Sr. Game Designer

3 Months ago • 5 Years + • Game Design • $113,400 PA - $152,000 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

As a Sr. Game Designer at Disney Games, you'll partner with global developers to create next-generation Lucasfilm games. Responsibilities include collaborating on gameplay experiences, providing feedback on design documentation (GDDs, feature specs, etc.), identifying and mitigating design risks, and advocating for development teams. You'll need expertise in system design, narrative design, live operations, and monetization. The role requires strong communication and collaboration skills, familiarity with Lucasfilm IPs, and a passion for gaming across various platforms and genres. You'll also mentor junior team members and improve design processes.
Must have:
  • 5+ years game design experience (mobile/console/PC/online)
  • System design expertise (narrative, live ops, monetization)
  • Experience with GDDs, feature specs, narrative outlines
  • Collaboration with external teams
  • Strong communication & presentation skills
  • Lucasfilm brand familiarity
Good to have:
  • AA/BA/BS in related field
  • Experience across various game genres
Perks:
  • Health and savings benefits
  • Educational opportunities
  • Disney-specific extras

Job Details

Job Summary:

About the Role & Team

Disney Games a division of Disney Experience is one of the world's largest licensors of games across platforms. Our games teams work closely with external development studios to create original stories through high-quality games inspired by the worlds of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios.

In this unique role, we are looking for a standout creative leader and collaborator to partner with the best game developers from across the globe to create the next generation of Lucasfilm games. This role draws upon your expertise not only as a seasoned game designer but also as an expert on gaming trends and a Lucasfilm fan to partner with our licensees and support the creative development of our titles. You will be the point person for game design submissions and discussions, leveraging contemporary examples on the target platform and genre, and guiding gameplay and narrative through the lens of our characters and worlds, to ensure that each game is a best-in-class, authentic Lucasfilm experience.

This is a full-time role

You will report to the Sr. Manager- Creative Direction

What You Will Do

  • Collaborate with partners to create gameplay experiences that authentically represent our brands and engage gamers and fans alike.

  • Provide editorial feedback and lead discussions on the game design documentation, gameplay concepts, features, story proposals, playable builds, and scripts while fostering successful collaboration.

  • Proactively identify areas of risk affecting product quality, story, and player experience; provide actionable solutions to mitigate game design risks.

  • Exemplify the role of a creative negotiator, representing and advocating on behalf of our development teams, franchise partners, and key collaborators to deliver against our collective product goals and gameplay needs.

  • Maintain familiarity with current game and game industry products and trends including popular gameplay features, trending genres, current platforms, and commonly used retention and monetization techniques.

  • Creatively and mindfully work within existing and upcoming Lucasfilm Intellectual Property guidelines to provide guidance to our partners.

  • Work closely with partners to stay up-to-speed on the latest D&I guidelines and ensure that the gameplay and stories within our products are being designed and implemented mindfully, authentically, and respectfully.

  • Independently balance a workload of diverse projects in varying stages of development.

  • Mentor and provide game and system design guidance to other internal team members; share best practices that cultivate inclusive creativity and elevate game design and storytelling through gameplay in our products.

  • Seek out opportunities to improve processes and pipelines for yourself and other design team members. Apply shared practices to elevate how the team approaches gameplay opportunities and challenges within our products.

Required Qualifications & Skills

  • 5+ years of experience in game design for mobile/console/PC/online.

  • Expertise in system design with proficiency across a broad design skills including narrative design, live operations, and monetization mechanics.

  • A background in quality gameplay experiences across a variety of genres, platforms, and audiences for games.

  • Experience in assessing and editing design and narrative documentation including GDDs, feature specs, narrative outlines, dialogue scripts, etc.

  • Experience in leading game design conversations and initiatives.

  • Experience in successfully collaborating and providing creative feedback to external teams, vendors, or agencies.

  • Exceptional time management skills with the ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

  • A highly motivated, flexible, and problem-solving approach.

  • Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.

  • Ability to travel and a valid passport.

  • Interest in all things gaming from mobile to console and wider industry trends.

  • A strong familiarity with Lucasfilm Brands, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Preferred Qualifications

  • AA/BA/BS preferred or advanced proficiency demonstrated via an industry-standard level of videogame design.

Additional Information

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits.

#LI-VS2

#DXMedia


The hiring range for this position in San Francisco, CA is $113,400 to $152,000 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Similar Jobs

Scopely - VP, GM - Direct to Consumer

Scopely

Culver City, California, United States (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
Scopely - Staff Engineer - Monopoly GO!

Scopely

Spain (Remote)
3 Months ago
Kabam - Senior Director, Business Development

Kabam

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Worlds - Character Animator

Worlds

(Remote)
6 Months ago
Scopely - VP of Product - WWE Champions

Scopely

United States (Remote)
3 Months ago
Seasec Recruiters - Unity Developer

Seasec Recruiters

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, India (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Creative Assembly - Technical Designer - CA Sofia

Creative Assembly

Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Ubisoft - Senior Game Designer

Ubisoft

Milan, Lombardy, Italy (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Meta - Technical Game Designer

Meta

Seattle, Washington, United States (On-Site)
9 Months ago
Virtuos - Lead Level Designer

Virtuos

China (On-Site)
3 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

Virtusa - UX designer

Virtusa

Karnataka, India (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
Worlds - Lead Audio Designer

Worlds

(Remote)
6 Months ago
Demiurge Studios - Senior Unreal Engineer (PC & Console)

Demiurge Studios

(Remote)
2 Months ago
Flying Bark Productions - CG FX Artist

Flying Bark Productions

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Scopely - Head of Product

Scopely

Spain (On-Site)
3 Months ago
The Walt Disney Company - Technical Account Manager

The Walt Disney Company

Thailand (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Scopely - Lead Product Manager, Economy -  Monopoly GO!

Scopely

London, England, United Kingdom (Remote)
3 Months ago
Scopely - Director of Data Science

Scopely

England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Scopely - Senior Manager Global Benefits

Scopely

Culver City, California, United States (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
The Walt Disney Company - Principal Product Manager, ML Platform

The Walt Disney Company

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in San Francisco, California, United States

The Walt Disney Company - Senior Systems Administrator (Overnight Shift)

The Walt Disney Company

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Matic Robots - Product & Customer Ops Associate

Matic Robots

Mountain View, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
The Walt Disney Company - Sr Software Engineer (webOS/Tizen)

The Walt Disney Company

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Buckman - Customer Delivery Technician

Buckman

Macon, Georgia, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Fluence - Product Manager - Battery Systems

Fluence

Houston, Texas, United States (Hybrid)
4 Months ago
Meta - Software Engineering Manager, Product

Meta

Los Angeles, California, United States (Remote)
3 Months ago
Riot Games - Director, Product Management - 2XKO

Riot Games

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
ByteDance - Machine Learning Engineer, Tech Lead - Engineering Efficiency and AI Code Assistant

ByteDance

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Sandbox VR - Retail Associate

Sandbox VR

Fort Worth, Texas, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago
WebMD - Deputy Director

WebMD

Newark, New Jersey, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Game Design Jobs

Ubisoft - Senior Programmer [Unity]

Ubisoft

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Voodoo - Principal Game Designer - Picante Studio - Match3

Voodoo

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (Remote)
3 Months ago
Aesir Interactive - Senior Game Designer (f/m/d)

Aesir Interactive

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Riot Games - Principal Game Designer - Wild Rift Shanghai

Riot Games

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Zynga - Lead Content Designer - Echtra Games

Zynga

California, United States (Remote)
2 Months ago
G5 Games - Game Feature Owner

G5 Games

Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia (Remote)
2 Months ago
Kojima Productions - Game Designer

Kojima Productions

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Creative Assembly - Technical Designer - CA Sofia

Creative Assembly

Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Techland - System Designer - Live Ops

Techland

Poland (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Playdead - Gameplay Programmer

Playdead

Copenhagen, Denmark (On-Site)
6 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

From classic animated features and exhilarating theme park attractions to cutting edge sports coverage, and the hottest shows on television, The Walt Disney Company has been making magic since 1923, creating unforgettable stories that connect with audiences around the world. And we’re just getting started!

The key to our success…. The Cast, Crew, Imagineers and Employees who honor Disney’s rich legacy by stretching the bounds of imagination to create the never-before-seen, bringing unparalleled entertainment experiences to people of all ages. Begin a career that delivers unparalleled creative content and experiences to audiences around the world and just imagine the stories you could be part of…

What is #LifeAtDisney like? It’s a series of magical moments with cast members and employees developing and telling our stories in the most innovative ways. Whether it’s a day spent as a Disney VoluntEAR, or celebrating the release of a new interactive experience, retail product or movie, our days are filled with the knowledge that we are creating entertainment experiences the whole family can enjoy. Follow @DisneyCareers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a peek behind-the-curtain, and discover how you could connect to a world of stories with Disney!

Burbank, California, United States (On-Site)

Burbank, California, United States (On-Site)

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)

Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines (On-Site)

Hong Kong (On-Site)

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands (On-Site)

Minato City, Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)

Minato City, Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by The Walt Disney Company

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug