Job details

Manager, Game Design

As a leading mobile games developer, Jam City is looking to “level up” our talent. We’re searching for innovators who consider themselves dynamic, collaborative, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

PERKS & BENEFITS

Unlimited Vacation, Paid Sick Days & Holidays

100% Employee Covered Medical, Dental, Vision Plan Base Plan

Life Insurance, 401k, Flexible Spending Accounts, Commuter Benefits & More

Catered Lunches & Well-stocked Kitchens

Yoga & Wellness Activities

Happy Hours

Company Events

We are looking for a Game Design leader to bring their experience and skills to our #1 hit mobile game, Disney Emoji Blitz. You’ll have the opportunity to work with an incredibly talented development team and world-class IPs from Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars!

The Manager, Game Designer will work closely with studio leadership, and the game leads (Executive Producer and Director of Product Management) to plan the strategic roadmap, key features and game content. This role maintains and evolves the creative vision of Emoji Blitz, and champions that vision to leadership, Disney stakeholders, and the complete Emoji Blitz team. The candidate must ensure all features and game content to align with the overall vision and support the game’s core pillars.

The candidate will also lead and empower the product’s Game Design, encouraging them to design with the player in mind, and making the most fun game possible while still hitting needed goals. In addition, the candidate must be able to expertly interpret live data, prioritize feedback from multiple sources and synthesize this into dynamic planning for the game.

**Qualified applicants will be expected to complete a Game Design test.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Product Leadership

Works closely with studio and product leadership to define the game’s long term strategic roadmap.

Present roadmap planning and major new initiatives to executive leadership and Disney stakeholders.

Spotlight top level opportunities and challenges for the game’s long term health.

Become deeply familiar with the Emoji Blitz game, existing systems and content, Disney IP, and the game’s player community.

Regularly checks and reacts to the live status of the game, particularly key new feature and content releases.

Make top level calls on iterations through playtesting feedback and live data.

Team Leadership

Coordinates with Product leads to define all stories for each development sprint.

Act as a key communication link between all disciplines, regularly coordinating Design goals and needs across multiple development pods.

Has recurring 1:1s with Emoji Design team members to provide leadership, mentorship, and growth opportunities.

Create an environment that encourages creativity and empowers the team.

Game Design

Reviews all design 1-pagers and complete design specs. Provide critical feedback to ensure goals, scope, and quality are maintained.

Ensure features and ongoing content hit high quality standards.

When needed, create new design 1-pagers and complete design specs.

QUALIFICATIONS

10+ years of game industry experience
3+ years of of management experience
2+ years of mobile game experience as a Game Design Manager, Game Director, or similar role.
2+ years of experience with F2P products
Experience leading a live operations game development team, including process, timelines, planning, and working with Product Managers and looking at live data.
One or more successful mobile games shipped.
Strong understanding for free to play design, mechanics, and product strategies.
Experience managing multiple design pods/sub-development teams.
Expert ability to telescope focus from a top level strategic POV to ground level feature and content reviews.
Outstanding presentation skills, spec writing, and demonstrated success at communicating your designs and vision to colleagues across different disciplines.
Takes accountability and ownership of projects from start to finish.
Problem solver, results-oriented, self-motivated and disciplined.
No-ego personality. The Emoji Blitz team has a strong culture of trust, cooperation, and collaboration.

NICE TO HAVE

Affinity for Disney/Pixar IP
Experience working with IP characters and following IP guidelines.
Drive to build and support a creative, world-class design culture.
Deep and wide knowledge of other games, not just limited to mobile. Ability to reference mechanics, controls, and other elements from other games.
Waterfall, Agile and Scrum process experience.
Serious passion for games—you are a gamer and have been for years.
Experience developing in UnityCoding/Prototyping experience is a plus!

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation for this role. The range listed is just one component of Jam City's total compensation package for employees, which may also include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, certifications, location, business needs, or market demands. This range is based on a full-time position. This range may be modified in the future. In addition, Jam City provides a variety of benefits to employees, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, parental leave, paid time off, a 401(k) plan, life, disability, and accident insurance. Pay Range: $121,00— $213,000 salary per year.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION

We believe in creating games that unite people across the world and that showcase our commitment to providing an environment that is both inclusive and diverse for our players and employees. We strive to create a workforce that is reflective of our global player community as we know that we are stronger and better when we play together. To help promote an inclusive culture, we celebrate the visible and invisible diversity of our Jam Citizens through initiatives including Employee Resource Groups, cultural events, trainings, speaker series, and more.

Jam City is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, religion, ethnicity, marital, or domestic partnerships status, disability, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws. Our management is committed to following this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruiting, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.

ABOUT JAM CITY

Jam City is an award-winning mobile entertainment studio providing unique and deeply engaging games that appeal to a broad, global audience.

Led by CEO Josh Yguado, former 20th Century Fox executive, Jam City is the creative powerhouse behind some of the highest-grossing and most enduring mobile games. Jam City’s global franchise Cookie Jam has generated more than half a billion dollars, and Panda Pop has more than 120 million downloads to date.

The company also is the go-to studio for Hollywood, having developed immersive, narrative-rich mobile games around iconic entertainment brands. The company’s popular RPG game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was the #1 game in more than 40 countries at its launch in April 2018.

Jam City has nine studios located in Los Angeles (HQ), Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Burbank, Cedar Falls, San Diego, San Francisco, and Toronto.

Jam City Glassdoor Company Review

4.0