Hybrid Lead Combat Designer

at Keywords Studios

• Job title: Lead Combat Designer
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: No Education Requirement
• Tech skills: Unreal Engine
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Daresbury, United Kingdom

About the role

• Lead Combat Designer at d3t, creating world-class combat experiences in AAA titles. Lead and mentor design teams within a hybrid working environment situated in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Confidently own and champion the Combat Design discipline within the Design team overall, acting as a central nexus of knowledge and skill.
• Design and spearhead world-class combat experiences at AAA scale, across a wide variety of genres, styles, and approaches. This is a Co-Development role, and a high degree of adaptability is required.
• Lead, mentor, and develop other designers within the team, as both a line manager and an experienced discipline expert.
• Strong confidence and experience working with Unreal Engine and, ideally, other mainstream engines or bespoke/in-house engines.
• Good overall Design know-how outside of combat, with the ability and willingness to roll up your sleeves when our busy Co-Dev projects require it.
• Represent and champion Combat Design both internally and with external clients, on fast-moving and complex projects.
• Become a key part of ideation, prototyping, pitching and testing of Combat and related experiences as part of early-stage development.
• Work to design, iterate, test and balance Combat to shipping quality across PC and Console, maintaining a high degree of quality throughout.
• Lead the end-to-end creation of combat features and encounters by partnering with engineering, art, and animation departments to ensure seamless integration and playability.
• Maintain robust research and competitive analysis of other games, and act as a primary stakeholder to ensure our work stays current and high quality in line with modern player expectations.
• Write and maintain comprehensive design specifications, ensuring that all documentation is clear, updated, and effectively disseminated across the broader team.
• Collaborate with production and leadership to provide accurate task estimations and schedule balancing. As a Co-Developer, good time management and prioritisation is a must.
• Above all: work within a diverse and close-knit team in a respectful, constructive manner at all times, acting as a model of respect and professionalism for others.

Requirements

• Strong demonstrable background in Combat Design in a senior role and above, ideally 5+ years in a Senior or Lead Designer role on multiple AAA titles.
• Demonstrable experience designing Combat for first and third-person action games and similar, including encounter design, balancing, progression, and so on.
• Confident proficiency with Unreal Engine, from rapid prototyping to shipping quality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including some presentation skill.
• Ability to organize and structure your own work and that of the team.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations with a flexible and professional attitude.
• Hungry to learn and expand your areas of expertise.
• A calm, positive and professional attitude alongside excellent time-management and organisational skills.
• Team player, with the ability to work as part of a diverse, fast-moving team.
• Passion, energy, and infectious enthusiasm for videogames and development.
• Great attitude: we value cultural fit, creativity, and positivity here.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays + up to 5 days extra for length of service)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Flexible working hours
• Private Medical Insurance Scheme (including dental) - BUPA
• Eye Care Scheme
• Anti-crunch ethos – a professional, fun and supportive working environment!
• Income Protection
• Discretionary Annual Bonus
• Free Parking
• Tech, Bike + Console Scheme
• Company Socials, Monthly Lunches + Annual d3t Events
• Breakout Areas – filled with perks such as games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences etc.