Lead Technical Designer (CAT)

Level; Austin (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Level is a learning technology company focused on helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world-class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to.

Level is looking for an experienced Lead Technical Designer to join our team and set the standard for design excellence across our product portfolio.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in technical design, systems design, or related engineering roles with lead/mentorship experience.
• Proven history of shipped titles with complex technical design systems.
• Experience leading or coaching junior designers or engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of junior technical designers with clear expectations and feedback.
• Own the technical design vision for core systems across all platforms with scalability and quality.
• Advocate for technical design workflows and drive improvements in tools and pipelines.
• Partner with engineering and art leadership to define and optimize tools, systems, and pipelines.
• Translate high-level goals into actionable technical solutions balancing creativity and maintainability.
• Drive rapid prototyping and iteration cycles with a feedback-forward process.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to scope, prioritize, and deliver complex feature development.
• Contribute to documentation, onboarding, and workflow standards to help the team move faster.

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Rapid prototyping

Technical communication

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Godot

Job description

Lead Technical Designer

Level is a learning technology company dedicated to helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to, not something they struggle through.

Lead Technical Designer

Level is a learning technology company dedicated to helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to, not something they struggle through.

We Support What Teachers, Schools, And Parents Are Already Doing By Increasing Student Engagement With High Quality, Standards Aligned Practice That Reinforces Classroom Learning. That's Why We're Building

For students: Rewarding and motivating learning experiences that meet students where they are to build real academic proficiency.

For educators: Tools that fit naturally into instruction and help students stay engaged while reducing teacher workload.

For parents: Activities that help your kid catch up or get ahead, build confidence, and minimize homework battles, whether learning at school or at home.

We are committed to helping every person maximize their potential and live a life of meaning. It's a difficult problem that requires brilliant people and tremendous effort over time.

Level is looking for an experienced Lead Technical Designer to join our team and set the standard for design excellence across our product portfolio. You will own the technical design vision for core systems and mechanics across all platforms, lead and grow a team of junior designers, and serve as the internal advocate for technical design workflows as our tools and pipelines continue to mature. This is a high-ownership role for someone who loves mentorship as much as they love building.

What You Will Do

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of junior technical designers — setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and fostering a culture of craft, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
• Own the technical design vision for core systems and mechanics across our product portfolio, ensuring consistency, scalability, and quality across all experiences.
• Serve as the primary advocate for technical design workflows — identifying gaps, championing improvements, and helping establish best practices as our tools and pipelines evolve.
• Partner with engineering and art leadership to define and optimize the tools, systems, and pipelines your team relies on day-to-day.
• Translate high-level product and design goals into actionable technical solutions, balancing creative integrity with performance and maintainability.
• Drive rapid prototyping and iteration cycles, modeling a feedback-forward design process for your team.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineers, Artists, and Product leads to scope, prioritize, and deliver complex feature development.
• Contribute to documentation, onboarding, and workflow standards that help the broader team move faster and more consistently over time.

What You Need

• 8+ years of experience in technical design, systems design, or related engineering roles with at least 2 years in a lead or senior mentorship capacity.
• Demonstrated history of shipped titles with complex technical design systems and a clear problem-solving approach.
• Experience leading, coaching, or formally managing junior designers or engineers.
• A track record of improving tools, workflows, or pipelines — not just using them.
• Strong proficiency in rapid prototyping and iterative design across one or more engines (Godot, Unreal, Unity).
• Excellent communication skills across both technical and non-technical audiences, including leadership.
• Comfort operating in an evolving environment where priorities shift and processes are still being defined.

Nice To Have

• Experience working across multiple smaller experiences or a modular content model.
• Design theory knowledge rooted in human psychology, motivation, and learning science.
• Familiarity with UI/UX, technical art, or other art-adjacent pipelines.
• Background in or passion for education, instructional design, or accessibility-focused game development.