The Microsoft Casual Games Studio is looking for an experienced Casual Game Designer and Manager to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing casual games for Windows, mobile and web platforms, and also for mentoring and managing game designers.
Responsibilities:
Duties & Responsibilities
- Ensure that game quality meets the high expectations of the Microsoft Casual Games brand and delights our customers
- Collaborate effectively with the Executive Producers, Engineers, Artists, and other key studio leads to determine project design specifications, system mechanics, and ensure successful product implementation and execution, focusing on improving key KPI’s such as engagement, retention and monetization
- Contribute innovative and creative design ideas to specific titles, across the games portfolio
- Manage other designers through modeling, coaching, and caring to grow their skills and deliver maximum impact
- Utilize many types of feedback, including from the team, playtests, data analysis, and user research feedback to create clear actionable items that improve products and design processes.
- Present game design discoveries and best practices across the team to motivate and align teams to create the best games for our audience
- Create and maintain design documentation for all titles
- Champion best practices and standards across titles
Other
- Embody our culture and value
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications:
- Associate’s Degree in Art, Game Design, or related field AND 6+ years relevant internship/work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)
- OR Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Art, Game Design, or related field AND 6+ years related work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)
- OR Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Art, Game Design, or related field AND 4+ years related work experience (e.g., game development and design, systems design, content production)
- OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ Years’ Experience in Game Development focused on Game Design/Art Direction
- 5+ Years’ Experience in Casual and/or Mobile Games Development
- 2+ years people management experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience delivering and iterating game designs for casual audiences
- Knowledge of the casual game design market and what mechanic and meta-mechanics are delivering results
- Experience in Mobile App Development/Production
- Experience working both with internal and external development teams
- Experience working in/with remote teams
- Experience using data to improve design decisions
- Experience with Windows Store apps
- Experience with multi-player/online services
- Experience driving impact with split testing
- Experience designing and improving game economies
- A passion for games of all types and the ability to talk about what makes individual games great or flawed, and provide suggestions to improve flaws
- Experience seeking out, evaluating and implementing feedback from all multiple sources to constantly improve and refine game designs
- Experience championing game design ideas to peers and stakeholders through documentation and presentations
Game Design M5 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $112,000 – $218,400 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $145,800 – $238,600 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
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