Manager, Design

Manager, Design

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next… From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

WB Games is a leader in the games industry across all game platforms and mobile devices. Our diverse and inclusive workforce creates and brings to life the most beloved characters, franchises, heroes, and wizards in the world. We are fans of what we make and proud of what we do. We have studios and offices across the globe.

Your New Role

WB Games Inc seeks a Manager, Design to lead and manage the design team as they work to realize the vision of the Creative Director for our AAA title development. This individual will be the internal evangelist for the design vision and will help define the design process in collaboration with the experienced design team and under guidance from the Creative Director. The Manager, Design will oversee the definition and implementation of the design pipelines in concert with the engineering team. This person should be willing to get their hands into the design process as well as leading others to do the same.

The ideal candidate has previously managed internal game design teams that have shipped multiple successful games in the console and PC space and has been in a leadership role on at least one multi-million selling AAA console or PC game. They should have hands-on experience with character combat design and level design. This candidate should also have extensive experience with definition of core game loops, progression systems, and other aspects of systems design.

Please note that this role will be based in Chicago, IL.

Your Role Accountabilities

VISION

• Work closely with the Creative Director to develop and define the vision of the game
• Clearly articulate the design through documentation and internal communication
• Review progress throughout the development cycle to ensure the trajectory aligns with the established vision

IMPLEMENTATION

• Lead a team of veteran designers in the day-to-day creation of characters and combat systems
• Work with the art teams to create levels, models, SFX, and animations to support the defined gameplay needs
• Collaborate with engineering to ensure that tools and support technologies meet the design requirements

DESIGN

• Work with the team to create engaging core game loops and great moment-to-moment gameplay
• Oversee creation of engagement and progression systems to support player fun
• Maintain vigilance on a player-first mentality

COMMUNICATION

• Act as the primary liaison between the design team and other disciplines
• Help act as a bridge between design creative and production realities
• Collaborate with Production to ensure clear communication across the team

LEADERSHIP

• Mentor the design team with a goal of helping each member develop into high-performers
• Ensure knowledge sharing across the team

Qualifications & Experience:

• Minimum of 3 shipped titles on which the candidate was involved from inception to completion
• Minimum of 8+ years in game development, with at least 4+ years in a management role
• Direct experience as a Lead Designer on an AAA action game
• A minimum of a bachelor's degree (or equivalent work experience)
• Well versed in all aspects of game design including systems, narrative, level, and combat design
• Strong desire to apply metrics and data analysis to augment their design instincts
• Should have extensive experience with a project that provides ongoing live support
• Excellent communication skills required, both written and verbal
• Excellent organizational skills, including both strong skills in prioritization and multitasking
• Strong conflict resolution and mediation skills
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills
• Scripting/coding knowledge, sufficient to understand script-heavy design processes
• Positive attitude and collaborative approach to problem solving
• High level of initiative and proactivity

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law. If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

Compensation Disclosure

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $94,500.00 - $175,500.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.

Key skills/competency

• Game Design Leadership
• AAA Title Development
• Team Management
• Combat Design
• Level Design
• Core Game Loops
• Progression Systems
• Data Analysis
• Live Service Games
• Cross-Functional Collaboration