Lead Content Designer

At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.

We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.

Following the success of our first VR title Archangel, we elevated our ambition and tackled The Walking Dead universe in VR. The result was the 2020 genre-defining hit The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. We are currently working on several highly anticipated VR games for emerging platforms that we can’t wait for you to play.

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The Lead Content Designer on the people management career track balances hands-on design work with oversight of projects and/or teams. The distribution for this role should be around 50% leadership/management and 50% individual contribution.

• Content Design Leadership Requirements:
• Design, discover and iterate on large pieces of content that keep players engaged and having fun
• Understand and be the subject matter expert of how content drives engagement and its role in creating lasting memories for players
• Drive the existing content pipelines, and develop new, effective processes as our content demands it
• Collaborate with the Game Director, Design Director, and Narrative Director to create seamless story-driven games that support strong player agency.  
• Lead the implementation of features/content that requires significant writer and designer interaction. 
• Ensure smooth collaboration between design and writing teams to build a world-class game.

• Team Management Requirements:
• Manage and mentor a team of narrative/content designers (internal and external) in various aspects of level production.
• Manage the schedule and work of the narrative/content design team on a project.
• Devise and assemble conditions for the narrative/content design team’s success.
• Mentor and coach team members to foster their design, technical, and professional development. 
• Work with production to establish a timeline and needed resources.
• Work effectively with outsource teams.

• 8+ years of game production experience, with at least 1+ year experience leading a pod or team.
• Shipped at least 1 title as a Lead.
• Deep understanding of Unreal Engine’s visual scripting language.
• Knowledge and experience in interactive storytelling, including dialogue implementation, scenario design and environmental storytelling
• Excellent communication skills, including both problem resolution and pitching ideas
• Demonstrable skill with design tools and implementation, including implementing audio files and props to create engaging narrative
• Experience with writing and appreciation of game design documents
• Expertise in working with 3rd party game engines (Unreal, Unity)
• Demonstrated experience mentoring, teaching, or otherwise communicating technical design concepts
• Contributed to at least one title from pre-production to launch
• Ability to manage external developers, reviewing their work, and providing feedback.
• Skilled at managing a team by setting goals, assigning milestone tasks, reviewing deliveries, and providing constructive feedback to the team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Previous experience as a Senior or Lead Narrative/Content Designer on previous game titles.

The salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $125,000 – $150,000.  The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors.  The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc. 

We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description. 

#Interactive #LI-hybrid

Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.

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