Lead Designer
RemoteUnited Kingdom or United States
Job Summary
Lead design vision and execution across co-development projects, acting as the primary design partner for internal teams and client stakeholders. Drive gameplay, systems, level, and technical design initiatives from concept through delivery while collaborating with engineering, art, production, and QA to create engaging player experiences. Provide creative leadership and mentorship to designers across multiple disciplines, prototyping and validating features, progression systems, and level layouts. Review gameplay flow, combat encounters, and boss experiences to improve balance, particularly for FPS and action-oriented titles, identifying risks early and solving complex production challenges. This role suits experienced leaders combining creative vision with hands-on development expertise to drive design excellence on high-profile Unreal Engine projects.
Required Qualifications
- Proven experience as a Lead Designer, Principal Designer, or Design Director on shipped commercial titles
- Deep expertise with Unreal Engine
- Strong understanding of gameplay, systems, and level design
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and working directly with clients or external development partners
- Strong FPS design experience
- Track record of improving gameplay flow, combat encounters, progression, and player engagement
- Excellent communication skills
- Stakeholder management skills
- Mentoring skills
- Ability to balance creative vision against production realities
Desired Qualifications
- Experience developing immersive VR experiences for Meta Quest
- Creating compelling first-person gameplay
- Improving player engagement through level flow, encounter design, progression systems, and boss experiences
- Confident client-facing communicator
- Ability to present design solutions
- Manage stakeholder expectations
- Build trusted relationships with development partners
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