Interim Design Manager

Gameloft Brisbane, part of the global Gameloft family, opened its doors in 2014 and has since delivered hits such as Zombie Anarchy, Ballistic Baseball, My Little Pony: Mane Merge, the multi-award-winning The Oregon Trail, and Carmen Sandiego. In 2022, our studio was recognised as Studio of the Year at the Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs). 

We play a pivotal role in Queensland's economic landscape, currently employing +100 full-time staff in diverse roles—including programmers, artists, designers, producers, QA, audio specialists, management, administration, and marketing professionals.  

Our studio fosters a dynamic and inclusive workplace where creativity and innovation thrive, and where everyone has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and grow. We believe that success comes from a strong studio culture and striking the right balance—whether it's collaborating with passionate, talented people on exciting projects or enjoying the incredible lifestyle offered by Queensland, Australia. 

Employee well-being is a top priority, supported by flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, career development initiatives, and world-class facilities. We actively invest in our team's growth through mentorship, training programs, industry events, and speaking opportunities that empower our people to shine. 

Looking ahead, we are setting our sights on an exciting new direction in game development. Embracing the challenges and opportunities of cross-platform innovation, we are proud to be pioneers in Brisbane's game development landscape.  

As we craft immersive experiences that transcend traditional boundaries and engage players across diverse platforms, we continue to expand our talented team—poised to bring a range of unannounced projects to life. Our studio is home to industry veterans and fresh talent alike, making us more equipped than ever to deliver unforgettable experiences. 

Job Description

As the Interim Design Manager, you will play a vital role in leading our game development team, working closely with the Studio Manager and Designers. Your responsibilities will include overseeing the Design Team, ensuring they have everything they need to perform at their best, and fostering strong collaboration. You will represent the Design discipline in Direction meetings to ensure the designers' voices are heard, while also communicating the studio's overall direction back to the team.

This role serves as a mentor and guide for game designers, helping them grow more creative and effective in their work, but does not involve holding or leading the creative vision for our games.

This is an incredible high-level senior opportunity to join a growing local studio and support an innovative, high-quality gaming experience for millions of players and engaged fans around the world.

Please note: This is a temporary role to cover the current Design Directors maternity leave.

Responsibilities in the role:

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead and represent the design team within the studio's leadership group.
• Ensure designers' voices are heard and considered in decision-making.
• Foster a safe, creative, and collaborative team culture.

People Management & Development

• Conduct regular 1:1s with designers to check in on well-being, workload, and growth.
• Set clear expectations, responsibilities, and goals for each team member.
• Provide constructive feedback and coaching to support professional development.
• Identify training opportunities, workshops, or mentoring to upskill the team.

Performance & Evaluation

• Evaluate designers' performance fairly and transparently.
• Align evaluations with studio expectations, values, and project needs.
• Address underperformance with support plans, while recognizing and rewarding excellence.

Process & Collaboration

• Embrace scrum team-based project leading, where each designer is part of their own team/pod and fosters collaboration with other disciplines (art, tech, etc.)
• Ensure consistent design practices, documentation standards, and workflows.

Resource & Staffing

• Assess team capacity and skill distribution across projects.
• Partner with HR/recruiting to hire and onboard new designers effectively.
• Build succession plans and identify potential future leaders within the team.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Lead Game Designer with a background in AA/AAA
• Shipped at least one AA/AAA title in a Lead Game Designer role
• Proven experience building and leading teams through full production cycles
• Proven experience pitching and working with clients to develop the vision, then collaborating with the leadership team, game designers, game programmers and artists to bring that vision to fruition
• Proactive leader comfortable working within a fast-moving multi-disciplinary team in a Management or Director level role

Benefits:

• Flexible work model 
• Learning and development programs
• Private Health Insurance and fitness subsidies
• Relaxation space and massage chair
• Access to employee mental health assistance
• Additional leave including birthday, Christmas, and women's health leave
• Free coffee from a commercial espresso machine, daily snacks, and a light breakfast
• Social Friday drinks with friendly game tournaments
• Spectacular roof-top terrace with river views and a game room
• Referral program with generous bonuses
• Awesome Gameloft-themed merch
• Studio Mascot - Mr Hendricks, our friendly Dachshund who protects our studio

We can't wait to find our next great talent

• If you want to join a team that values its people and makes really cool games, we want to hear from you You can learn more about what it's like to work at Gameloft by clicking on the videos below.
• Gameloft Brisbane is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity within our work environment.

Ready to hit start?

If you're ready to join the quest and help us build the best team for our Brisbane studio, apply now with your CV on LinkedIn or via the Gameloft career page. We're excited to see how you can level up our recruitment game