Design Director Royal Leamington Spa, England

Sumo Digital Ltd

Full Time Royal Leamington Spa, England 48559 - 54155 GBP ANNUAL Today

Job description

About Sumo Leamington

Established in 2019, Sumo Leamington is led by a team of industry veterans with a wealth of experience in the games industry.

With three core specialisms: service-based games, free to play titles and mobile, the team at Sumo Leamington are focussed on creating games which players keep coming back to – day after day, year after year.

As winners of the TIGA Star Employment Award for 2021, recipients of the GI Biz 2020 Best Places to Work Award and listed as one of the UK’s 100 Best Large Companies to Work for in 2021, Sumo Digital has enjoyed 18 years of stability and growth since its formation in 2003 and continues to strive for excellence across every single project.

The team at Sumo Leamington is growing, and we’re looking for the industry’s brightest stars to help bring a series of incredible projects to life.

The role @ Sumo

The role of Design Director is an essential part of our team, and we are looking for someone who is passionate about delivering high-quality games with a strong focus on player experience. You will be responsible for ensuring that the design vision is communicated effectively to the team, and that best practices are implemented to optimize design outcomes. You will also have the opportunity to mentor and coach team members to foster their design and technical development.

Within this role you will:

DESIGN DIRECTION ~ responsible for delivering against the product vision, upholding the design pillars and communicating that to the team.
GAMES AS A SERVICE – knowledge of live game design, and how to create new features, content and systems alongside a live community of players.
KNOWLEDGE ~ has broad knowledge in all areas of game production, introducing new tools, design trends and workflows.
MENTOR ~ coaches, inspires and directs their team to foster their design and technical development for their career progression.
BEST PRACTICES ~ ensure that best design practices are implemented and optimized within the team.
RESOURCE PLANNING ~ determine design resource needs, budget & composition; recruit, build and train your team.
COMMUNICATE ~ communicate the design vision to your team, studio leadership & externally; with all the required assets required to evangelise the direction and achieve buy in.
DOCUMENTATION ~ supervise the creation & maintenance of detailed design documentation.
PROTOTYPING ~ establish prototyping goals based on core design needs and design unknowns.
REVIEW ~ review & feedback on game design and implementation with the team.
SCHEDULE ~ define and allocate tasks with the leadership team, including accurately assessing the time required to complete each task.

We will need you to have:

Full cycle experience as a Design Director, on at least 1 shipped AAA title.
Experience of GAAS design
Demonstrable, hands on game design skills.
Excellent written & verbal communication skills.
A thorough understanding of current gaming trends.

What We Offer:

Annual Bonus & Annual Salary Reviews
Electric Car Scheme
Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme
Flexible Working
27 Days Holiday, including your birthday a duvet day and Christmas
Holiday ‘buy and sell’ scheme
Access to 4,000 Udemy Courses, The Gnomen Workshop, GDC Vault and more
Enhanced Mat/Paternity & Adoption pay
Free Life Assurance - 4x Salary
Free Income Protection Scheme -up to 75%
Free Dental Insurance
Supportive Employee Assistance Programme with confidential 24/7/365 helpline & app
Access remote GP, Mental Health, Physio appointments & medical second opinions
Additional flexible benefits scheme
Cycle to Work Scheme
Mental Health First Aiders
Payroll Giving Scheme
Game & Book Libraries
Long service & project completion awards
Wrap Parties
Alternative Travel Prize Draw
The Sumo GameJam
Great family events
Studio clubs, inc. running, board games, film…
Life Drawing
Yoga Classes
Free fruit and drinks
Employee Referral Bonus
Career Development

Where do we stand on diversity?

At Sumo, we want to enable everyone to bring their full, authentic selves to work every single day. We acknowledge that the games industry is far from perfect and a global organisation with people all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, we know it’s part of our duty to provide everyone at Sumo with a safe, accepting and affirming working environment.

We encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

More about Sumo Leamington:

Sumo Leamington is situated just outside of the town centre and was recently awarded the Games Industry BIZ Best Diversity Award – a testament to its ongoing commitment to creating a home for everyone. The Studio features many onsite facilities – everything needed for the team to create the world’s best games!

Ranked the happiest town to live in two official polls, Leamington Spa is a hidden gem nestled amongst the stunning countryside of Warwickshire and remains a hotspot for talented individuals and creative minds within the games industry. Those living in Leamington Spa can enjoy:

o Local attractions such as Jepson Gardens and the Royal Pump Rooms

o A rich and diverse culture

o An expansive history and stunning architecture

o Picturesque scenery, outstanding gardens and walking routes

o Beautiful museums and galleries

More about Sumo Digital:

Sumo Digital is an award-winning international family of studios. Recent releases from Sumo Digital studios include: BAFTA-Award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Control Ultimate Edition on Google Stadia, Apple Arcade Award-winning Little Orpheus, Hot Shot Racing, WST Snooker and Spyder.

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