This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.
This is a hybrid / onsite position based at our studio in Santa Monica, CA
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
What you will do:
- Design the layouts for your levels, blocking out simplified geometry to create engaging environments
- Develop level composition, architectural concepts, and create evocative shapes in collaboration with the art department
- Create scenarios, place game objects, and implement level progression using game editor tools
- Produce and maintain documentation that establishes the core concepts of your level
- Drive communication and collaboration for spaces you design as well as other parts of the game, ensuring communication across disciplines and meeting deadlines
- Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of other departments
- Coordinate extensive playtesting, reviews, and iteration
- Additional Responsibilities may be assigned as needed
What skills you will use:
- 3+ years of industry experience in Level Design experience for games
- Experience blocking out environments for games using 3D software packages such as Maya, Unreal Editor or otherwise, that exemplify understanding of level design fundamentals
- Experience using a game editor such as Unreal Editor and scripting/programming using a language such as C#, Lua, Python, Visual Scripting
- Excitement for learning and growing as a designer. Keen to develop new skills.
- Proficient and effective communication skills
- Welcomes criticism and has experience collaborating as part of a team, innovating without losing sight of the gameplay vision
- Understanding the single player gaming landscape
- Maintains knowledge of the broader gaming landscape trends
- Problem-solving skills and a proactive attitude.
As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete a design test.
At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more.
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.
Skills Required
- 3+ years of industry Level Design experience
- Experience blocking out environments using 3D software (e.g., Maya, Unreal Editor)
- Experience using a game editor (Unreal Editor) and scripting/programming in C#, Lua, Python, or Visual Scripting
- Portfolio or demo reel of work; may be asked to complete a design test
- Authorized to work in the United States
- Ability to work hybrid/onsite at the Santa Monica, CA studio
- Proficient, effective communication and collaboration skills; ability to incorporate feedback
- Understanding of single-player game design and knowledge of broader gaming landscape trends
What We Do
Naughty Dog is the developer of some of the most critically acclaimed and top-selling video games on PlayStation platforms, having created the classic Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter series, as well as modern franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us. The studio is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment based out of Santa Monica, CA and is currently developing The Last of Us Part II. Naughty Dog is also home to Sony World Wide Studios’ ICE Team, a central technology group that focuses on creating core graphics technologies for Sony’s worldwide first-party published titles, including low-level game engine components, graphics processing pipelines, supporting tools, and graphics profiling and debugging tools. We are always looking for top tier talent to add to our development team. Visit https://www.naughtydog.com/careers for career opportunities. We offer successful applicants a highly competitive salary and compensation package including a comprehensive benefits package for all full-time hires.
