Studio Creative Director

Smoking Gun Interactive•Vancouver, BC

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

As a passionate, experienced and visionary Studio Creative Director with Smoking Gun Interactive (SGI), you are the driving creative force behind our entire portfolio of games. This role will be the primary architect of new game concepts, responsible for generating innovative, cohesive, and highly marketable game ideas that fit constraints; then ensures alignment across design, art, narrative, and user experience, and maintains a consistently high bar for quality and player experience. You will confidently pitch, clearly communicate, and advocate for your game concepts to external clients, internal development teams, and our Studio Head, ensuring everyone is aligned and inspired by the creative vision. This is a permanent full-time position based in our Downtown Vancouver office. Candidates must be currently located or willing relocate to the Greater Vancouver Area with the expectation to be able to come into the office as needed and eligible to work in Canada.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in a Creative Leadership role on mobile, PC or console products
4+ years as a Creative Director with at least one game conceptualized, shipped and commercially successful
Taken games all the way from initial concept to live operations and live support
An ego-free approach to leadership. You know how to champion an idea while remaining receptive to feedback from the Studio Head, clients, and your production partners who manage the low-level constraints
A strong pragmatic streak. You know how to shape a massive idea into a scope that fits the studio's actual capacity without losing its creative spark
A deep understanding of the gaming market, current trends, player psychology, and how to design targeted experiences that stand out
Masterful communication and presentation skills, with proven experience pitching and 'selling' game concepts to internal teams, business-minded clients, and studio leadership
Expertise in both Premium and Freemium game mechanics, KPI’s, and monetization strategies
Ability to do market research and industry analysis / SWOT
Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Ability to work well under pressure, short timelines and handle multiple tasks
A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed and demonstrated ability to work independently
Willingness to push the envelope and innovate within game parameters
Skilled in rapid prototype independently

Nice To Haves

Experience mentoring and improving staff skills is a plus

Responsibilities

Partner with the Studio Head on product strategy
Create and pitch new game concepts to the studio head and clients that are cohesive, innovative, within constraints and meet market and financial outcomes
Partner closely with Production and other disciplines to balance creative ambition with scope, schedule, and resources
Communicate the creative vision and inspire the team to create games they can be proud of
Ensure a cohesive player experience across gameplay, art style, narrative, UX, and audio
Champion originality, clarity, emotional impact and audience focus in all creative decisions
Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing creative culture
Provide clear feedback, direction, and support to help teams do their best work
Review designs, prototypes, builds, art, scripts, and UX flows regularly
Participate in playtests and provide actionable, player-focused feedback
Contribute directly where needed (concepting, vision decks, narrative beats, high-level design guidance)
Collaborate with Studio Head and Studio leadership on studio strategy
Maintain a consistent quality bar across all creative outputs
Ensure player experience, accessibility, and usability are considered from early development through launch
Identify creative risks early and guide teams toward strong solutions