Side
via Workable
Lead Designer
This is the employer's own posting, not a copy on a job board.
What we know
Is it still open?
Confirmed still open
Last checked 1d ago — checked against the employer's own applicant tracking system, which is the company answering directly.
We re-read the employer's own applicant tracking system and the posting was still there. That is the company answering directly.
How old is it?
Posted 31d ago
The date the source published, not the day we noticed it (2026-08-15). Last seen at its source 3h ago.
Is it remote?
Marked remote on the employer's board
Their board carries a remote setting on this posting — a field they filled in, not wording we read. The location field names somewhere specific, which is usually where the team or the entity sits.
Who may apply?
United States, United Kingdom
The description states no restriction of its own. This is the source's own tag.
Pay not stated
Similar roles pay $184.5k–227.6k/yr
Middle 50% of 38 listings that do state pay — Design · Lead · United States · USD/year. This employer has published no salary; this is what comparable listings we hold disclose, never converted between currencies or periods. How this is calculated.
Skills named in the ad
Recognised terms only, from a fixed vocabulary — this is what CV matching compares against.
Carried by 1 source
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workable employer's own board first seen 29d ago · last seen 3h ago
The listing
At Side, we partner with some of the world's leading developers and publishers to solve complex production challenges and help bring exceptional games to life. From concept through live operations, our co-development teams work as trusted extensions of our clients' studios, contributing expertise across design, engineering, art, audio, QA, and production.
We're looking for a Design Lead or Design Director to drive design excellence across a range of high-profile co-development projects. This role is suited to an experienced design leader who combines strong creative vision with hands-on development expertise and enjoys working directly with clients, multidisciplinary teams, and production stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will bring deep experience leading design teams on Unreal Engine projects, with a background spanning gameplay design, systems design, technical design, and level design. You'll be equally comfortable defining player experiences at a high level, prototyping and validating ideas, mentoring designers, and collaborating with engineering teams to ensure successful execution.
Whether you're currently a Lead Designer ready for a broader challenge or an established Design Director looking to work across multiple projects and genres, this is an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on both client outcomes and Side's growing co-development practice.
Requirements
What you will do:
- Lead the design vision and execution across co-development projects, acting as the primary design partner for both internal teams and client stakeholders.
- Drive gameplay, systems, level, and technical design initiatives from concept through delivery.
- Collaborate closely with engineering, art, production, and QA teams to create engaging, high-quality player experiences.
- Provide creative leadership, mentorship, and feedback to designers across multiple disciplines.
- Prototype, validate, and iterate on gameplay features, progression systems, level layouts, and player engagement mechanics.
- Review and improve gameplay flow, combat encounters, boss experiences, and overall game balance, with a particular focus on FPS and action-oriented experiences.
- Identify design risks early, solve complex production challenges, and ensure design quality is maintained throughout development.
What we are looking for:
- Proven experience as a Lead Designer, Principal Designer, or Design Director on shipped commercial titles.
- Deep expertise with Unreal Engine and a strong understanding of gameplay, systems, and level design.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and working directly with clients or external development partners.
- Strong FPS design experience, with a track record of improving gameplay flow, combat encounters, progression, and player engagement.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and mentoring skills, with the ability to balance creative vision against production realities.
Nice to have:
- Experience developing immersive VR experiences for Meta Quest, creating compelling first-person gameplay, and improving player engagement through level flow, encounter design, progression systems, and boss experiences.
- Confident client-facing communicator, able to present design solutions, manage stakeholder expectations, and build trusted relationships with development partners.
Benefits
- Competitive Salary.
- Dynamic, multicultural and fun environment.
- You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
- We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.
About Side
Side (formerly PTW) is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 20 studios in 14 countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.
Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.
Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc