Lead Level Designer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Collaborate with the Design Director to establish the vision and direction for game levels.

• Maintain and elevate the level design quality across various disciplines while balancing project scope and constraints.

• Articulate level objectives and the desired player experience through vision documents, feedback sessions, and presentations.

• Conduct reviews and critiques of levels, offering constructive feedback for improvement.

• Advocate for playtesting and feedback cycles, utilizing data and observations to enhance flow, pacing, and player clarity.

• Define and enhance level design standards, pipelines, workflows, and best practices.

• Lead and mentor level designers by providing guidance, feedback, and coaching.

• Work with production to plan milestone deliverables and create a feasible roadmap.

• Ensure timely execution of level design and escalate issues when clarity or resources are lacking.

• Foster collaboration among design teams and other disciplines while encouraging a culture of open feedback.

• Take ownership of level development from initial pitch and blockout stages to final polish.

• Create layouts, puzzles, traversal spaces, and environmental storytelling that align with gameplay, narrative, and worldbuilding.

• Collaborate with environment artists, gameplay and content design leads, narrative teams, and engineering staff.

• Produce documentation that clearly communicates level objectives, structure, and intended player experience.

⛳️ Requirements

• Significant experience, preferably over 10 years, in designing high-quality levels for third-person action-adventure games, including full ownership of major spaces from concept to polish across multiple released titles.

• Proven experience in leading and mentoring level designers, including providing direction, feedback, and supporting their professional growth.

• In-depth knowledge of level design principles, including pacing, layout, flow, and intuitive player guidance through gameplay and narrative.

• Strong proficiency in game engines, particularly Unreal, with hands-on experience from blockout to polish stages.

• Capability to establish a quality standard, communicate it effectively, and ensure adherence to quality benchmarks while managing scope and schedule.

• Experience in planning and tracking level design efforts against milestones and coordinating inter-departmental dependencies.

• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.

• Proactive in problem-solving and demonstrating initiative.

• Competence in both giving and receiving constructive feedback.

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunities for bonuses.

• Retirement plan matching.

• Comprehensive benefits.