Senior Mission Designer

Turtle Rock Studios•Irvine, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Turtle Rock, we make the games we want to play. We're dedicated to providing a collaborative environment where our team members feel empowered with the creative freedom to contribute and grow. While we are based in Orange County, CA, we support flexible work arrangements ranging from in-studio, hybrid, to fully remote throughout North America. Join our award-winning game development team and help create our next hit title. We are seeking a highly technical and collaborative Senior Mission Designer to join our team here at Turtle Rock Studios. The Senior Mission Designer plays a pivotal role in crafting engaging, systemic, and narrative-rich missions using Unreal Engine 5 and Blueprints, helping shape the moment-to-moment gameplay experiences that define our game. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in cross-disciplinary environments and brings both creative storytelling and strong technical execution to the table. This position will report to the Lead Sandbox Designer.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in game design with one or more shipped AAA titles on multiple platforms in a mission or level design role
Demonstrated high proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, Blueprints, other mission-related tools, and the ability to learn and adapt quickly to in-house additions and modifications to the platform
A strong portfolio that demonstrates mission design, experience in creating interesting and creative gameplay events with player choice
Strong technical skills, including scripting logic, debugging, and performance optimization
Experience collaborating closely with engineering to help design, build, and iterate on mission scripting tools and systems
Familiarity with creating content that supports ongoing updates and player engagement
Ability to take high-level creative direction and independently drive mission development from concept to completion
Creativity and strong sense of pacing
Experience balancing combat and puzzle within missions
Excellent communication skills with the ability to express ideas, direction, concerns and questions in a clear, concise and professional manner
Ability to thrive in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment

Responsibilities

Craft missions that provide balanced gameplay with the player in mind, to ensure fun, engaging, and replayable gameplay experiences
Handle creative and technical implementation of missions with a focus on reusable modular gameplay mechanics for efficiency across different types of mission content
Collaborate closely with narrative, level design, AI, gameplay, and systems teams to deliver cohesive, immersive, and engaging scenarios, events, and missions
Work with the production team to drive mission content through development phases from initial documentation to final deliverable
Translate high-level narrative and gameplay goals into playable and repeatable mission content that reinforces the core pillars of the game
Prototype complex mission logic, emergent gameplay systems, and scripted sequences using Blueprints and data-driven tools
Use data and playtest feedback to iterate and balance missions for pacing, difficulty, and engagement
Champion mission design best practices and mentor junior designers, fostering a collaborative and solution-focused environment
Contribute to technical documentation, workflows, and tool improvements alongside engineering and design leadership
Maintain consistent quality and tone across missions and ensure alignment with the overall vision
Playtest with both the studio and the design team to review and develop missions