Lead Designer

About the job

This is a mid to senior level designer position for a major console product, so you must have significant game development experience. If you have just an undergrad degree and no industry experience, please do not apply. Indie developers are welcome, but only if you have published a product. (Power to the people!) Your past work should demonstrate a wild imagination, a love of innovation, and some killer talents. You will need to have glowing references from people you’ve worked with or for, and plenty of evidence of how self-motivated you are. This is an on site, full-time position and we will not consider anyone who wants to work remotely or part-time.

• First and foremost you need to have a bright, positive outlook and an energetic, cheerful, and easy-going personality. (Grumpy, serious, or self-important types please go find a big company to apply to.)

• You should have some engineering in your background, and a strong technical/analytical bent. You should be able to look at a complex system, (for example a behavior engine or a complex game economy) and spot problems, game-play holes, or be able to break it down into a clear implementation plan. You should love flow charts and data tables, and not be afraid of scripting. Actual coding skill is a plus, as is facility at concept-art.

• You absolutely need to be a major game player of current games and have a good working knowledge of different approaches to UI, reward systems, state-based A.I., goal-oriented, and open-ended game structures. You read articles and books on game design and love to think about how to push the boundaries of interactive experience. Your past work should speak for itself.

• You should love games that create charming and believable, emotionally compelling simulated worlds; games like ICO, Beyond Good and Evil, Animal Crossing, Scribblenauts, Little Big Planet, and others.

• You should be crazy-imaginative and have a wild and wicked sense of humor. Perhaps you write fiction, or create your own board games, or do operatic improvisational theater. You should be an excellent communicator and have a fine command of the English language. You should know lots of big words (like “intrinsic”, or “entropy” or “methodologies”) but prefer to use clear, simple words.

• You should value a balanced lifestyle, but be flexible and motivated enough to work longer hours when it’s needed to make deadlines, and never have to be told or asked.

• You should care about making the world a better place.

• This position could be mid-level or it could be a senior level position, depending on experience, but it is NOT a junior level position.