Design Manager - Irrational Games



POSITION OVERVIEW

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 Manger’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.
• Develop a consistent design process and communicate the established design vision across the studio.
• 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 strong team satisfaction.
• Ensure design deliverables meet quality and consistency standards across the team.
• Support design leads to achieve quality and maintain good working conditions.
• 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 the design team delivers work on time and at a high level of quality.
• Work with other department managers and directors to ensure effective cross-department communication.
• Evaluate effectiveness of design work methodologies 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 create one cohesive group dedicated to creating the best possible game experiences
• Guide training and career goals of all members of the design department.
• Write reviews and administer the employee reviews for all designers, writers and playtest specialists.
• Work closely with Human Resources to identify and attract top industry talent.


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

• 6+ years as a Senior or Lead Designer in the video game industry.
• Strong understanding of the Unreal engine in a multiplatform environment.
• Previous level design experience in a first person shooter.
• Development on a multiplayer focused game.
• Ability to visually represent abstract concepts.

This job listing originated on Gamasutra.com, the game industry's leader.