About the role
Company Overview
At Zynga, we bring people together through the power of play. As a global leader in interactive entertainment and a proud label of Take-Two Interactive, our games have been downloaded over 6 billion times—connecting players in 175+ countries through fun, strategy, and a little friendly competition. From thrilling casino spins to epic strategy battles, mind-bending puzzles, and social word challenges, our diverse game portfolio includes FarmVille, Words With Friends, Zynga Poker, Game of Thrones Slots Casino, Wizard of Oz Slots, Hit it Rich! Slots, Wonka Slots, Top Eleven, Toon Blast, Empires & Puzzles, Merge Dragons, CSR Racing, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Match Factory, and Color Block Jam. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in California, our teams span North America, Europe, and Asia.
Position Overview
As the Lead Game Designer for a brand-new game team, you will initially champion the "0-to-1" development of an exciting new Merge 2 title. You will own the game’s creative vision, architecting its core loop, progression systems, and meta-game from scratch. As the project matures, you will transition the team into soft launch and live operations, overseeing the day-to-day economy balance, event pipelines, and monetization features designed to drive long-term player retention.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and drive the game's vision, aligning it with product goals and communicating it clearly to the team and stakeholders to build shared commitment.
- Lead ideation and brainstorming, and translate player motivations and behavior into user experience stories, wireframes, and optimal feature design.
- Mentor and grow a team of designers, fostering a collaborative, creative environment with clear goals and strong execution standards.
- Partner with product, engineering, and art to guide features from concept through implementation, reviewing and approving final designs.
- Improve design tools and processes to streamline the pipeline and boost team efficiency and productivity.
- Use live feedback and analytics to refine systems, maintain a balanced game economy, and champion design best practices across the studio.
Requirements
- Effective communicator with outstanding verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- Highly proficient with mathematical concepts and formula creation in a game environment.
- Proven history of designing systems that influence player behaviors and achieve key product performance indicators.
- Expert in crafting features, systems, core game loops, economies, and meta-designs to foster and enhance positive player behaviors.
- Excels in a live service game environment, adept at making adjustments based on feedback from an active community.
- Solid experience in the gaming industry in a design role, contributing meaningfully to multiple released titles.
- Extensive experience leading a diverse and skilled design team.
- Proven track record of successfully shipping games.
Benefits and Perks
- Highly competitive salary.
- Private medical care.
- Company bonus scheme.
- Relocation assistance for those moving to the UK.
- Onsite chef serving breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
- Life insurance and a favorable pension scheme.
- Healthcare cash plan including dental and optical coverage.
- Access to gaming technology and consoles.
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
We are committed to creating and celebrating diverse thoughts, cultures, and backgrounds. Employment is based on substantive ability, objective qualifications, and work ethic. We provide support and accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities, health conditions, or impairments.