As part of Keywords Studios, we are gifted with the opportunity to partner with a variety of studios across the globe on all types of games and genres. If the idea of bringing your skills to bear upon an ever-changing landscape of games in collaboration with teams all over the world sounds exciting to you...well, continue reading my friend.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Act as a primary design point of contact for external partner studios, driving collaborative efforts and ensuring alignment of vision and execution across distributed teams
- Drive the conceptualization, documentation, and macro-level vision of levels, spaces, missions, and gameplay experiences
- Drive the development and iteration of pipelines, processes, and tools to elevate the efficiency and quality of the entire design team
- Drive cross-functional strike teams to achieve end-user experience goals, proactively identifying and resolving project-wide blockers
- Lead by example in grey-boxing, pacing, layout beats, scripting, encounters, and gameplay implementation, setting the gold standard for the studio
- Spearhead testing, debugging, level performance, streaming, and optimization strategies
- Drive the vision for environmental storytelling, world building, tone, setting, and art propping
- Act as a champion for the discipline, actively accountable for driving results and owning specific project mandates
- Be a foundational source of knowledge, providing high-level mentorship to Associate and Core designers to foster a culture of excellence
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
- 8+ years of professional game development experience, demonstrating a consistent track record of driving results, iterating on process, and owning major game features and experiences
- Experience working on at least 3 shipped titles, with a proven ability in driving macro-level vision, establishing pipelines, and guiding cross-functional teams from concept to final release
- Exceptional ability to tackle highly complex, cross-discipline problems where no established pipeline exists, turning ambiguity into actionable strategies
- Mastery of virtual spaces, pacing, flow, immersion, player motivation, and aesthetics
- Proven leadership in collaborating across disciplines in both internal and external teams
- Excellent active communication skills, capable of pitching, defending, and driving consensus on high-level design decisions
- Expert understanding of technical concepts, logic, logic flow, and systemic game design
- Expert mastery of Unreal Engine and its development environment, with a track record of pushing the engine's capabilities
NICE TO HAVE
- AAA experience.
- While Unreal is our primary focus, experience with Unity or proprietary custom engines is a strong plus.
- Experience developing on console.
- At least one shipped title.
Job Details
- Job Title: Level Designer - Principal
- Reports to: Director of Design
- Department: Design
- Work Location: Fully Remote
- Employment status: Full Time
- FLSA: Salaried, Exempt
- Benefits: Generous PTO, Health, Dental, & Vision coverage; Healthcare and Daycare FSAs, 401k with company match; Life and Disability insurance, Technology Stipend, Paid Sick leave, commuter benefits, paid company holidays and office closures
This position is currently open to candidates residing in the following U.S. states only:
Arizona (AZ), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), lowa (IA), Illinois (IL), Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), New Hampshire (NH), Nevada (NV), Ohio (OH), Oregon (OR), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (WI), Montana (MT), Alabama (AL), Georgia (GA), Indiana (IN), Louisiana (LA), North Carolina (NC), New Jersey (NJ), Oklahoma (OK), Washington (WA) and Utah (UT).
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and reside in one of the eligible states listed above.
Salary Range: $80,000 to $120,000 USD
Primary working language: English
ABOUT HARDSUIT LABS
We are an independent game developer founded in 2015 in Seattle, Washington. We believe that great games can only be built with great people and that great people thrive and do their best work in a healthy, collaborative, and positive work environment that values them. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace and building equity throughout the organization. At Hardsuit Labs, we are respectful and inclusive, we are problem solvers and efficiency champions, we are curious and collaborative, we are flexible and adaptable, and most of all, we are always looking to deliver excellence in the experiences and products that we craft!
As a studio, we have built a reputation as an Unreal Engine-focused development house, working in a multitude of genres and games, from support work and engagement for hire to the development of original in-house projects. We have long standing relationships with some of the largest gaming companies in the industry and are certified developers across all major platforms.
Hardsuit Labs is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. You may view our Equal Employment Opportunity notice here. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.
Hardsuit Labs is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected]
Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY
By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice at https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice.
E-Verify Notification
This Organization Participates in E-Verify
Esta Organización Participa en E-Verify
Role Information: EN
Studio: Hardsuit Labs
Location: Americas
Area of Work: Game Development
Service: Create
Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent
Working Pattern: Remote
Skills Required
- 8+ years of professional game development experience
- Experience working on at least 3 shipped titles
- Expert mastery of Unreal Engine and its development environment
- Expert understanding of technical concepts, logic flow, and systemic game design
- Proven leadership collaborating across disciplines and with external partner studios
- Excellent active communication skills; ability to pitch, defend, and drive consensus on high-level design decisions
- Experience with grey-boxing, pacing, layout beats, scripting, encounters, and gameplay implementation
- Experience with testing, debugging, level performance, streaming, and optimization strategies
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and reside in one of the eligible states listed
- AAA experience
- Experience with Unity or proprietary custom engines
- Experience developing on console
What We Do
Hardsuit Labs was founded in 2015 with the same goal as every other game development studio that has ever existed – to make great games. What sets us apart is the way we make that happen: It’s all about our people. It takes talented, driven people to make great games. Here at Hardsuit Labs, we work hard to create and to maintain an environment that not only attracts those people and keeps them here, but that allows them to thrive and to do what they do best – to make great games. It’s not always as easy as it sounds, but it really is that simple and well worth striving for every day.
