Senior Level Designer (7-month contract)

Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.

Our studio operates as a remote-first workplace, offering flexible work arrangements.

PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada.

Responsibilities

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Collaborate with game design, art, engineering, and production to support and implement the established creative vision, raising questions or inconsistencies as they arise during development

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Work within production schedules and constraints, implementing level content in a timely and iterative manner while communicating risks or dependencies to appropriate team members

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Design and build levels end-to-end, including layout, combat spaces, traversal, pacing, player flow, and objective placement

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Create engaging multiplayer environments that support varied combat scenarios, multiple player strategies, and balanced gameplay experiences

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Script and implement gameplay events, encounters, objectives, triggers, and environmental interactions that support gameplay and replayability

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Test, debug, and iterate on levels regularly, identifying and resolving issues related to navigation, combat balance, player flow, readability, progression, and edge cases

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Respond constructively to feedback, refining layouts, combat spaces, and pacing to improve gameplay quality, balance, and player experience

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Maintain an understanding of core gameplay systems and how they interact with level design, adjusting layouts to support multiple playstyles, team dynamics, and systemic gameplay

Requirements

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A minimum of 5 years of experience contributing to game development, with a strong focus on level design for action, multiplayer, or combat-focused games

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Experience shipping at least one title, ideally a multiplayer action or third-person game, with an understanding of the full content lifecycle from implementation through polish

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Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine 5, with confidence using in-engine level editing tools, Blueprint scripting, and gameplay workflows to build, implement, debug, and iterate on gameplay spaces

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Comfort working independently on assigned content, with the ability to manage tasks, iterate on feedback, and solve implementation challenges in a dynamic production environment

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Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work closely across design, art, engineering, audio, and production to deliver cohesive gameplay experiences

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Strong understanding of combat space design, player navigation, encounter pacing, gameplay readability, and multiplayer level flow

Pluses

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• Passion for third-person action games and competitive or cooperative multiplayer experiences
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• Strong interest in hands-on level implementation, including layout design, encounter setup, scripting, and gameplay integration
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• Appreciation for systemic gameplay and how level design supports replayability, player expression, and multiple tactical approaches
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• Interest in creating memorable gameplay moments through level composition, pacing, and environmental storytelling
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• Care about polish, clarity, and player comprehension, and enjoy iterating on spaces to improve gameplay balance and overall player experience
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• Curiosity about how level design, gameplay systems, and player behavior intersect to create engaging, replayable multiplayer environments