Senior Game Design Director (Apex Legends)

Requisition Number: 168271

Position Title: Senior Game Design Director II

External Description:

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide.

Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.

Join us for the opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry.

Apex Legends is looking for a Design Director who will work closely with a team of passionate developers from all disciplines to push creative boundaries in Apex Legends for many seasons to come.

You should have extensive experience on a live service game and competitive multiplayer first person shooter design. You should have a strong suite of game development best practices (bug management, self scheduling, feature scoping, etc.) and be enthusiastic about upholding those best practices across the team.

You’ll be leading a team of technical designers and level designers, and will have management responsibilities. You’ll collaborate with all other disciplines to ensure a cohesive game. One on one’s with your team and other department heads will ensure you build the relationships necessary to work tightly as a unit.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the most creative and talented people in the industry and put your stamp on Apex Legends.

What You’ll do...

 

• Push creative boundaries & maintain design vision

• Partner with the Game Director and other departments to identify creative new opportunities for future seasons and plan a live roadmap.

 

• Partner with other arms of the business (mobile, cinematic, marketing) to help maintain a cohesive vision of the brand in other products.
• Keep the team working on ambitious ideas!
• Have a clear understanding of the state of the live game, the competitive scene and the general pulse of the community.

 

• Management of the Design department

 

• Manage a team of creative people through 1:1s, annual reviews, career growth opportunities, design discussions and daily interactions.
• Inspire, guide and mentor designers in the pursuit of strong, creative designs implemented to the highest quality.
• Support and grow your teammates through knowledge-sharing, mentoring and training.
• Develop and cast designers based on their strengths and interests.
• Propagate and drive a culture of creative ownership, candid feedback and a safe working environment.
• Screen new candidates, interview and hire new team members.

 

• High level design decisions and finalization

 

• Make tough calls - cutting, hitlisting and pivoting.
• Suggest and implement solutions for improvement to both process and project.

 

• Cultivate best development practices

 

• Develop and advocate best practices for the Design team.
• Uphold a strong no-crunch mantra. We’re a live game! We can push the feature out to help maintain a better work/life balance.
• Partner with Production to assign bugs, prioritize and triage issues for all releases.
• Playtest the game (a lot) and be proactive in feedback for all features.
• Lead design reviews and proactively guide the team towards good solutions to design and development problems.
• Work with others on side projects to make Apex a better game.

Ideally, you will also have...

• 10+ years of experience as a technically-oriented game designer (meaning you implemented gameplay yourself), with multiplayer experience
• At least 2 years on a AAA live service game.
• A strong understanding of competitive integrity in a multiplayer game.
• Proficient in some development tools for a first person shooter - technical scripting languages or level design packages.
• A strong desire to creatively collaborate with many different people with many different views.
• A friendly disposition!
• Enjoy playing Apex Legends, understand what makes it work, and can discuss it in depth.
• Strong opinions on how we could improve and a drive to accomplish them.

City:

State:

Community / Marketing Title: Senior Game Design Director (Apex Legends)

Company Profile:

We are a global team of creators, storytellers, technologists, experience originators, innovators and so much more. We believe amazing games and experiences start with teams as diverse as the players and communities we serve. At Electronic Arts, the only limit is your imagination.

EEOText:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

Days Open: 8

Can this position be remote?: 1

EEO Employer Verbiage:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.