Lead Level Designer
- Full-time
- Project: Red
- Department: Level Design
- Location: PL, Warsaw (Remote/Hybrid)
Company Description
People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA games development studios with an international team of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices located in Poland, UK, Ireland, US, and Canada and from all over the world thanks to our remote work programs.
Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. We are one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry and we are expanding it with in-house solutions called PCF Framework.
Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gemini is our new project being developed with Square Enix; Maverick is a Triple-A game developed in collaboration with Microsoft Corporation; Bifrost & Victoria are projects we're growing in the self-publishing model. We are also busy working on a VR and undisclosed projects, more information on those to come later.
With over 20 years of experience, PCF sets out to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with the creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talents in the industry to work together on the new generation of action games for the global gaming community.
If you decide to accompany us on this journey, you’ll have a chance to perfect your craft and expand your knowledge, working alongside leaders in the industry to bring a brand-new unique experience to the players worldwide.
Project Red is a yet unannounced game. The game development involves primarily our Europe based teams.
Job Description
- Assigns, delegates, and supports individuals in their tasks, monitoring and reviewing the progress of their work.
- Provides constructive feedback and clear communications to enhance behavior and performance, ensuring a continuous improvement approach. Takes responsibility for evaluating their direct reports during periodic performance reviews, providing valuable insights and assessments toward their career development.
- Fosters an engaging atmosphere within their team, as well as ensuring a healthy work-life balance by setting clear expectations and scope of work, empowering individuals to propose solutions, and express their opinions. Utilizes data such as pulse checks and satisfaction scores.
- Collaborates and communicates effectively with other Leads, Directors, departments and project stakeholders on a continuous basis in order to notably build trust and work toward the project’s objectives and ambitions.
- Follows the Director’s guidance/vision and implements it. Contributes to the Director’s direction by providing important data, raising issues, seeking advice and relays them to relevant project leaders.
- Provide mentorship, troubleshooting, debugging and problem-solving assistance to members of the dedicated level design team.
- Oversee the creative level design process according to the vision of the game.
- Provide day-to-day feedback and creatively solve problems.
- Work with the production team on tasks assignment and a team schedule.
- Collaborate with the Creative Director to communicate and translate the game vision into the level design together with your team.
- Work hand in hand with the Creative Director to iterate, implement and execute on key design and level building principles.
- Take full level ownership – from paper design, through the whitebox phase, script, iteration, debugging, optimization – until our game ships.
- Ensure that levels will meet design requirements for game modes.
- Work with the art team to make sure that levels are up to the highest visual quality while retaining the gameplay and fun as well.
- Proactively identify cross-discipline challenges and risks to the project and offer solutions.
- Foster a culture of open, honest, and respectful communication across all disciplines.
- Manage or supervise work of established Strike Teams.
- Bug Fixing and describing case studies in the knowledge base.
- Conduct consistent performance reviews of staff members.
- Conduct recruitment projects with HR collaboration.
- Conduct onboarding to new hires.
- ~70% of time spent in Engine
Qualifications
- Typically 5/7+ years of professional level design experience including prior experience in any leadership capacity.
- Typically at least one successfully shipped 1 AAA game on PC or console.
- Expert in level design both in practice and theory (chokepoints, routes, lines of sight, engagement distances).
- Strong mentoring skills.
- Good presentation skills.
- Strong problem solving and trouble-shooting skills.
- Deep understanding of systems design, player psychology, and emerging industry trends.
- Great understanding of creative and game development processes.
- Experience with visual scripting systems.
- Excellent knowledge of Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine Editor full working proficiency.
- Proficiency with Atlassian software (JIRA, Confluence).
- Self-motivation.
- Unreal Engine 4 or 5.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
Nice to have:
- Unreal Blueprint
- Scripting Language
Additional Information
What we offer:
UK:
- Private medical healthcare (Vitality) and BUPA dental insurance for PCF's employees and their families.
- Gympass for employees and family members.
- Online Polish and English language classes.
- Access to the pension scheme.
- Flexible working hours.
- Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
- Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
- Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.
Poland:
- Private medical healthcare including dental treatment for PCF members and their families (Signal Iduna).
- MultiSport card for you and your family members or friends.
- Free library with a wide range of games and books you have unlimited access to.
- In-company Polish and English language classes.
- Fresh fruit, snacks, and beverages for everyone in the office.
- Flexible working hours.
- Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions are included in the plan for members and their dependents.
- Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
- Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.
We are committed to an inclusive and diverse work culture. PCF is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status.