Lead Designer

Frontier Developments; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Hybrid work arrangement

Salary and benefits package

Job summary

Frontier Developments is seeking a Lead Game Designer to join our Cambridge studio, leading the Design Team on CMS titles. You will translate the vision into high-quality experiences, mentor designers, and collaborate with production to prioritise features.

You will work in-studio or hybrid (minimum 3 days in the studio) with relocation support offered. The role demands strong leadership, design acumen, and the ability to influence across disciplines.

Qualifications

• CMS games experience in senior/lead roles.
• Experience in leading and developing designers through mentorship.
• Proven campaign design and systems design experience.
• Deep understanding of player psychology and game feel.
• Strong presentation skills to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Design Team on a project and own design for major features.
• Provide line management, performance reviews, and career development for designers.
• Collaborate with Game Director to deliver the game's vision.
• Identify risks, blockers, and optimize workflows.
• Drive quality via playtests, feedback, QA reporting and insights.
• Design game features, create in-game content, balance systems.
• Coordinate with other disciplines to align across development.
• Manage and communicate design docs within the team and with Production.

Skills

CMS games

Line management

Campaign design

Systems design

Player psychology

Stakeholder presentation

Team leadership

Job description

Frontier is an independent video game developer and publisher, crafting immersive gaming experiences with fun gameplay and unparalleled artistic quality. Renowned for its iconic creative management simulation games, Frontier captivates players worldwide with immersive and authentic game worlds. The modern studio is located in the vibrant technology hub of Cambridge (UK). The talented team at Frontier are dedicated to nurturing our existing portfolio and delivering our exciting future roadmap.

This role is offered on a full in-studio basis or a hybrid basis (minimum 3 days per week in the studio). We can provide a comprehensive relocation support package as part of any offer, should you need to relocate.

WHAT'S THE ROLE?

We are looking for a Lead Game Designer to join our Design team in a key leadership role, working on our portfolio of Creative Management Simulation (CMS) titles. In this role, you will be responsible for driving the game vision and translating it into compelling, high-quality game experiences.

Working as both the lead designer on a project, and supporting project leadership, you will influence key design decisions and provide line management and mentorship to members of the Design Team, helping to support their performance, career progression and long-term team development.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

• Leading the Design Team on an entire project and taking ownership of design for major feature areas.
• Providing line management to designers, including performance management, career development and mentoring.
• Working with the Game Director ensuring delivery on the game’s vision.
• Managing project risks and identifying blockers and inefficiencies.
• Driving quality using playtests, player feedback, QA reporting, and your own insights.
• Designing game features, creating in-game content and balancing game systems.
• Collaborating closely with other development disciplines to build understanding and gain alignment throughout development.
• Management of game design documentation & communication across the team.
• Working with Production to ensure effective feature prioritisation and work scheduling.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Game Design experience in a senior, lead or principal design role.
• Strong experience in leading, managing and developing designers through effective line management and mentorship.
• Strong awareness and passion for CMS games.
• Proven experience in campaign design, systems design and delivering major game features.
• Deep understanding of player psychology.
• Excellent presentation skills, and experience in presenting your ideas to stakeholders both within and outside the project.
• Knowledge of a variety of game design theories and methods.
• Experience collaborating across multi-disciplinary teams

BONUS IF YOU HAVE

• Experience working on management games.
• Knowledge of UX/UI design principles.
• Experience of supporting and growing live games.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

You will work with talented and passionate people to support, develop or publish our sophisticated and enduring games, in a creative, collaborative and inclusive environment. We love what we do, and we work hard to provide outstanding experiences for our players.

Wellbeing is a big focus at Frontier, and we are continually evolving how we can support our people. We encourage a healthy work/life balance and provide a range of wellbeing activities, initiatives and sessions to support both mental and physical health.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, which includes a success-based annual bonus, share option schemes, life assurance, private family healthcare, flexitime working hours, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, in-house subsidised catering, support with relocation, a Cycle to Work scheme, free bike servicing, and social activities and events.

We strive to create an environment where everyone can fully demonstrate their capability and potential. If you therefore need any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please speak to your Talent Acquisition representative.

For queries, please email: [e-mail]