With a rich history of developing multiple AAA franchises such as Little Big Planet and Crackdown, as well as contributing to genre-defining titles like the Forza Motorsport and Hitman series, Sumo Sheffield’s vast development experience spans multiple genres and platforms.
As winners of the TIGA Star Employment Award for 2021, recipients of the GI Biz 2020 Best Places to Work Award and listed as one of the UK’s 100 Best Large Companies to Work for in 2021, Sumo Digital has enjoyed 18 years of stability and growth since its formation in 2003 and continues to strive for excellence across every single project.
The team have a track record of working on some of the world's biggest and best games and received two BAFTAs for their work on Sackboy: A Big Adventure. As the scale and exclusivity of projects continues to grow, there’s never been a more exciting time to join the Sumo Sheffield family!
The role @ Sumo
We are looking for a Principal Level Designer to join Sumo Digital in the early stages of an exciting new IP. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a pivotal role in the world building and level design for an innovative new online AAA Shooter.
As a Principal Level Designer, you will work alongside the Lead Level Designer to develop and realise a vision for the Level Design that supports the core game experience. You will be responsible for establishing, demonstrating, and evangelising guidelines and best practices that ensure that vision is delivered at a consistently high quality level across the Level Design team.
This is a hands-on role and you will be spending most of your time in-engine working alongside the other disciplines to create AAA quality FPS levels.
Within this role you will:
- Collaborate with cross-discipline teams to create exciting, innovative and engaging levels.
- Help develop and evolve the tools, processes, and pipelines that the level design team will use.
- Champion the quality for the Level Design through all stages of development to ensure it delivers vision of the stakeholder team
- Use player-feedback and design direction to hone the gameplay experience.
- Mentor and develop less experienced members of the level design team, demonstrating quality through benchmarks, best practices, and feedback.
- Embody the passion of the design department.
We need you to have:
- Extensive knowledge of level design theory and a proven track record of designing levels for high-profile multiplayer-shooter games.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the confidence to present work, ideas, and feedback to the rest of the team.
- A relentless passion for all aspects of gaming; particularly the PvP shooter genre, and the drive to pro-actively raise the quality bar of the game.
- 5+ years in game development
- Knowledge of UE4 or similar engines
- Experience of FTP GAS development is a bonus
What We Offer:
- Annual Bonus & Annual Salary Reviews
- Electric Car Scheme
- Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme
- Flexible Working
- 27 Days Holiday, including your birthday a duvet day and Christmas
- Holiday ‘buy and sell’ scheme
- 5 Paid Learning Days, including 1 volunteer day per year
- Access to 4,000 Udemy Courses, The Gnomen Workshop, GDC Vault and more
- Enhanced Mat/Paternity & Adoption pay
- Free Life Assurance - 4x Salary
- Free Income Protection Scheme -up to 75%
- Free Dental Insurance
- Supportive Employee Assistance Programme with confidential 24/7/365 helpline & app
- Access remote GP, Mental Health, Physio appointments & medical second opinions
- Additional flexible benefits scheme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Payroll Giving Scheme
- Game & Book Libraries
- Long service & project completion awards
- Wrap Parties
- Alternative Travel Prize Draw
- The Sumo GameJam
- Great family events
- Studio clubs, inc. running, board games, film…
- Life Drawing
- Yoga Classes
- Free fruit and drinks
- Employee Referral Bonus
- Career Development
- Relocation Support to the UK
- Visa Sponsorship
Where do we stand on diversity?
At Sumo, we want to enable everyone to bring their full, authentic selves to work every single day. We acknowledge that the games industry is far from perfect and a global organisation with people all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, we know it’s part of our duty to provide everyone at Sumo with a safe, accepting and affirming working environment.
We encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
More about Sumo Sheffield
Sumo Sheffield is located just outside the city centre in Sumo Digital’s HQ, just off J34 on the M1 and a stone’s throw from the city’s primary shopping and leisure complex. With a multi-building campus comprised of industry-leading facilities, an onsite gym and subsidised canteen, Sumo Sheffield provides everything needed for all teams to create the world’s best games.
Sheffield is the fifth largest city in the UK and is easily accessible by road and rail from Leeds, Manchester and the Midlands. The city enjoys a wealth of facilities to suit a wide array of interests, including:
- World-class sports facilities
- Iconic theatres and galleries
- Multiple retail and shopping experiences
- Diverse and renowned restaurants and eateries
- The award-winning National Video Game Museum
More about Sumo Digital
Sumo Digital is an award-winning international family of studios. Recent releases from Sumo Digital studios include: BAFTA-Award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Control Ultimate Edition on Google Stadia, Apple Arcade Award-winning Little Orpheus, Hot Shot Racing, WST Snooker and Spyder.
