Lead Designer at Devoted Studios

Canada

<p>Devoted Studios is a globally remote game development company specializing in Co-development, Porting, and End-to-End Art Production for the global gaming industry. We collaborate across time zones to support projects on all major platforms, engines and styles - from AAA titles to emerging technologies.</p><p>Our team includes world-class talents who bring deep expertise in external development, pipeline optimization, and creative problem-solving. Whether it’s porting games to new systems, enhancing gameplay features, or crafting stunning visuals, Devoted Studios operates as a trusted, flexible extension of our partners’ internal teams.</p><p>We are proud to be the development partner of choice for industry leaders such as:</p><ul><li>Epic Games</li><li>Xbox</li><li>Meta</li><li>Obsidian Entertainment</li><li>Riot</li><li>Gearbox Software</li></ul><p>We are looking for a Lead Designer to drive design quality, gameplay cohesion, and player-facing impact across one or more co-development projects. This role combines hands-on design leadership with close client collaboration, guiding multidisciplinary teams to deliver features, content, and improvements that support both development goals and live player needs.</p><p>You will act as the senior design voice within a client partnership, aligning creative direction, production realities, and player experience outcomes across ongoing development and live operations.</p>Major Responsibilities:<ul><li>Lead the game design function across one or more projects, setting design direction and ensuring consistent execution across the team.</li><li>Own and maintain design documentation, including pillars, feature specs, tuning goals, content guidelines, and playtesting frameworks.</li><li>Partner with client stakeholders, internal discipline leads, and production to align on scope, priorities, milestones, and design quality.</li><li>Guide a team of designers across gameplay, systems, UX, and content design, providing feedback, mentorship, and day-to-day direction.</li><li>Support the development and upkeep of live content, feature updates, and seasonal or rotating gameplay initiatives.</li><li>Work closely with engineering, art, QA, and production to implement, iterate, and polish gameplay systems and player-facing content.</li><li>Drive design reviews, playtests, and feedback loops that improve clarity, usability, balance, and overall player experience.</li><li>Help triage gameplay issues, regressions, exploits, and live player-impacting problems, partnering with QA and cross-functional teams on solutions.</li><li>Use player feedback, qualitative insights, and available data to identify opportunities to improve engagement, clarity, and sentiment.</li><li>Identify design risks early and propose practical solutions that protect quality, schedule, and maintainability.</li><li>Contribute to internal design standards, best practices, and team process improvements across the studio.</li></ul> <p></p><ul><li>6+ years of game design experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior design role.</li><li>At least one shipped title as a design lead or senior designer on a commercially released game.</li><li>Strong understanding of gameplay systems, player motivation, progression, balance, pacing, and feedback loops.</li><li>Experience supporting live or evolving games, including post-launch content, live tuning, or feature iteration.</li><li>Strong documentation and communication skills, with the ability to create clear specs and drive productive cross-discipline discussions.</li><li>Proven ability to lead and mentor designers in a fast-moving production environment.</li><li>Experience collaborating directly with external partners or clients, with confidence managing feedback, expectations, and shifting priorities.</li><li>Proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, including hands-on design implementation and iteration within the engine.</li><li>Strong working knowledge of Blueprints for gameplay scripting, prototyping, and feature support.</li><li>Ability to work with light scripting in C++, particularly in collaboration with engineering teams to support gameplay systems and implementation needs.</li><li>Strong player empathy and an instinct for improving real player outcomes through design.<br /></li></ul>Nice to have:<ul><li>Experience working on live service games.</li><li>Familiarity with content rotation, event design, or seasonal delivery models.</li><li>Experience with systems, UX, or content design in addition to core gameplay.</li><li>Comfort working in co-development environments with embedded teams.</li></ul> <p></p><p>Why Join Us?</p><p>We offer:</p><ul><li>Strong and enthusiastic team – you will have the opportunity for knowledge sharing, learning, and professional self-development</li><li>Interesting and challenging tasks – solve diverse and challenging issues, communicate with people within the company as well as with our partners;</li><li>Convenient working conditions – remote work, the opportunity to build your own working day with flexible working hours</li><li>А chance to work in a highly professional and dynamic team working with a wide range of International Game Production projects, attractive remuneration package, and opportunities to develop professionally.</li></ul><p></p><p>This is a remote, full-time contracted position.</p><p>We are an equal opportunity company and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for a contract without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p>