This job listing expired on Apr 29, 2021
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Senior Game Designer

Reports to: Design Director

Square Enix Montreal is looking for a Senior Technical Game Designer who will be responsible for designing various core game mechanics across the single and multiplayer experience of an exciting new mobile title.

She/He will focus on gameplay and user experience through evolution of the game design from initial documentation, through to implementation.

Duties:

  • Work with Chief Designers and Directors, ensure that all Design related systems meet the needs of the project and make demonstrable significant progress on screen through rapid prototypes;
  • Implement these systems in cutting edge game levels focusing on innovation in playability, accessibility, rhythm and atmosphere;
  • Document levels, game mechanics and various features quickly, clearly and concisely, in a specification format to serve as a resource for other designers in the studio to understand the different design concepts and decisions made;
  • Help identify essential tasks to support designers, and work with production and design teams to allocate resources to support each system;
  • Work in collaboration with the game design team, the game director and the chief level designer to achieve the desired player emotions and experiences for each level;
  • Ensure close communication with programmers and artists in order to communicate the objectives and specific needs of different game systems and provide regular updates to all related systems;
  • Design and adapt the different characteristics and systems to production needs, the technical constraints of the project and the overall gameplay objectives, all with minimal supervision;
  • Contribute to Tools and workflow development, highlighting bottlenecks or suggesting areas where tools could improve workflow;
  • Implement and develop positive changes to gameplay systems and features based on feedback from QA, user research and the development team. Balance and adjust the gameplay experiences to ensure the product is critically and commercially successful.

Experience and qualifications:

  • College or University diploma in level or game design / or any other equivalent training;
  • + 6 years of experience in the gaming indutry as a level or game designer;
  • A minimum of one published title;
  • Experience in using industry standard levels, editing tools and pipelines;
  • Experience with AI systems (behavior trees, state machines, sensory AI, etc.);
  • Experience in PvP game production;
  • Experience in designing and presenting game systems and levels;
  • Experience in setting systems and levels;
  • Good knowledge of system design and strong conceptual skills;
  • Strong skills in creating high-quality design documentation, focusing on clarity and brevity;
  • Experience using industry standard level, scripting, editing, and pipelines tools i.e., Unity, Unreal;
  • Have a good analytical mind with the ability to simplify the design of the game and levels and document them;
  • Understanding of the specific constraints of the system as well as of the architecture of a game engine and its customizable tools, and capable of delivering elements while respecting the limits of the engine constraints;
  • Have an organized approach to problem solving and time management while respecting strict production deadlines;
  • Bilingual (French and English).

Interpersonal qualities:

  • Capable of working efficiently, proactively, and productively with game artists, programmers, animators, designers, and the rest of the game development team.
  • Passionate team player, capable of rallying and motivating the team around the core design concepts of the game.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to exemplify one’s own ideas are essential;
  • Ability to multitask;
  • The ability to positively contribute to discussions, with good judgment, and considered decision-making skills.
  • Excellent capability to give and receive advice;
  • Skills in leadership, proactivity and continuous commitment to work with different departments (design, animation and programming);
  • Ability to work in a team focused on continuous improvement;
  • Ability to learn and share personal knowledge;
  • The maturity to give and receive constructive criticism is expected.

Motivation and interests:

Ambition and passion for video games are essential, as is remaining up to date with industry and academic developments in game development and design.