environment and influence stakeholders.
5. Attention to detail and hands-on approach, with a focus on well-documented creative processes and treatments for features.
6. Solid knowledge of the games market and current consumer expectations.
7. Comfortable with metrics and data-informed decision-making.

About King:

King is the developer behind the world-famous Candy Crush franchise and other mobile hits like Farm Heroes, Bubble Witch, and Pet Rescue. Our mission – Making the World Playful – drives us to create innovative experiences and elevate gaming. Our curiosity, passion, respect, and love for our players push us to advance the art and science of gaming.

A Great Saga Needs All Sorts of Heroes:

We believe diversity fuels creativity. We craft games for everyone, employing people from all backgrounds to bring them to life. We cannot expect diversity in our players and originality in our games without nurturing it in our team.

Making the World Playful:

Our goal is to create new experiences and raise the bar in gaming. We value curiosity, passion, respect, and fun, and believe that enjoying what we do makes us better. Join us if you share our passion, values, and ambition to shape the future of gaming.