Principal Game Designer

Zynga; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical care

Company bonus scheme

Relocation assistance to the UK

Onsite chef and meals

Life insurance & pension plan

Healthcare cash plan (dental/optical)

Top-tier technology and consoles

Job summary

Zynga is seeking a Lead Game Designer to spearhead the 0-to-1 development of a new Merge 2 title. You will own the creative vision, core loop, progression, and meta-game, then transition to soft launch and live ops, balancing economy and monetization.

You will mentor a design team, collaborate with product, engineering, and art, and push for design excellence through data-driven iteration and strong execution.

Qualifications

• Effective communicator with outstanding verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Highly proficient with mathematical concepts and formula creation in a game environment.
• Proven history of designing systems that influence player behaviors and achieve key product performance indicators.
• Expert in crafting features, systems, core game loops, economies, and meta-designs to foster and enhance positive player behaviors.
• Excels in a live service game environment, adept at making adjustments based on feedback from an active community.
• Solid experience in the gaming industry in a design role, contributing meaningfully to multiple released titles.
• Extensive experience leading a diverse and skilled design team.
• Proven track record of successfully shipping games.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the game's vision, aligning it with product goals and communicating it clearly to the team and stakeholders to build shared commitment.
• Lead ideation and brainstorming, and translate player motivations and behavior into user experience stories, wireframes, and optimal feature design.
• Mentor and grow a team of designers, fostering a collaborative, creative environment with clear goals and strong execution standards.
• Partner with product, engineering, and art to guide features from concept through implementation, reviewing and approving final designs.
• Improve design tools and processes to streamline the pipeline and boost team efficiency and productivity.
• Use live feedback and analytics to refine systems, maintain a balanced game economy, and champion design best practices across the studio.

Skills

Communication

Math modeling

Game design systems

Live service games

Team leadership

Job description

Level Up Your Career with Zynga!

At Zynga, we bring people together through the power of play. As a global leader in interactive entertainment and a proud label of Take-Two Interactive, our games have been downloaded over 6 billion times—connecting players in 175+ countries through fun, strategy, and a little friendly competition.

From thrilling casino spins to epic strategy battles, mind-bending puzzles, and social word challenges, our diverse game portfolio has something for everyone. Fan-favorites and latest hits include FarmVille™, Words With Friends™, Zynga Poker™, Game of Thrones Slots Casino™, Wizard of Oz Slots™, Hit it Rich! Slots™, Wonka Slots™, Top Eleven™, Toon Blast™, Empires & Puzzles™, Merge Dragons!™, CSR Racing™, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells™, Match Factory™, and Color Block Jam™—plus many more!

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in California, our teams span North America, Europe, and Asia, working together to craft unforgettable gaming experiences. Whether you're spinning, strategizing, matching, or competing, Zynga is where fun meets innovation—and where you can take your career to the next level.

Join us and be part of the play!

Position Overview:

As the Lead Game Designer for a brand-new game team, you will initially champion the "0-to-1" development of an exciting new Merge 2 title. You will own the game’s creative vision, architecting its core loop, progression systems, and meta-game from scratch. As the project matures, you will transition the team into soft launch and live operations, overseeing the day-to-day economy balance, event pipelines, and monetization features designed to drive long-term player retention.

What You'll do:

• Own and drive the game's vision, aligning it with product goals and communicating it clearly to the team and stakeholders to build shared commitment.
• Lead ideation and brainstorming, and translate player motivations and behavior into user experience stories, wireframes, and optimal feature design.
• Mentor and grow a team of designers, fostering a collaborative, creative environment with clear goals and strong execution standards.
• Partner with product, engineering, and art to guide features from concept through implementation, reviewing and approving final designs.
• Improve design tools and processes to streamline the pipeline and boost team efficiency and productivity.
• Use live feedback and analytics to refine systems, maintain a balanced game economy, and champion design best practices across the studio.

What are we looking for?

• Effective communicator with outstanding verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Highly proficient with mathematical concepts and formula creation in a game environment
• Proven history of designing systems that influence player behaviors and achieve key product performance indicators.
• Expert in crafting features, systems, core game loops, economies, and meta-designs to foster and enhance positive player behaviors.
• Excels in a live service game environment, adept at making adjustments based on feedback from an active community.
• Solid experience in the gaming industry in a design role, contributing meaningfully to multiple released titles
• Extensive experience leading a diverse and skilled design team
• Proven track record of successfully shipping games

What we offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Private medical care
• Company bonus scheme
• Relocation assistance for those moving to the UK
• Awesome onsite chef serving breakfast, lunch, and lots of treats (naughty and nice)
• Life insurance and a favorable pension scheme
• Healthcare cash plan including dental and optical coverage
• Amazing tech to work with and consoles to play and relax with everywhere you look!

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, which means we are committed to creating and celebrating diverse thoughts, cultures, and backgrounds throughout our organization. Employment with us is based on substantive ability, objective qualifications, and work ethic – not an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sex offenses, reproductive health decision, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing the necessary support and accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or impairments (subject to any local qualifying requirements) to ensure their full participation in the job application or interview process. Please contact us at [e-mail] to request any accommodations or for support related to your application for an open position.