Advanced Designer, Systems

Warner Bros. Discovery•Salt Lake City, UT

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the team behind 2023’s smash hit Hogwarts Legacy! Avalanche Software, a division of WB Games Inc., is seeking an Advanced Systems Designer with a strong background and passion for designing systems that work together to create engaging experiences for players. The ideal candidate brings new ideas to our games, finds ways to expand upon existing systems, and understands how game systems and mechanics drive player behavior. We’re looking for someone who thinks about the player’s experience from beginning to end with an eye toward keeping them engaged and satisfied. This position involves direct collaboration with design leadership, narrative design, producers, and peers across every discipline.

Requirements

Advanced gameplay and systems design experience, with the ability to own large or complex features from concept through polish.
Demonstrated ability to define feature direction and turn broad creative goals into clear design plans and documentation.
Experience designing progression, reward, loot, economy, mini-games, gear, crafting, and/or collection systems for action RPG or open-world games.
Contributed to multiple shipped titles and participated in a full dev cycle from concept through release.
Experience with Unreal Engine 5, including Blueprint and other gameplay implementation tools.
Experience working with SQL and database tools.
Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and provide clear guidance to designers, engineers, and artists.
Strong written communication skills, with the ability to synthesize feedback from multiple stakeholders into coherent design proposals and implementation specs.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Computer Science or similar experience with C++ programming

Responsibilities

Design, prototype, and implement gameplay systems focused on progression, leveling, rewards, loot, economy, open world activities, gear, crafting, and collections.
Design and communicate the gameplay systems and reward loops needed to achieve the desired player experience.
Collaborate with other designers and disciplines to integrate systems into narrative and gameplay goals.
Partner with design leadership to help define pillars, player experience goals, and feature plans that support the broader vision for the game and build on established gameplay systems.
Translate high-level creative direction, team feedback, and cross-discipline conversations into clear design documentation, specs, and implementation plans.
Work closely with discipline leads and stakeholders across the studio to gather input, vet proposals, and align gameplay systems with the broader needs of the project.
Maintain the vision for the systems and drive the team towards achieving that vision through collaboration and decision making.
Work closely with production to prioritize features and keep milestones on track.
Help improve tools, pipelines, and documentation for implementation and iteration, and share those processes with the team.
Partner with the broader team to tune and refine systems based on leadership & peer feedback, playtest results, and data analysis.
Analyze open world gameplay design and create additional content based on design parameters and guidelines.