Design Director, Missions - Unannounced Game

Job Description:

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that nurtures the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

As the Missions Director, you will be responsible for guiding your team in the delivery of high-quality iconic locations that weave excellent storytelling with satisfying gameplay. You have a deep understanding of content, gameplay, level, and scenario design. You understand how to effectively guide players, create memorable moments, as well as motivate and reward gameplay in a way that keeps players engaged. You are comfortable operating in an ambiguous environment, defining guardrails for the team and the game in the process by creating clear goals and executing against deliverables.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Define and iterate on a vision and direction for iconic locations that combine memorable stories with compelling gameplay.
• Deliver high-quality results and build progress towards short- to medium- to long-term deliverables/releases, from iterative prototyping to final best-in-class execution.
• Build the Mission design team - hire, train and mentor missions designers.
• Create artifacts (design briefs, specs, decks) as communication tools, providing potential designs and solutions with an articulation of trade-offs and risks between the different options.
• Define and maintain philosophies for multiplayer mission-based gameplay.
• Shepherd missions from concept to completion through all steps of the development process.
• Craft rules and establish structures that set up the development team for success in crafting missions throughout the life of the game.
• Collaborate closely with narrative designers and express the story through gameplay.
• Remain current on industry trends including new game genres, new game design techniques, and trending audio-visual excellence.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in Mission design or applicable combination of education and experience.
• Proven experience leading design teams. Have shipped at least 1 major title in a leadership capacity.
• Experience leading multiple functional teams in feature development.
• Experience with AAA game engines.
• Experience across a variety of platforms, particularly PC and console.
• Experience developing design concepts from conception to implementation in a clear, detailed manner.
• Experience in people management; mentorship experience of other designers where it has led to promotions.
• Strong documentation philosophies and strategies to evangelize your designs.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft , Overwatch , Diablo , and StarCraft , Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (, a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry's most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net , Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty , World of Warcraft , Overwatch , Diablo , Candy Crush and Bubble Witch . Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting .

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $134,000.00 - $247,900.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role's range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.