Design Manager

We're Squanch Games!

Squanch Games has been around since 2016, and since then we've released several laugh-out-loud interactive experiences that have captured the hearts and minds of debaucherous gamers the world over.

If you've ended up on this site, then perhaps you consider yourself a little "Squanchy." One who is "Squanchy" has the courage to plunder the depths of madness for joy in its most pure and irreverent essence. Some say it's a curse. Others, a blessing. In our humble opinion, to be "Squanchy" is to truly LIVE.

Design Department: Design Manager

As a Design Manager at Squanch Games, you help hold the design team together through great interpersonal skills and good high-level design mentorship. Every day, you'll keep a multidisciplinary design team; systems, level, content and narrative designers alike - aligned, unblocked, and shipping great work, while balancing production realities with creative ambition. You'll be the go-to for coaching designers at every level. But you know that already! You've successfully done this role at another studio, and now you're looking for a role with more autonomy, more direct influence on studio design philosophy, and a seat at the table to make changes happen.

What You'll Do:

• Own the day-to-day of a mixed-discipline design team spanning systems, level, content and narrative design - setting priorities, unblocking work, and keeping everyone rowing in the same direction.
• Report directly to our President/COO , acting as the connective tissue between the design team and studio leadership - translating creative vision into a design team growth and mentorship plan that unifies people & product.
• Be a leader and coach who cares about people and how they work, interact and grow. Spots and supports people ready for more responsibility and those that need more support in their growth. Knows how to handle a spectrum of experience. Promotes a culture of creativity, quality, accountability and collaboration.
• Work directly with studio leadership and other department heads to help manage the team. Are proactive in keeping the team aligned to the vision.
• Empower the team to deliver quality through coaching, critique and support.
• Be a lover of all things GAME DESIGN . Cares about the past, present, and future of game design across genres, systems, and mechanics. Draws inspiration and ideas from differing genres, games, styles and methods. Can spot quality design work and debate why it is (or is not) great.
• Come up with, pitch and implement creative solutions to overcome problems you identify independently or with your peers. An amazing communicator who can provide structure in ambiguity.
• Support on an individual contributor level when necessary to help a project reach its goals. We are a small team that takes pride in wearing multiple hats to help our games be successful.

What We're Looking For:

• Formerly held a title such as Lead Designer, Senior/Principal Designer, or Design Manager , with 1-2 shipped titles as a designer or design manager. (We care about what you've shipped, not how many years you've been doing it)
• Working knowledge of tools across the design pipeline - Unreal Engine (Blueprints and/or other engine scripting languages, LUA, C# etc.), design/documentation tools, and project tracking software (Jira, Trello, Click-up, Notion etc. or similar).
• A designer with Lead experience , or a Senior/Principal designer who's ready to move into a leadership role.
• Has a deep understanding of game design principals , pipelines, cross-discipline collaboration (design/art/production), and processes.
• Comfortable managing a mixed-discipline team - systems, level, content and narrative designers alike - without needing to be the deepest expert in every discipline.
• Strong ability to estimate tasks for planning purposes with production, by soliciting team members and/or doing a rough pass on their own.
• Excellent communicator , equally comfortable briefing executive leadership and running a critique with the design team.

Benefits:

• Salary range: $140k to $200k depending on experience
• Employer-paid health and dental insurance for employees and eligible dependents
• Low-cost vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents
• Employer-paid short- and long-term disability insurance
• Paid parental / family bonding leave
• 401(k)
• FSA & DCFSA
• Flexible PTO and work schedule
• Fully remote studio
• One-time work-from-home setup stipend
• Monthly remote-work expense stipend
• Monthly customized snack box delivered to your home

Location:

We are a fully remote studio operating from all over the United States! While we haven't hit all 50, we encourage applicants from across the country to apply and help us complete our map.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Squanch Games provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, creed, marital status, registered partner or civil union status, disability status, medical condition, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The pay range for this role is:

140,000 - 200,000 USD per year (Remote)