The Design Director works closely with the Directors of the Studio to translate the overall creative strategy into coherent, innovative, and engaging design practices.
This key leadership role supports Game Directors and leads the design team, providing direction, methodology, and inspiration to deliver high-quality gameplay experiences capable of achieving critical acclaim and elevating the overall quality of the gameplay.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the studio’s design vision and principles, in alignment with the overall creative direction established by the CCO.
• Collaborate with Game Directors to guide and oversee design decisions across each project, ensuring coherence, balance, engagement, and player satisfaction.
• Contribute, as part of the Directors Team, to maintaining consistency and cross-project quality across all titles in development.
• Work with the Studio Director and Production Director on design resource planning and management.
• Supervise and support Lead Designers and design teams, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Review documentation, implementations, and iteration processes to ensure clarity, efficiency, and quality.
• Provide strategic and operational feedback on gameplay, UX, pacing, and overall balance of the player experience.
• Monitor gameplay quality through internal testing, player feedback, and industry benchmarking, with the goal of continuously improving the critical perception of the studio’s titles.
• Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and design innovations, integrating best practices into the studio’s processes.

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of experience in game design, including at least 3 years in a leadership or director role.
• Proven experience working on AA/AAA titles or other high-quality productions.
• Deep understanding of game systems, player engagement dynamics, and balance, with a focus on how these impact player experience and critical reception.
• Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine and familiarity with design and documentation tools.
• Ability to lead and align multiple project teams with different creative goals.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and mentorship skills.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).

Plus

• Experience working in studios handling multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience training and developing designers and lead designers.

Skills

• Creative vision combined with analytical and systemic thinking.
• Ability to evaluate and optimize gameplay based on player and critic feedback.
• Strategic mindset with strong operational awareness.
• Capacity to unify design objectives across teams and projects.
• Decision-making grounded in player experience and data-driven insights.
• Constant commitment to quality, clarity, and innovation.

Soft Skills

• Clear, confident, and authoritative communication style.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a strong collaborative spirit.
• Proactive attitude and ability to manage complexity.
• Clear, positive, and constructive communication.
• Genuine passion for video games, design, and storytelling.

Submit your resume and a short cover letter to join Stormind Games.

About the company

We are the Italian fully independent studio focused on PC/console original IPs and helping AAA IP holders develop their own games. All our titles feature intense stories, profound gameplay and lore-rich universes to develop transmedia franchises, with distinctive visual style for instant recognition. We are the developer of the survival horror saga Remothered, the story-driven action RPG Batora: Lost Haven, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, 1st-person horror adventure based on the Paramount Pictures franchise, and contributed to Mafia: The Old Country alongside Hangar 13.