Creative Director

PLAY, GROW and WIN

To be a part of Virtuos means to be a creator.  

At Virtuos, we harness the latest technologies to make games better and more immersive than ever before. That is why we pride ourselves in constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility since our founding in 2004. 

Virtuosi is a team of experts – people who have come together to share their mutual passion for making and playing games. People with the same enthusiasm for exploring new ideas and the constant drive to excel in their field. People who believe in earning success through dedication.

At Virtuos, we are at the forefront of gaming, creating exciting new experiences daily. Join us to Play, Grow and Win – together.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Company Overview: Black Shamrock – a Virtuos Studio is the leading AAA games studio in Ireland, dedicated to delivering immersive and groundbreaking gaming experiences on our own projects and in collaboration with our AAA partners. With a passion for pushing the boundaries of the industry, we pride ourselves on fostering creativity, innovation, and excellence in our teams. Already the largest games studio in Ireland, we are looking to grow our team to take on even more ambitious, large-scale creative projects.

Position Overview: We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Creative Director to lead a team through the full development cycle from initial concept to final release. This is a pivotal role for the studio and will be instrumental in driving the expansion of the creative capabilities of our studio towards ambitious, large-scale full-development projects. We are looking for someone with a proven track record as creative director on successful, critically-acclaimed AAA titles.  

1. Pitching:
   • Work closely with the other members of the core team and studio management to identify the best pitching opportunities taking into account the studio’s strengths and current market trends.
   • Drive the creation of relevant, high-quality materials to clearly communicate the game vision to potential clients/publishers.
   • Build trust with clients/publishers through the individual’s impressive track record and also through in-person and online meetings.
   • Be a key factor in securing new, larger scale opportunities for the studio.
2. Creative Leadership:
   • Provide solid leadership to your Game Design team, inspiring and guiding them to achieve excellence in creativity.
   • Develop and communicate the creative vision for each project, ensuring alignment with overall company and project goals, in close collaboration with our sister studios and the client/publisher. 
   • Provide feedback and critique to our design team, while offering direction to the other design teams working on your project throughout the Virtuos group.
   • Maintain a high standard of quality across all aspects of game design, providing constructive feedback and guidance to ensure high quality final products.
3. Design Strategy:
   • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including art, engineering, animation and production in the development process.
   • Develop and implement design strategies that elevate gameplay, storytelling, and overall player experience.
4. Team Management:
   • Build and lead a high-performing design team, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment.
   • Mentor and develop designers, providing guidance and support in their professional growth, as well as assessing ongoing development and settings goals within our quarterly performance review process.
   • Liaise with studio management and our Recruitment department to assist with the planning and hiring strategy of the Design department to ensure future project needs are met.
5. Project Oversight:
   • Leverage your extensive experience in full development, help to set goals and milestones for your team.
   • Deliver compelling content from concept to completion, ensuring that design goals are met within scope, schedule, and budget constraints.
   • Take local ownership of our original projects programme, Virtuos Originals, offering your extensive experience to our employees to set them up for success.
   • Advocate for your project, helping to drive it at every stage from concept right the way through to release.
6. Innovation and Industry Trends:
   • Stay abreast of industry trends, newly released titles, emerging technologies, and advancements in game design, and integrate relevant innovations into our projects.
   • Encourage a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement within the design team.

What you should have:

• Proven experience as a leader within game design, with a successful track record of delivering successful, critically-acclaimed AAA titles throughout the full development cycle.
• The ideal candidate is already well-known and highly-regarded within the games industry, although we are also happy to hear from people with a less well-established public profile.
• Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a creative team.
• In-depth knowledge of game design principles, mechanics, and player psychology.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines.
• Extensive experience of working in the industry, with a strong, pre-established network you can rely on.

What you need:

• At least 2 shipped AAA titles on Gen 7+ in a leadership position.
• 13+ years of experience in game design, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role.
• Bachelor's degree in Game Design, Interactive Media, or a related field is desirable, but not essential. We consider Game Designers of all backgrounds.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English, while also being comfortable on video calls.

Please Note:

• Meeting all the criteria is not mandatory. We try to be mindful and not set unrealistic expectations to be met in order to apply. If you don’t tick all of the boxes of the role, we encourage you to apply anyway.