Design: Design Manager

Award-winning studio Irrational Games, best known for its BioShock franchise, is seeking a highly experienced Design Manager to serve as a team leader and design advocate for our world-class design team. The Design Manager’s primary responsibility is to schedule, lead, and manage the design team on a day-to-day basis. This role oversees the staffing, organization, and professional development of the game design department.

Responsibilities:

• The Design Manager’s primary responsibility is to schedule, lead and manage the design team on a day to day basis.
• Work with the Designers and Creative Director to manage and communicate the overall vision and design goals of the game to the studio at large.
• Work closely with management to maintain a strong department with a high level of engagement and steady team satisfaction.
• Ensure that design deliverables meet quality and consistency standards across the team.
• Work with Designers to facilitate the creation of game-design documentation from inception through implementation.
• Work with producers on design scheduling and staff assignments based on project needs.
• Ensure that design deliverables meet a high level of quality and timeliness.
• Work with other department managers and directors to ensure effective cross-department communication.
• Evaluate effectiveness of processes and make recommendations for improvement.
• Seek out, evaluate, and implement feedback from all relevant sources to constantly improve the game.
• Mentor and shape design team to foster one cohesive group dedicated to creating the best possible game experiences. Guide team members with training as well as development and career goals.
• Write reviews for and handle administration of Design Leads.

Requirements:

• 6+ years as a game designer in the video game industry.
• 4+ years of experience managing direct reports.
• Shipped a minimum of 3 game titles from pre-production through ship.
• Proven knowledge of game design, theory, and execution.
• A strong passion for and experience with first-person shooters.
• Ability to motivate a team with positive leadership.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• The ability to quickly learn new engines and game technologies.
• Strong design-documentation skills.

Pluses:

• Strong understanding of the Unreal engine in a multiplatform environment.
• Previous level-design experience or alternatively previous systems-design experience in a first-person shooter.
• Ability to visually represent abstract concepts.