Principal Level Designer – AAA Shooter, Unreal

Certain Affinity; Austin (TX); On-site; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Certain Affinity is seeking a Principal Level Designer to lead AAA level creation in a Toronto-anchored, cross-border team. You’ll shape mission flow, create intricate levels, and drive the integration of gameplay, narrative, art, and engineering across projects.

You bring twelve+ years in level design, shipped AAA shooter experience, and strong leadership to mentor teams while elevating design standards and player experiences.

Qualifications

• Twelve+ years as a level designer with shipped AAA shooter experience.
• Evidence of leading and supporting a quality-driven team.
• Strong grasp of level design principles ( pacing, tension, difficulty ).
• Ability to support narrative through level design and cross-discipline collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Drive development of intricate game levels for a high-profile AAA shooter.
• Ensure convergence of levels and gameplay loops to reduce player friction.
• Define and drive quality of game space flow and level design standards.
• Collaborate with teams to showcase core mechanics through level design.
• Lead level design through objectives, challenges, puzzles, and events.
• Support narrative through levels with cross-team collaboration.
• Provide weekly feedback to leads and drive playtests to gather insights.
• Build and communicate best practices for the studio's level design team.

Skills

Level design

Leadership

Narrative integration

Collaboration with gameplay

Scripting/encounters

Analytical problem-solving

Cross-discipline collaboration

Iterative development

Gaming passion

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

UnrealEd

Radiant

3ds Max

Maya

Job description

Certain Affinity is seeking a Principal Level Designer to lead AAA level creation in a Toronto-anchored, cross-border team. You’ll shape mission flow, create intricate levels, and drive the integration of gameplay, narrative, art, and engineering across projects.

You bring twelve+ years in level design, shipped AAA shooter experience, and strong leadership to mentor teams while elevating design standards and player experiences.