Lead Level Designer
TYPE
Full-time
LOCATION
Milan
JOB DESCRIPTION
RaceWard Studio is seeking a Lead Level Designer for our non racing upcoming title.
The Lead Level Designer will lead, mobilise and develop a team of level designers within a collaborative multidiscipline environment; define and track the schedule for the team, manage and mentor team members, and be a key player in the level design of the project.
DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage, mentor & coach Level Designers;
- Work closely with designers, programmers and artists to create and maintain fun, playable levels they can be proud of;
- Collect and analyse playtest data and iterate on layouts accordingly in collaboration with environment and technical artists;
- Have a thorough understanding of the core gameplay mechanics and how the levels will deliver / showcase those mechanics, understand the project goals, and target demographic;
- Have a clear understanding of the technical constraints of the game engine, the capabilities and workflow of the game editor and level design pipeline and contribute ideas to help improve them;
- Work from storyboards to create the level structure;
- Write document listing assets, objectives and layout of each level;
- Sketch and map out each level;
- Review design and development work on a regular basis to ensure execution is in line with overall vision and quality standards.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Strong passion for making and playing games;
- Experience in creating first or third person shooters;
- Leadership experience, including the running of running a multi-person design team; person-management, mentoring, line-management;
- A deep understanding of all aspects of level design with mastery in many areas including; visual language, architectural composition, sign-posting, combat and encounter design, flow, game balance, delivery / support of game mechanics, on-boarding, difficulty tuning and pacing;
- Previous experience in the video game industry as Level Designer;
- The ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines and experience of being a key part of a leadership group;
- Experience of prototyping maps and gameplay mechanics using UE4, UE3 or similar (Unreal 4 Blueprints);
- Experience writing high quality and thorough design documentation including diagram and flow-chart creation;
- Experience in multiplayer level design;
- Deep player empathy;
- Artistic talent;
- Excellent visualization skills combined with good spatial and layout design skills;
- Methodical mindset;
- Knowledge of architectural principles;
- Ability to transform 2D concepts into 3D objects;
- Understanding of how objects respond to the laws of physics;
- Deep understanding of gameplay and game engagement;
- Problem-solving ability;
- Proficient in English, both spoken and written.
NICE TO HAVE
- Familiarity with Perforce;
- Familiarity with Click-Up;
- An understanding of GSuite.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONS
- A modern and relaxed studio atmosphere;
- A chance to work in a booming industry within an international team;
- Coffee, snacks and drinks at the office dispensers, and daily meal vouchers;
- Healthcare;
- Yearly Vouchers for goods or services, including discounts on the purchase of video games;
- 1-to-1 dedicated courses to improve personal skills (e.g. English language, soft skills or specific technical courses according to the needs of the team);
- Company Events (dinners, cultural and team building trips);
- Regular check-ups 1-to-1 with your manager and HR to assess performance, progress, difficulties, and periodic climate analyses;
- Career development: structured salary review process and individual growth path;
- Smart working policy to promote work-life balance;
- Free Shares Incentive Plan and production bonus.