This job listing expired on Apr 18, 2022
Tweet

We see ourselves as a new civilisation of people emerging to make the world of gaming better. We’re a different breed of games company - we do things our own way in our own style, not necessarily following what’s been done before.

​Our people are at the heart of our evolution and we nurture them to be their best. Without them our vision would fail.

We strive to avoid crunch, overtime is optional and always paid, and we offer flexible working hours to allow you to enjoy a normal family life whilst still working on great gaming titles. Most recently, we helped to bring Minecraft Dungeons and Rust: Console Edition to millions of players around the world.

We’re growing rapidly and as a result we’re looking for a Lead Game Designer to join our studio in Middlesbrough (UK), home to the beautiful North Yorkshire coastline and countryside. As a Lead Game Designer at Double Eleven, you’ll be responsible for the output and development of the game design team.

Initially you’ll work remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic and when it’s safe for our team to return to the studio, you’ll set up camp at our HQ in Middlesbrough, UK. Currently we’re working effectively remotely and we continue to assess the Covid-19 situation, with the safety of our staff as our top priority. We’re still actively recruiting and onboarding new staff and will provide you with everything you need to join remotely.

Strictly no agencies (sorry guys!) and we’re unable to sponsor a visa for this role. We can support UK relocation and have a dedicated People team on standby to assist you and your family with every step to us.

We kindly ask all applicants to submit a portfolio to support their application. We’re afraid applications without an accompanying portfolio will not be considered.

WOULD YOU ENJOY

  • Helping to create beautiful games
  • Being part of an amazing team working on multiple AAA titles
  • Being trusted to work independently and proactively to the highest standards
  • Working with experienced teams in the industry

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

  • Establish or support the creative direction of a project or aspects of it
  • Support, empower and monitor the work of other designers in their team, in a lead role
  • Work closely with all department leads (Art, Code, Production, QA) as the game takes shape, convey your ideas concisely and champion a high level of quality and player experience throughout
  • Undertake and approach design tasks that are fit for purpose - Whether it be designing brand new content, creating suitable additional content for our current catalogue, or analysing and improving existing features for a game we may be bringing across to a new platform
  • Create clear annotated mockups and/or diagrams for UI(s) and HUDs, for artists and coders to follow and implement efficiently
  • Visualise and consider the entire game and its components when designing or improving content
  • A great designer can not only come up with innovative new mechanics but also fully understand the implications on the rest of the game and its ecosystems; Controls, UI, player messaging and feedback, consistency, pacing, difficulty curve, etc. Take a proactive approach to foresee problems and provide design solutions that are mindful of a project’s scope and timescales​

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

  • Strong experience working as a Senior or Lead Games Designer on at least 3 shipped products
  • We are flexible in this regard and would consider the right candidate with a lot of experience at a lower level
  • Project leadership skills - Experience leading a game design and/or the key features therein, ensuring your own (and/or your team’s) designs are clear, concise, produced in a timely manner, properly implemented and balanced
  • Experience working independently and/or leading other designers, and working closely with other departments to communicate and deliver your (and your teams’) designs to a high standard
  • Experience in participating in many forms of game design, including; UI/UX, game modes, key features and mechanics, balancing and progression, accessibility, reward systems, etc
  • We also hope that you could bring your own unique experiences and skill-sets to our business
  • A high level of general language skills and an ability to create an exceptional standard of documentation, diagrams, spreadsheets or flow charts to communicate your design visions

SKILLS OR INTERESTS CONSIDERED A BONUS

  • Creating and presenting game pitches
  • Experience working on Live Service products and/or managing and designing for a game’s long tail of post-launch content
  • Community coordinator or management experience Press demos and presentations
  • Experience working on both PC and current-gen console platforms
  • Experience working in a production or producer role and everything schedule-orientated that keeps a project and its feature implementation on track - from design through to tasking, milestones, implementation, testing and tuning of features and mechanics
  • Knowledge and experience of game engines (Unity/Unreal), scripting (Java/Lua), database creation/management
  • Public speaking and presenting
  • Someone who is confident in a public forum and available to help represent the company and our games at shows, press events and expos at home and abroad is invaluable
  • Creative or narrative writing skills and experience, perhaps classically trained
  • Experience working on titles or projects with live operations​

QUALIFICATIONS

All relevant qualifications considered​

WORKING AT DOUBLE ELEVEN

We’re pretty sure we’re the best place to work, period. Some of our benefits include:​

  • Competitive salary which is regularly benchmarked against the market as well as an annual pay review as part of an appraisal
  • Flexible start time (start anytime between 8:00am and 10:00am)
  • Flexible lunch hours
  • Up to 40 days of holiday in total; up to 10 free discretionary annual leave days during the December holiday break (we’ve never not had these) + 20 days annual leave + 8 days bank holiday + your birthday + a free moving day if needed 3 additional days annual leave for 5 years service and a further 3 days annual leave added for your epic 10 years service milestone
  • Personal development plan designed in conjunction with you, your manager and our Training & Development Manager. Plus clear progression framework
  • Vitality Private Healthcare for you and your family (upon the successful completion of a probationary period)
  • Potential for annual performance bonuses and end of year bonuses
  • Constantly improving tools and workflow so you can focus on creativity
  • Fast decision-making to allow you thrive
  • State of the art office facilities i.e. VR setup, games room, book library, high spec kitchen area and more
  • Free juice, hot drinks, fruit and monthly free team lunches
  • Cycle scheme Employee referral bonus (up to £2000!)
  • UK relocation package which includes financial compensation and one to one support finding accommodation / schools etc
  • Opportunity to attend and speak at global events as a Double Eleven Ambassador
  • Many free parties celebrating game launches, winter break and summer (post-covid) In-studio wellbeing programmes and support
  • Opportunity to contribute to our internal Employee Diversity and Equality Network
  • Free game codes, game swag and merchandise
  • Free on site parking
  • Team charity events
  • Sponsored studio activities such as Football, Game Jams and any new suggestions are always considered
  • Activities and events organised throughout the year based on employee choices. Previous events have included cinema nights, white water rafting, paintballing, hill walking, table tennis tournaments, clay pigeon shooting outings, military circuits, running clubs and more
  • Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependent leave available
  • Christmas Saving Scheme
  • Rewards and discounts available from Vitality health scheme
  • Pension match contribution
  • Excellent employee rating on Glassdoor

WHAT WE BELIEVE

  • We believe that diverse developers make better games.
  • We believe that we're stronger as a team, and encourage an inclusive, secure and collaborative workforce.
  • We believe that levelling the playing field creates a safe, accessible and open environment for a wide range of people from a wide range of backgrounds.
  • We believe that education and communication are the foundation of creating this environment.
  • We actively encourage and welcome applications from all walks of life and our studios are fully accessible.
  • Through integrity, ambition and humanity, we are able to use that experience to create and bring to market great games that people love.

WHAT WE DO

Since we first opened our doors over 11 years ago, we’ve grown to over 200 people across 2 studios in the UK and Malaysia, continuing to put our people first as we move forward into a range of original and established IP. We’re lucky enough to work with some of the best developers and publishers in the world and we’re proud to be embarking on this journey with a diverse group of people, working on projects we enjoy but that also challenge us and push us out of our comfort zones to better ourselves.

We value our people and we value their time, striving for a work-life balance and offering a whole host of benefits to those who work for us. Our learning journey is never over, we invest in our people and offer regular training and development on both a company and individual level.​