Head of Design

At Bellota Labs, we are a fast paced, hypergrowth startup building the future of competitive gaming through ClubWPT Gold, a groundbreaking product from the World Poker Tour. Fueled by innovation, creativity, and a passion for exceptional player experiences, we are on a mission to redefine what modern gaming can look and feel like. As we continue to scale, we are seeking a Head of Design to help lead and elevate the creative direction, systems, and overall design organization across the company. This role oversees the full design function spanning UI/UX, Game Art, and Graphic Design, ensuring our products feel cohesive, polished, and consistent across the entire player ecosystem. This is a highly collaborative, hands on leadership role for someone who enjoys building processes, mentoring teams, improving creative operations, and still staying close to the work. We are looking for a leader who combines strong artistic instincts with product thinking, systems design, and operational execution within a fast moving startup environment. Design Leadership & Team Management Lead and manage the design organization across UI/UX, Game Art, and Graphic Design Help establish a strong, collaborative, low-ego design culture focused on craft, iteration, and execution Balance strategic leadership with hands‑on involvement when needed Design Systems & Process Create and maintain a unified cross‑product design system and visual “rulebook” to ensure consistency across all experiences Define how shared assets, UI libraries, and creative resources are stored, organized, and utilized across teams Establish scalable design workflows, review structures, and quality standards Run effective design reviews with clear expectations and actionable feedback Cross‑Functional Collaboration Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, Marketing, and external creative partners to ensure successful project execution Creative Direction & Execution Help shape the visual identity and player experience across our gaming ecosystem Ensure designs balance usability, engagement, game feel, visual quality, and business objectives Occasionally step in hands‑on to support execution during critical initiatives or bandwidth gaps AI & Emerging Workflow Integration Explore and integrate AI‑assisted workflows and emerging creative tools into the design process where valuable Help the team improve speed, iteration quality, and creative exploration while maintaining strong human‑led creative standards Qualifications Experience: 5+ years of experience in a creative leadership role, preferably within the gaming industry. Leadership: Experience managing multidisciplinary design teams across UI/UX, Game Art, and Graphic Design, including mentorship, performance reviews, and process improvement. Hands‑On Creative Leadership: Able to operate strategically while still staying close to the work and contributing hands‑on when needed. Artistic Foundation: Strong visual background in areas such as illustration, game art, concept art, visual design, or UI design, with a portfolio showcasing shipped work. UI/UX Expertise: Strong understanding of UI/UX principles, player psychology, interaction design, and engaging player‑facing systems. Project Leadership: Proven track record leading game, product, or interactive design projects from concept through launch. Gaming Experience: Gaming industry experience strongly preferred, especially within live-service, multiplayer, mobile, casino, or competitive gaming environments. Player Analytics: Experience using player analytics, retention metrics, and engagement data to inform design decisions. AI Fluency: Familiarity with AI‑assisted creative workflows and tools for ideation, prototyping, and design acceleration. Familiarity with Design Tools: Proficient with Figma and modern AI‑powered creative tools such as Midjourney, Runway, Firefly, or similar platforms. Educational Background: Degree in Game Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, HCI, or a related field preferred. A Globally Recognized Brand You will help shape the future of one of the most iconic brands in gaming through our partnership with the World Poker Tour and ClubWPT Gold. Real Ownership & Visibility This is a high‑impact leadership role with direct exposure to company leadership and meaningful influence on the direction of the product and design organization. Opportunity to Build & Elevate This role is not about maintaining an existing machine. It is an opportunity to help reset, evolve, and elevate the design organization, systems, and creative identity as we scale. Strong Cross‑Functional Culture We are deeply collaborative across Product, Engineering, Design, Data, and Operations. We value thoughtful debate, player empathy, and shared ownership in building exceptional experiences. #J-18808-Ljbffr