Lead Designer| Xbox Games Studio| Rare Ltd.

Job content

Overview

Rare is a one-of-a-kind game studio where we create the kind of games the world doesn’t have, games that are uniquely Rare! Working here offers opportunities unlike anywhere else. You’ll be providing players with unforgettable shared experiences in games loved by millions worldwide. Our pirate adventure Sea of Thieves, launched in 2018, continues to thrive – and alongside that we’re busy creating our next magical world, Everwild, announced in 2019 to a global audience.

We strive to make Rare an amazing place to work, embracing a culture of respect and building a supportive environment for our developers. Our custom-built Twycross studio is situated in the beautiful English countryside, surrounded by woodland and wildlife, with plenty of room for us to grow. Studio benefits are catered to making life easier for staff, including flexible working, a bonus scheme, an industry-leading pension package, private healthcare, mental health initiatives and free events for employees and their families.

By joining Rare, you’ll be joining one of the finest studios in the industry with support from the wider Xbox Game Studios network. We’re always on the lookout for exceptional people who can bring their expertise and unique thinking to help make our team even stronger!

Responsibilities

ROLE PURPOSE

The creative team are looking for a new Lead Designer to play a vital role in developing the continuing adventures of Sea of Thieves. We’re looking for a creative individual with experience of leading a team, a passion for creating engaging moment-to-moment gameplay and a deep interest in the potential of shared-world games.

This is an exciting leadership role as part of the Sea of Thieves Design team, with the scope to make a huge impact on the continuing growth of the game.

You will be fully accountable for delivering holistic gameplay experiences that represent expansive, meaningful parts of the game.

You will lead a team of designers and work closely with other discipline leads to deliver delightful experiences, all while being mindful of and faithful to the overall creative vision for Sea of Thieves.

Key Accountabilities

• Be responsible for leading and managing a team of game designers, mentoring individuals and providing effective coaching to support their growth.
• Lead and support a team through ideation into detailed design, all while navigating challenges to work collaboratively towards a great creative execution.
• Work with the Creative Director and the Sea of Thieves leadership team to identify new creative opportunities and strategies that deliver delightful new experiences for players.
• Represent the vision for the features you create, build confidence across the team and be responsible for pushing these features forward.
• Deliver features that work harmoniously with the wider Sea of Thieves gameplay experience and established lore/worldbuilding.
  

Qualifications

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of Sea of Thieves and its community.
• Experience of leading and mentoring a design team in the creation of new experiences.
• The ability to work alongside other discipline leads, owning entire game experiences and how they are implemented.
• Strong, proven design experience, especially in moment-to-moment mechanics and game systems.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to convey your ideas and plans to a multi-disciplinary team in a way that inspires and excites.
• Experience of writing thorough and detailed design specs that allow the team to understand your designs.
• Equally comfortable expressing bold ideas and designs on paper, on whiteboards or in an editor.
• The ability to demonstrate a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges inherent to shared-world multiplayer game design.
• An appreciation of and interest in prototyping and the advantages it brings.
• The ability to iterate on your ideas quickly to identify the best solutions.
  

Desirable Experience

• Experience with Unreal Blueprint or other relevant scripting systems.
• Experience of working in Unreal in a practical, hands-on role.
  

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