Principal Level Designer

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Level Designer to join an exciting new project and team, taking a guiding role in level design, world-building, and game structure on Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). The project is based at our studio. This can be discussed upon application. The successful candidate will drive strong, compelling level design, that enhances in-game encounters and the overall experience. They will also be responsible for enabling the game's overarching structure and its world architecture to a high standard, working closely with the leads to come up with ideas and processes to help the team to deliver on this.

Key Responsibilities

On a day-to-day basis you will:

• Own and help to define the world design rules, so that the LD's have the best practices and building blocks from which to create the world
• Build and own large features and map areas. Helping to lead and drive direction within the map team
• Assist the leads on helping to establish the world’s lore, coordinating with Narrative to ensure we are creating a believable world
• Helps to unblock and drive solutions for the level design team
• Communicates across teams, and between internal and external leadership
• Provide guidance and mentoring to the level design team
• Works closely with the leads to develop strong processes for validating level design content, being an advocate for playtesting
• Helps to create User Stories, and contributes to roadmap planning and scope estimates

Knowledge, Skill and Experience

Essential

• Experienced in UE4/5
• Strong level of autonomy, can manage their own work, and act as a support for the team when needed
• Experienced building and owning more challenging levels for FPS characters
• Strong single-player experience building levels within a narratively driven mission-based structure
• A highly experienced level designer, with one or more shipped AAA titles in a level design role
• Proficient at crafting 3D spaces using Unreal based tools, geometry scripting, and or Whitebox quality-based assets
• Keen worldbuilding sensibilities that serve the gameplay requirements but also keeps in mind and compliments the artistic goals for the world
• Hub-like soft skills working and communicating within multi-disciplined feature teams or pods.
• Be an ambassador for the player experience. Highly tuned to the pacing feel, emotive response and interactive elements within the world and its threats to shape engaging and tense memorable moments
• Comfortable presenting to internal and external stakeholders, and documenting feedback from both to incorporate into day-to-day task work

Desirable

• Experience developing a game's macro structure and hour-to-hour flow
• Experience creating a reusable level design library of modular kit pieces
• Experience in a mentoring role
• Comfortable planning and writing concise user stories in Jira that outline clear acceptance criteria
• Have worked on a game with a focus on survival or stealth

About the Studio

The studio crafts deep and detailed games that last, entertaining millions of players across the globe for decades. We are all game makers and we care deeply about the experiences we create. We empower our teams to make significant contributions to our games, supported by skills development and growth opportunities.

We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:

• Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs)
• Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays
• Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents
• Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening
• Generous holiday allowance plus full studio closure over the Christmas and New Year period, and all Bank holidays
• Join our Diversity and Inclusion Network – an employee-led group
• Season ticket travel loans and cycle to work scheme with free bike servicing and discounted car valet service on site
• Wellbeing support and virtual confidential counselling
• Community activities including parties, football and more.
• Our studio sites have disabled access.

We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.