About the role

Design Director responsible for setting gameplay design direction at Smoking Gun Interactive. Leading design teams, fostering innovation, and delivering AAA quality titles across platforms.

Responsibilities

Develop, communicate and champion the design vision for new and existing projects ensuring a consistent, player-centered experience across all titles;
Collaborate with Studio Management to deliver and drive a cohesive product vision;
Work with leadership to ensure the vision is achievable within the project constraints;
Generate and pitch new game ideas to external clients.;
Ideas must consider innovation vs reuse, scope/budget/schedule, commercial viability and target audiences
Represent the design perspective in studio planning, product pitches, and publisher/development partner meetings;
Partner with Studio Head and recruiting to attract world-class design talent;
Working with Studio Management and leads to provide feedback and ensure consistency of the product vision among all aspects of design, art, audio, narrative, UI/UX, monetization and marketing;
Provide high-level oversight on all game design elements, including core mechanics, systems, level design, balance, and UX;
Manage senior and lead designers, fostering professional development and ownership;
Establish design principles and best practices that elevate gameplay, progression, narrative, and player engagement;
Lead and participate in concepting, prototyping, and playtesting new game features and mechanics;
Evaluate and iterate on designs based on player feedback, telemetry, and design KPIs;
Guide major design milestones from pre-production through post-launch live service.

10+ years of experience in a Design Leadership role on mobile, PC or console products
Shipped at least three titles of AAA quality in a Design Leadership role
Taken games all the way from initial concept to live operations
Deep understanding of game systems, level design, progression, player psychology
Expertise in both Premium and Freemium game mechanics, KPI’s, and monetization strategies
Proven experience in pitching, landing and developing game ideas from conception to market
Strong ability to drive vision and communicate it across teams of varying disciplines
Experience managing and mentoring diverse design teams of all levels
Proficiency in modern game engines (e.g. Unreal Engine, Unity, proprietary) and collaborative tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence)
Strong presentation and storytelling skills; able to pitch ideas clearly to internal and external stakeholders
Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Ability to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks
A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed – demonstrated ability to work independently
Willingness to push the envelope and innovate within game parameters
Experience with Word, Excel, Photoshop
A positive attitude and a great team-player.