Principal Game Designer

Level Up Your Career with Zynga! At Zynga, we bring people together through the power of play. As a global leader in interactive entertainment and a proud label of Take-Two Interactive, our games have been downloaded over 6 billion times—connecting players in 175+ countries through fun, strategy, and a little friendly competition. From thrilling casino spins to epic strategy battles, mind-bending puzzles, and social word challenges, our diverse game portfolio has something for everyone. Fan-favorites and latest hits include FarmVille™, Words With Friends™, Zynga Poker™, Game of Thrones Slots Casino™, Wizard of Oz Slots™, Hit it Rich! Slots™, Wonka Slots™, Top Eleven™, Toon Blast™, Empires & Puzzles™, Merge Dragons!™, CSR Racing™, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells™, Match Factory™, and Color Block Jam™—plus many more! Founded in 2007 and headquartered in California, our teams span North America, Europe, and Asia, working together to craft unforgettable gaming experiences. Whether you're spinning, strategizing, matching, or competing, Zynga is where fun meets innovation—and where you can take your career to the next level. Join us and be part of the play! Position Overview: Zynga is looking for an experienced Principal Systems Designer to work on one of our new mobile games. This role leads and participates in direct design and creative input on content and system design in the game. What You'll Do: Create or adapt game features and large scale systems to work with the game Write user experience stories and design documentation for new features and systems Own, drive, and collaborate with other disciplines for system development Work closely with other disciplines to design and prototype new gameplay and systems Create flexible sheets and models to balance sophisticated systems Design and balance content for new systems Create and improve tools to make the design pipeline faster and more efficient for the team Be the advocate of good design practices across the studio Pitch new ideas to the team/ lead brainstorming sessions Analyze real-time feedback and metrics, and adjust game designs accordingly while maintaining live game balance Remain up-to-date with Game Design literature and standard methodologies to be an evangelist for the craft of Game Design What You Bring: At least 6 years' relevant experience Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills Expert with math, levels, and formulas in game environment Possesses an extensive knowledge of games and strategies Solid knowledge of game balancing and pacing Translates direct consumer insights, market data, and analysis into creative design solutions Passionate gamer 2+ shipped games What We Offer You: Zynga offers a world-class benefits package that helps support and balance the needs of our teams. To find out more about our benefits, visit the Zynga Benefits site The pay range for this position in California at the start of emplo