Lead Systems Designer

Job Title:

Lead Systems Designer - Raven Software

Requisition ID:

R023923

Job Description:

Your Mission

Your mission as a Lead Systems Designer is to develop, implement, and refine gameplay systems that will be enjoyed by millions of players worldwide in Call of Duty: Warzone. Reporting to the Associate Design Director, you will lead and mentor a skilled systems team, playing a pivotal role in both their project contributions and career growth.

Success in this role requires the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, often ambiguous environment. You must be agile and adaptable, working seamlessly with internal and external collaborators. Strong communication skills are essential, as is the ability to lead with clarity and consistency.

We’re looking for a self-sufficient leader who takes ownership, proactively solves challenges, and consistently delivers high-quality work on time. Above all, we seek an innovative and dedicated systems design leader who will push the Warzone player experience to best-in-class within the highly competitive Battle Royale genre.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, and the home studio for this role is Middleton, WI.

What you bring to the table

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:    

Systems Design Leadership

• Lead and mentor a team of systems designers, providing guidance, feedback, and 1 on 1 meetings to ensure high-quality work.
• Establish workflows and best practices to maintain consistently high quality, helping your team members develop their skills and make meaningful contributions.
• Help define the vision and structure of proposed game play systems, ensuring their alignment with the overall game play experience, mechanics, and pacing of the game.
• From inception to live, oversee the design of compelling gameplay systems that enhance player engagement and progression.

Collaboration with Cross-disciplinary teams

• Collaborate with Associate Design Director, Designers, Engineers, Artists, Producers, and Animators to deliver world-class game systems.
• Regularly communicate with the Associate Design Director and production to manage expectations, timelines, and deliverables.

Prototyping and Implementation

• Develop and test systems prototypes to evaluate player experience and balance.
• Analyze player feedback in test and live environments to refine systems engagement, difficulty, and overall player satisfaction, ensuring that systems support diverse playstyles and offer rewarding experiences.
• Be a proactive self-starter that can independently implement high-level direction if needed.
• Use scripting tools to create, iterate, and balance game mechanics and systems.
• Clearly and effectively pitch designs and features using multimedia tools.

Tools and Documentation

• Create and maintain design documentation, including systems design briefs, flowcharts, and implementation guidelines.
• Collaborate with the team to work within tools and scripting systems to bring gameplay logic to life
• Play builds of games in-progress and provide concise and prioritized feedback to both internal development teams, user-testing teams, and external partners.

Quality Control and Polish

• Ensure systems meet the highest standards of quality, from gameplay balance to technical performance.
• Collaborate with internal and external teams to resolve systems related bugs, overseeing the final polish to ensure a consistent and satisfying player experience.

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• 5 years in the games industry working in a system design capacity.
• Proven implementation experience with programming/scripting languages.
• Prior experience working on a games-as-a-service product.
• FPS experience.

Knowledge & Skills

• Understanding of Call of Duty Warzone including systems, modes and gameplay.
• Solid understanding of systems design with ability to clearly discuss modern trends.
• Possess a comprehensive understanding of the design process spanning all facets of the game.
• Expertise writing high and low-level documentation (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Visio, etc.).

Key Attributes

• Passionate and egoless attitude that welcomes feedback and enjoys working in a collaborative, iterative, and agile process.
• Ability to lead by example.
• Impressive communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Hunger for gaming (especially online) with a broad range of game experience.

Extra Points 

Experience

• Experience with visual software (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.).
• Prior experience working on a games-as-a-service product.

Knowledge & Skills.

• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the F2P games space.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the FPS games space.

Your Platform

Founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel in Middleton, Wisconsin, Raven Software began as a small studio focused on crafting fantasy and role-playing games. Since then, our award-winning portfolio has grown to include beloved titles such as Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and - for the past 15 years - major contributions to the critically acclaimed Call of Duty® franchise. As the lead developers behind Call of Duty: Warzone and the force behind the campaigns of the Black Ops series, most recently Black Ops 6, we have established ourselves as a key player in shaping the FPS genre and pushing the boundaries of what games can achieve.  

Our motto, “Our Work Speaks For Us,” symbolizes the dedication and passion that drives everything we do. We’ve built a team rooted in respect, collaboration, and a shared focus on what’s best for the game. We prioritize ambition balanced with care, direct communication, and a culture free of egos. By fostering innovation and owning our mistakes, we continually push boundaries to create unforgettable games for our players.  

As a studio located in Middleton - a suburb of Madison consistently ranked among the best places to live - we offer a thriving, supportive environment paired with exceptional quality of life.  

As we grow and enter the next chapter of our journey, we’re looking for talented individuals eager to pave new ground in our industry. If you’re ready to work with a world-class team, we’d love to hear from you. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raven-software/ 

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization. 

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up. 

Ready to Activate Your Future? 

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $97,200.00 - $179,900.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.