Lead Game Designer

Full Time Job
Who are we hiring?

As a Lead Designer at MSG Sphere Studios you develop entertainment that's equal
parts video game, amusement park ride, and spectacle. Your target platform is The Sphere – a
massive 16K 4D theater with beam-formed audio – and the mobile phones of our guests. You build
from specifications and team objectives and iterate to eventual production-quality deliverables. You're part of a veteran cross-functional team and learning from each other every day. The Lead Designer will be working closely with other departments to develop systems, tools, and game content that scales to 10,000 players.
You should be excellent at rapidly prototyping ideas and capable of turning a design specification from paper into a high quality, playable game system.
You will be expected to encourage, mentor, and lead the level design team towards creating highly tuned player-first experiences. You will be a trusted gatekeeper for performance, efficiency, and quality, while providing your team with guidance, goals, opportunities, and resources.
A successful Lead Designer will also have a strong, multi-genre design sense and an ability to create compelling content that millions of fans are going to love.

What will you do?
• Work closely with the Creative Director and others to create immersive and compelling gameplay
• Maintain design documentation and enforce structure, such as naming conventions
• Manage and help develop the careers of the company’s other designers
• Develop prototypes and designs that clearly articulate the vision and requirements of game play features
• Partner with your cross-disciplinary team to see those designs come to life
• Work extensively in Unreal Blueprints
• Create and implement new content including levels, epic set pieces, and experiences
• Be able to implement robust, performant, and fun game systems
• Manage the delivery of assets for your level or feature, including asset creation
• Work with external development teams and feedback on work received
• Work with other designers, artists and engineers to collaborate daily on systems and content; collaboration is key
• Document systems, define best practices, and communicate pertinent information to the rest of the team
• Manage designers and create a positive culture within the group

What do you need to succeed?
• Minimum of 5 years in full-cycle AAA game development
• Highly proficient with the Unreal Engine
• Mentorship experience with at least one title from concept to final delivery
• Experienced in current generation industry-standard tools and workflows, such as Maya, Substance Painter and physically based rendering (PBR)
• Ability to interpret and transform abstract ideas and concepts into compelling work
• Working knowledge of industry standard concepts and processes
• Track record of working collaboratively between different departments
• Aware of memory and technical constraints while working, and can balance creative intent with performance
• A passion for games

DESIRED SKILLS:
• Minimum 5 years’ professional experience in Design• Shipped 2 AAA game titles
• Expertise in the Unreal Engine
• Experience with first or third person shooter game design
• Experience with quest design, especially involving multiple cooperative players
• Experience with Live Support and Post-Launch/Seasonal content releases
• A passion for developing a robust and enjoyable design culture
• Game knowledge and an understanding of the design principles behind games
• Able to collaborate with engineers, artists and designers
• Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve
• Proficient in modern creator packages such as Maya, Max, Modo, ZBrush, 3DCoat, Mudbox, and Photoshop
• Strong leadership and mentoring abilities and interpersonal skills
• Ability to act effectively in a dynamic development environment
• Strong collaborative and proactive skills with the ability to communicate with a broad range of people
• Capable of working on own initiative, identify problems and offer practical solutions
• Ability to find creative solutions for challenging tasks

NICE TO HAVE:
• Experience working in a position with job responsibilities similar to the above listing, with a team of at least 3 game designers in a professional setting
• Expertise and passion in one or more of the following areas: AI, Animation, General Gameplay, Tools
• Experience working on networked Cooperative or Competitive Multi-player game experiences
• End to End life cycle game development
• Proficient in C/C++
• Traditional art skills including sketching, illustration, and painting
• The ability to work with detailed concept art or reference art/ materials
• Experience with Houdini is a big plus

SUBMISSION/PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
• Cover Letter (optional)
• Portfolio demonstrating relevant skills

Only digital artwork submissions such a website, blog, or online album will be accepted.