Game Designer (Console)

Sports Interactive (SI); Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare and Dental Plans

Gym Membership options

Travel Insurance for you and family

Mental health support and coaching

Job summary

Sports Interactive in London is seeking a talented Game Designer to join the FM Console and FM Touch teams, shaping feature designs, systems and interfaces to deepen Football Manager. You will collaborate with UI/UX, narrative designers, and engineers, document specs, prototype, playtest, and balance content in Unity, delivering high-quality features for multiple platforms.

The role values initiative, strong communication, and a passion for football and game development within a welcoming Here

Qualifications

• Systems-driven game designer with an appreciation for depth, replayability and simulation-heavy topics.
• Autonomous and proactive, taking ownership of gameplay features and systems while championing high standards of gameplay quality.
• Experience designing for multiple platforms, with awareness of console and mobile constraints.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for effective collaboration with UX/UI designers, software engineers, QA, artists, animators and producers.
• Familiar with UX design principles and best practices.
• Passionate about football and video game development.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of gameplay features and systems to deliver high-quality Football Manager experiences.
• Collaborate with UI/UX and Narrative designers on feature proposals and definitions.
• Document features and systems through detailed technical specifications for engineering teams.
• Present design proposals to design stakeholders and incorporate feedback.
• Act as a conduit for cross-team communication to ensure navigation and functionality across platforms.
• Propose ideas to build a high-quality feature roadmap based on player feedback.
• Champion quality through prototyping, playtesting and game reviews with cross-disciplinary teams.
• Implement content, balance systems and tune data in Unity where appropriate.
• Support QA with detailed test plans for features.

Job description

Founded in 1994, Sports Interactive became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA Europe in 2006. Based at the Here East technology hub in Stratford, East London, the SI team continues to expand as we bring our titles to an ever-growing audience across an increasing variety of platforms.

To support our growth, we welcome the opportunity to connect with passionate people with the drive to match our ambitions and initiative to realise your individual potential.

Job Title: Game Designer (Console)

Team: Game Designer (FMC)

Reporting into: Advanced Game Designer

Location: Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E15 2GW

Position Overview

Sports Interactive are looking for a talented Game Designer to join the studio and work on the Football Manager franchise with a specific focus on the FM Console and FM Touch products.

As a Game Designer, you will be responsible for creating and guiding the latest feature designs for Football Manager projects. Typical activities will include features definition, systems, and interfaces; aiming to feed our football simulation with more quality, depth and authenticity.

You will join an ambitious and passionate team who care deeply about delivering an outstanding Football Manager experience for our players.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic, self-motivated, and creative individual with great communication skills, solid design methodology, and the ability to champion ideas from inception to delivery at pace within a cross-disciplinary team.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the design of gameplay features and systems to deliver the highest quality Football Manager experience.
• Collaborate closely with UI/UX and Narrative designers on feature proposals and definitions.
• Document features and systems through detailed and rigorous technical specifications to guide implementation from engineering teams.
• Present design proposals to the key design stakeholders and consider feedback from colleagues.
• Act as a conduit for cross team communication ensuring the navigation and functionality of our various platforms is always given the greatest of consideration.
• Communicate progress, risks and opportunities to the Production and Design Teams.
• Propose key ideas and game improvements to production and design leads to help build a high-quality feature roadmap, considering player feedback.
• Champion the quality of the game through prototyping, playtesting and game reviews with cross-disciplinary teams.
• Implement content, tune data and help balance systems directly in Unity when appropriate.
• Support the QA department to write detailed test plans for features.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Systems-driven game designer with an appreciation for depth, replayability and simulation-heavy topics.
• Autonomous and proactive, taking ownership of gameplay features and systems while championing high standards of gameplay quality.
• Experience designing for multiple platforms, with an understanding of the requirements, user experience guidelines and technical constraints of console and mobile platforms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for effective collaboration with UX/UI designers, software engineers, QA, artists, animators and producers.
• Familiar with UX design principles and best practices.
• Passionate about both football and video game development.
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to design.
• Good knowledge of Football Manager.
• Experience working with modern game development tools and engines such as Unity or similar.
• Proficient with Excel and/or other systems-driven tools.
• Proficient in using Figma and Miro to document, communicate and iterate on gameplay features and user experiences.
• Experience contributing to finished high-quality projects in the simulation or management genre (no matter the scale), and/or projects related to football
• Computer science, game design or other relevant educational background would be beneficial

Benefits of Working at Sports Interactive:

• Private Healthcare and Dental Plans.
• A range of Gym Membership options through our Benefits partners.
• Travel Insurance for yourself and your family.
• Subsidised mental health, therapy, and coaching sessions are available.
• Access to our on-site physical and massage therapist services.
• Free access to games released under the SEGA Europe umbrella.
• Contributory Pension Scheme (up to 7% of annual salary).
• Regular events in collaboration with our partnered football clubs.
• Free onsite evening bar in our London HQ.
• A well-stocked breakfast bar with cereals, fruits, teas, and coffees.
• Multiple clubs and societies to join e.g., book club and art workshops.
• Your club's shirt personalised upon passing probation.
• Trophies & gift cards for length of service milestones.
• Cupcakes delivered on your birthday.

What is it like to work here?

We approach everything with passion, whether that is making our mark on the football industries or doing our bit for the world around us. We want to share that outlook with everyone who shows up to work here each day.

For us, talent wins games, but teamwork wins titles. All our roles require a level of Studio attendance to help us collaborate effectively and stay connected as a team. Collaboration is the key to constantly topping our best. Everyone's contribution counts, no matter which part of the business you are in. We encourage and support our people in driving your own growth and realising your full potential. But, more than anything else, we are a team. A team with a down-to-earth dynamic, that has a lot of fun doing what we do.

And whether that's technical tweaks or fine-tuning our creative process, everything is geared at producing the best game possible for our players. To do that, we need to be tenacious and ambitious and not be afraid of switching things up. It is these principles that have enabled us to produce a game that has defined year after year, and that will continue to push us for many more to come.

We're also a London Living Wage employer and boast one of the lowest staff turnover rates in the industry.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from any relevant candidate irrespective of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief.

SI is proudly a Disability Confident Committed employer, and we are dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Our studio has disabled access and facilities but please ensure you advise us if you require any other reasonable adjustments to be made to support you during the recruitment process.

Our Values:

• Keep collaborating: Teamwork wins titles - Here, ideas belong to everyone, whatever department you're part of. Collaboration lets us score more as a team than we could individually.
• Be flexible: We think fast and adapt faster. The football and entertainment worlds never stand still, so we keep progressing and switching things up to stay ahead.
• Stay Tenacious: We don't overlook the details. Everything we do is about producing the best game possible, in other words, never settle.
• Show Ambition: Let your drive lead the way - Your individual outlook can give everyone the edge. Make the studio's purpose personal and let your drive lead the way.
• Bring the Passion: Have fun doing your thing - Don't be fooled, what we do is not a game. Making our players' passion come to life is our passion.
• Consider the Bigger Picture: Keep things in perspective - We want our impact to be a positive one. From built-in work/life balance to initiatives covering the most important topics of today, we have what matters in focus.