Studio Design Director

undefined ago • 10 Years + • $150,000 PA - $170,000 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

Smoking Gun Interactive is seeking a visionary Studio Design Director to lead gameplay design, champion quality across projects, and develop the design team. This role involves setting design direction, pitching innovative experiences, and overseeing all game design elements from concept to live service. The director will manage senior designers, establish best practices, and iterate designs based on feedback, ensuring a player-centered experience.
Must have:
  • Develop and champion design vision for projects.
  • Collaborate with Studio Management on product vision.
  • Generate and pitch new game ideas to clients.
  • Represent design in studio planning and partner meetings.
  • Provide high-level oversight on all game design elements.
  • Manage and mentor senior and lead designers.
  • Establish design principles and best practices.
  • Lead concepting, prototyping, and playtesting.
  • Guide design milestones from pre-production to live service.
  • 10+ years in Design Leadership on mobile, PC, or console.
  • Shipped at least three AAA titles in Design Leadership.
  • Experience from game concept to live operations.
  • Deep understanding of game systems, level design, player psychology.
  • Expertise in Premium and Freemium game mechanics and monetization.
  • Proven experience pitching and developing game ideas.
  • Strong vision communication across diverse teams.
  • Proficiency in modern game engines and collaborative tools.
  • Strong presentation and storytelling skills.
  • Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Good to have:
  • Multi-platform development experience (Mobile, PC, console).
  • Familiarity with user research, player data analysis, telemetry tools.
  • Passion for innovation in gameplay, narrative systems, or player expression.
Perks:
  • 10 days vacation leave
  • 5 paid days personal leave
  • 7 paid sick days
  • 5 paid parental leave days
  • Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
  • Dependent Life Insurance
  • Long Term Disability (LTD)
  • Extended Healthcare Benefit
  • Dental Care
  • RRSP matching
  • Training & Development

Job Details

Job Overview

As a passionate, experienced and visionary Studio Design Director with Smoking Gun Interactive (SGI), you’re a key leadership role responsible for setting the design direction of our gameplay experiences, championing design quality across all projects, and developing the design team’s talent and capabilities.

You work closely with studio leadership to pitch new compelling, innovative and genre-defining experiences. You have experience shipping multiple AAA quality titles on different platforms and excel at high-level direction and team management, with a deep passion for gameplay, systems and storytelling.

This is a permanent full-time position based in our Downtown Vancouver office. Candidates must be currently located or willing relocate to the Greater Vancouver Area with the expectation to be able to come into the office as needed and eligible to work in Canada.

Requirements

In this role, you will:

  • Develop, communicate and champion the design vision for new and existing projects ensuring a consistent, player-centered experience across all titles.
  • Collaborate with Studio Management to deliver and drive a cohesive product vision.
  • Work with leadership to ensure the vision is achievable within the project constraints.
  • Generate and pitch new game ideas to external clients.
  • Ideas must consider innovation vs reuse, scope/budget/schedule, commercial viability and target audiences
  • Represent the design perspective in studio planning, product pitches, and publisher/development partner meetings.
  • Partner with Studio Head and recruiting to attract world-class design talent.
  • Working with Studio Management and leads to provide feedback and ensure consistency of the product vision among all aspects of design, art, audio, narrative, UI/UX, monetization and marketing
  • Provide high-level oversight on all game design elements, including core mechanics, systems, level design, balance, and UX.
  • Manage senior and lead designers, fostering professional development and ownership.
  • Establish design principles and best practices that elevate gameplay, progression, narrative, and player engagement.
  • Lead and participate in concepting, prototyping, and playtesting new game features and mechanics.
  • Evaluate and iterate on designs based on player feedback, telemetry, and design KPIs.
  • Guide major design milestones from pre-production through post-launch live service

To be successful in this role, you must have:

  • 10+ years of experience in a Design Leadership role on mobile, PC or console products.
  • Shipped at least three titles of AAA quality in a Design Leadership role.
  • Taken games all the way from initial concept to live operations.
  • Deep understanding of game systems, level design, progression, player psychology.
  • Expertise in both Premium and Freemium game mechanics, KPI’s, and monetization strategies.
  • Proven experience in pitching, landing and developing game ideas from conception to market
  • Strong ability to drive vision and communicate it across teams of varying disciplines.
  • Experience managing and mentoring diverse design teams of all levels.
  • Proficiency in modern game engines (e.g. Unreal Engine, Unity, proprietary) and collaborative tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence).
  • Strong presentation and storytelling skills; able to pitch ideas clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks.
  • A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed – demonstrated ability to work independently.
  • Willingness to push the envelope and innovate within game parameters.
  • Experience with Word, Excel, Photoshop.
  • A positive attitude and a great team-player.

It would also be helpful if you had:

  • Multi-platform development experience (ideally, Mobile, PC and console).
  • Familiarity with user research, player data analysis, and telemetry tools.
  • Passion for innovation in gameplay, narrative systems, or player expression.

Benefits

  • 10 days vacation leave
  • 5 paid days personal leave
  • 7 paid sick days
  • 5 paid parental leave days
  • Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
  • Dependent Life Insurance
  • Long Term Disability (LTD)
  • Extended Healthcare Benefit
  • Dental Care
  • RRSP matching
  • Training & Development

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About The Company

Founded in 2007 by acclaimed industry veterans, Smoking Gun Interactive is a renowned leader in the gaming industry, and a part of the prestigious Keywords Studios family. Their exceptional work has earned them a well-deserved reputation for excellence, with a focus on creating cutting-edge interactive experiences that push the limits of what's possible. At Smoking Gun Interactive, the team's unwavering commitment to quality and innovation shines through in their world-class titles and immersive experiences. Their exceptional creations have captivated millions of casual and strategy gamers worldwide.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Remote)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Remote)

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