Technical Designer II - Social Systems

Pipeworks; Eugene (OR); Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision

401K with employer match

Paid Time Off

Relocation

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Fitness Club Discounts

Annual Company Events

Project Wrap Parties

Job summary

Pipeworks Studios seeks a Technical Designer II to design and implement social systems for a large-scale multiplayer experience. You will bridge design and engineering to build matchmaking, parties, and progression loops in a live environment, with collaboration across Pipeworks and partner teams.

This is a full-time temporary role with potential extension or conversion after 6 months. Role supports remote, hybrid, or in-office work from Eugene, Oregon.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant professional experience in game or technical design.
• At least one shipped title where you led a feature, system, or tool.
• Experience collaborating on live or multiplayer projects.
• Comfortable working with embedded partner teams and proprietary tools.
• Strong cross-discipline communication with engineering and UX.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and implement social systems to connect players.
• Build and iterate on system logic, scripting, and data setups.
• Collaborate with engineering to define requirements and debug issues.
• Partner with UX/design leads for matchmaking and progression standards.
• Tune gameplay and social loops for usability and engagement.
• Document features, systems, and tools clearly.
• Contribute to workflow and tooling improvements for the design team.
• Communicate across disciplines and time zones.

Skills

C++ proficiency

Multiplayer systems design

Scripting (Lua/Python)

Cross-discipline communication

Version control & collaboration

Tools

Perforce

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Technical Designer II - Social Systems

Department: Design

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Eugene, OR

Compensation: $92,000 - $110,000 / year

Description

Pipeworks Studios is seeking a skilled Technical Designer II to join a large-scale multiplayer experience with deep social and community-driven systems. You’ll help design, implement, and refine features that connect players—such as matchmaking, parties, and progression loops—while collaborating closely with both Pipeworks and partner teams.

This is a highly collaborative role where you’ll bridge design and engineering to bring robust social systems to life in a live, evolving environment.

This is a full-time temporary role with extension or conversion to full-time regular employment possible after 6 months.

Our studio is based in Eugene, Oregon. This role can work fully remote, hybrid, or in-office.

Day To Day

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and implement engaging social systems that promote player connection and long-term engagement.
• Build and iterate on system logic, scripting, and data setups within proprietary tools and technology.
• Collaborate with engineering to define requirements, debug issues, and maintain tool and content stability.
• Partner with UX and design leads to ensure consistent standards for matchmaking, progression, and player-to-player interactions.
• Tune gameplay and social loops to balance usability, reward, and engagement.
• Participate in playtests and integrate feedback from partner and internal teams.
• Create and maintain clear, actionable documentation for features, systems, and tools.
• Contribute to workflow and tooling improvements supporting the broader design team.
• Communicate clearly across disciplines and time zones to align technical and creative goals.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Must Haves

• C++ proficiency; comfortable completing a basic coding test.
• Professional experience as a systems or technical designer on a multiplayer or live-service title.
• Design experience with player-facing social systems such as friends, parties, matchmaking, and shared progression to enable the design and creation of sustainable social systems with long-term player engagement in mind.
• Technical experience writing text-based scripts to manage game systems (scripting in a Lua, Python, or similar language).
• Excellent cross-discipline communication skills, especially with engineering and UX.
• Familiarity with version control and collaboration tools (e.g., Perforce, Jira, Confluence).

Nice-To-Have Skills

• Experience developing or tuning live-service systems, events, or seasonal content.
• Exposure to analytics or telemetry workflows for player engagement and community health.
• Experience supporting or extending proprietary tools and pipelines.
• Hey Background in game engineering or scripting-heavy design roles.

Education & Experience

• 5+ years of relevant professional experience in game or technical design.
• At least one shipped title in a technical design capacity where they acted as a lead or principal for a feature, system, or tool
• Experience collaborating on live or multiplayer projects preferred.
• Comfortable working within embedded partner teams and proprietary toolsets.

What We Can Offer You

A Flexible Working Environment

Almost all of our roles allow for your choice of work location. We're happy to support our team no matter where they prefer to work: remote, in office, or hybrid.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• 401K with employer match
• Employer Paid Life Insurance Policy
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 20 Paid Company Holidays
• Relocation
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fitness Club Discounts
• Sports Team Sponsorship
• Annual Company Events
• Project Wrap Parties

A Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Pipeworks Studios recognizes the importance of creating an environment where all of our employees feel included and empowered to bring ideas to the the table. We value each employee's unique experiences and perspectives and recognize that it is both the smart and right thing to foster diversity, equity and inclusion within our organization.

By diversifying our workforce, increasing equity, and ensuring that our individual differences are valued, we are better able to deliver an experience that reflects, inspires, and connects with our audience... because games are for everyone!

Pipeworks provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

Go to Pipeworks.com to see some of our continued efforts and our latest Diversity Report.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in a job description. Our top priority is finding the best candidate for the job and if you are interested in the position, we would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications above.