Technical Designer - 4 Month Contract

Blackbird Interactive

10d•Remote

About The Position

Blackbird Interactive is seeking a Technical Designer to join their team for an exciting new project. This role involves building and implementing gameplay systems for a narrative-driven investigative game that focuses on player choice, exploration, and interactive storytelling. The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between design and engineering to create compelling gameplay and narrative experiences, with experience in prototyping, implementing, and scripting in Unreal Engine.

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of experience in game development, including at least 2 years in a Technical Designer or equivalent gameplay implementation role.
Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine 5, including Blueprint scripting, gameplay implementation, debugging, and working within complex gameplay systems and technical frameworks.
Experience implementing gameplay systems, scripted events, interactive sequences, or narrative content directly in engine.
Confidence working with modern scripting languages, gameplay logic, and state-driven systems.
Experience shipping at least one title, ideally featuring narrative gameplay, exploration, adventure, or investigative mechanics.
Self-motivated with the ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving technical environment.
Strong communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across design, narrative, engineering, art, and production.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing branching dialogue, narrative scripting, quest systems, or investigative gameplay.
Familiarity with cinematic pipelines, sequencing tools, or interactive storytelling workflows.
Passion for crime fiction, investigative storytelling, and grounded, character-driven narrative games.
An innovator's mindset with a passion for building robust gameplay systems and improving development workflows.
Experience working closely with writers, narrative designers, or cinematic teams.
Demonstrated passion for games, film, television, novels, podcasts, or other forms of narrative entertainment.

Responsibilities

Prototype, implement, and iterate on gameplay systems, investigative mechanics, interactive objects, narrative events, scripted sequences, objectives, tutorial systems, and other player-facing content.
Implement and maintain gameplay logic, progression systems, and narrative scripting using Unreal Engine 5 and Blueprint, ensuring reliable and scalable content implementation.
Collaborate closely with narrative, design, art, and audio teams to bring interactive storytelling, player choices, and scripted gameplay moments to life.
Work with engineers to improve technical workflows, gameplay tools, and content pipelines, helping designers efficiently implement and iterate on gameplay and narrative content.
Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve gameplay, scripting, and implementation issues while maintaining performance, stability, and content quality.
Work with producers and team leadership to estimate work, communicate progress, identify technical risks, and support successful milestone delivery.