Head of Studio - nDreams Studio Compass

nDreams; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading VR gaming studio is seeking a Head of Studio to lead their innovative Compass studio in Farnborough. You will oversee the studio's creative and financial health while driving the mission to create engaging VR games for a youthful audience. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in game development leadership and a passion for fostering inclusive team environments. This role comes with flexible hours, great perks, and a commitment to diversity.

Benefits

Flexible hours

Birthday off

Health insurance

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading game development teams and shipping titles, ideally in VR.
• Experience in agile methodologies and team management.
• Strong communication skills across stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a culturally relevant studio delivering innovative, audience-focused VR titles.
• Define and champion the studio's mission and roadmap.
• Build an inclusive studio culture in a remote-friendly environment.

Skills

Leadership in game development

Commercial mindset

Agile development methodologies

Strategic thinking

Technical literacy in game engines

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

Overview

We\'re looking for a Head of Studio to lead our talented, multidisciplinary Compass studio in a fast-paced, competitive environment, championing a team-led ethos and driving the studio\'s mission to deliver market-appropriate, evolving, fun games. Compass is one of nDreams\' distinct studios, operating as a semi-autonomous development group focused on creating innovative, culturally relevant games for teen and young adult audiences (TAYA) on VR platforms. You\'ll be responsible for the studio\'s organisation, creative inspiration, financial health, and strategic direction, evolving Compass\' mission to stay ahead of market trends in partnership with key stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a fast-paced, culturally relevant studio delivering innovative, audience-focused VR titles
• Define and champion the studio\'s mission and roadmap in alignment with Compass and company goals
• Build and nurture a distinct, inclusive studio culture that thrives within a distributed, remote-friendly environment
• Coach and empower a team of Directors to deliver creative, high-quality projects with strong team engagement
• Own the studio\'s product roadmap, P&L, and delivery performance, balancing ambition with velocity, regularly reporting to and consulting with the Executive team
• Drive innovation through rapid prototyping, trend analysis, and strategic alignment with VR platform partners
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align development with audience insights, platform opportunities, and KPIs
• Foster team growth, inclusive hiring, and a safe, feedback-rich environment that supports career progression

Requirements

The skills you\'ll need

• Proven experience leading multiple simultaneous game development teams and shipping successful titles, ideally including VR or immersive experiences
• Demonstrates a commercial mindset with the ability to grow agile teams and apply resources strategically
• Understands agile development methodologies, rapid prototyping, and iterative design processes
• Has led multi-project teams and built high-performing, creatively driven development environments
• Communicates clearly and confidently across creative, technical, and business stakeholders
• Manages multiple fast-paced priorities with strong organisational and adaptability skills
• Thinks strategically, balancing short-term delivery needs with long-term vision and risk awareness
• Technically literate across game engines (especially Unreal), development tools, and pipelines relevant to VR

The nice to haves

• Proven leadership of VR/ XR game teams or studios, with a strong track record of delivery
• Experienced in managing remote or distributed teams, fostering connection and momentum
• Background in creative direction, production, or business development in fast-paced studios
• Previously held senior roles such as Game Director, Creative Director, Studio Lead, or Executive Producer
• Passionate about games that resonate with younger or trend-aware audiences

Benefits

We are nDreams – we develop and publish the world\'s most immersive VR games. You may know us as the team behind Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, Synapse, Phantom: Covert Ops, Fracked, and the recently released FRENZIES. With humble beginnings as an independent studio, we combine amazing projects and considerable scale with a personal, caring touch.

We believe the best workplaces and games are created by diverse, happy and safe teams. We\'re committed to building a culture centred on respect, wellbeing and balance. It\'s crucial we make our games and industry more accessible to underrepresented communities. We strive to live this through the people we hire, the experiences we create and the causes we support.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to bring their best, authentic self to work. Please let us know if you require reasonable adjustments during the interview process by emailing [e-mail] or speaking to your nDreams recruiter. For more information about reasonable adjustments, check out this guidance from Scope.

We offer great perks, including flexible hours, duvet days, your birthday off, dedicated personal development time and support, as well as regular socials. Beyond this, there\'s an excellent holiday offering, pension scheme, health insurance, life cover and much more.