At NaturalMotion, we make games that wow people. We innovate to create experiences that previously were impossible and that would not exist without us. We take pride in making titles that reach a large audience and in creating communities that last. For the past three years NaturalMotion Studios have been named as one of the Best Places to Work in the UK games industry by gamesindustry.biz.
Our Racing Studio - responsible for the CSR Racing franchise and the #1 Racing Game on Mobile - CSR2 - is one of the most ambitious, successful, and creatively inclusive studios in the UK. Based across three locations – London, Birmingham and Bangalore - the team loves welcoming diverse, humble, straightforward and ambitious talent, aspiring for award-winning excellence. People who want to find a place where they will be supported and encouraged to do the best work of their career.
Hiring Update: The safety of our candidates and team members is our top priority. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our workforce transitioned to working from home, with all interviewing and onboarding being conducted virtually until further notice.
Job Purpose
NaturalMotion Racing is looking for an experienced and driven Head of Design to join its Franchise Leadership Team. Responsible for the design teams across all sites and projects, you will work with leaders and talent in London, Birmingham and Bangalore, creating discipline strategies, and guiding tactics and execution. A coach and mentor, you will help Designers do the best work of their careers, levelling-up their skills within their current roles and working towards their next stage of progression.
With console and PC platform experience across multiple hardware generations, and ideally mobile, the Head of Design ‘knows what good looks like’ for a AAA Design Team in a #1 Studio. You will be able to work with the leadership teams to build the #1 Design Team in Racing - one that is globally respected and envied. A passionate and knowledgeable gamer, you will be able to synthesize trends across many platforms, bringing insights to the challenges and opportunities we face across all games and features.
Key Roles & Responsibilities
- Quality of Design: Game Design quality across all titles and studios, and setting strategies to continually improve
- Talent Development: Resource allocation, staffing, training and development
- Discipline Development: Responsible for setting a vision for discipline standards and then supporting the levelling up the Design Departments across all sites and games
- Pipelining: Leading the design processes for future titles, partnering with Franchise Head, Executive Art Director & Game Designers to ensure concepts are in place for emerging opportunities
- Communication: Communicating discipline strategies into the team and outwards to the wider organisation setting new standards for the business
Required Skills & Experience
- A portfolio of success across Console, PC and ideally mobile
- Line management, coaching and mentoring skills
- Team building
- Strategic as well as tactical/operational design understanding
- Concept design and development skills
- Sharp intellectual understanding & clarity of expression across all aspects of design: Systems; Game; Economy; Concept; Level; Creative Direction; Narrative
- Ability to communicate in a straightforward and confident way to all level of team members and into a mature executive team
- An interest and passion for live service gaming
- Passionate gamer across all platforms including mobile
Desirable Skills & Experience
- Cultural Relevance: Wider understanding of culture, giving the ability to draw from film, TV, art, design, literature, comics, music, to ensure the relevance of what we present to our players
What do we offer?
- Competitive salary, discretionary annual bonus scheme, Zynga stock allocation and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Contributory pension scheme
- 25 days holiday, plus public holidays and Christmas shutdown
- Private medical care, dental and healthcare cash plan
- Life insurance, critical illness insurance and income protection
- 6 months fully paid maternity leave or 3 months fully paid paternity leave
- Discounted gym membership and free weekly (virtual) fitness classes
- Annual season ticket loan and cycle to work scheme
- Flexible working hours
- Summer and Christmas parties
We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome job-seekers, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds to join us!
We will consider all qualified job-seekers with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities in order to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] to request an accommodation associated with your application for an open position.
