About the Role
Provide strategic leadership for the Game Design department, shaping the design vision and ensuring it is translated into actionable, high-quality work. Mentor and manage a team of designers, enabling them to deliver at a high level while fostering a healthy, collaborative, and growth-oriented environment. As part of the project’s management team, work closely with other directors and leads to solve high-level challenges, align on strategy, and ensure the project’s success from concept to live operations.
Responsibilities
- Spearhead and maintain a high-performing Game Design department capable of delivering on the project’s creative and business goals.
- Represent the Game Design discipline at the leadership level, advocating for departmental needs and resolving cross-functional challenges.
- Translate the project vision into clear design direction, ensuring alignment across teams and consistent execution.
- Manage and mentor game designers of all seniority levels, supporting their career development and performance.
- Conduct high-quality 1:1s, provide constructive feedback, and address interpersonal or performance-related issues with clarity and empathy.
- Develop designers’ interpersonal and supervision skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.
- Foster a culture of ownership, trust, accountability, and craft excellence.
- Ensure design resources are allocated effectively, and designers are empowered to deliver their best work.
- Establish and maintain high standards for design documentation, communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Partner with production and other directors to define strategy, maintain alignment, and support a strong workplace culture.
- Act as a bridge between management and individual contributors, ensuring clarity, transparency, and shared understanding.
Requirements
- Proven experience in the game industry, including leadership roles within Game Design.
- Demonstrated ability to manage, inspire, and grow design teams in complex, creative environments.
- Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to balance individual, team, and project-level goals.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in cross-disciplinary settings.
- Self-driven, highly motivated, and able to drive impactful outcomes with minimal supervision.
- Deep passion for gaming culture and strong empathy for players and product needs.
- Experience shipping successful AA/AAA titles or working on live games-as-a-service.
- Strong understanding of modern software development processes and cross-disciplinary workflows.
Location
- Berlin, Germany
Work Type
- Hybrid
Experience Level
- Director
Benefits
- Relocation packages and budgets
- Temporary accommodation
- Administrative support
- Competitive vacation days
- Core working hours
- Company Ticket benefit for public transportation
- Pet friendly office
- Internal trainings, workshops and Lunch & Learns
- Mental and physical health support, coaching and counselling
- Gym membership (FitX or E-GYM)
- Stocked kitchen with beverages and fresh fruits
- Regular team events
About the Company
- #TEAMYAGER makes computer games and is based in Berlin, Germany.
- Founded in 1999 by 5 enthusiastic gamers, we combine long-term experience with a resilient and innovative spirit.
- We are passionate about creating online action games with rich worlds, focused on social emergent gameplay.
- Our mission is to give players unique moments they can’t wait to tell their friends about.
Equal Opportunity
- At YAGER we believe that the best gameplay stories are those shaped by other players.
- We know together is better and we celebrate the uniqueness and strength found in diversity.
- We know that an aligned and diverse team will outperform the sum of its parts.
- Market research shows that some people from less-represented groups in gaming only apply if they meet all the requirements.
- But we want to encourage everyone to apply, even if they don't think they meet every single requirement.
- We believe having different perspectives and backgrounds is what helps our teams do their best.
- Every hero has a backstory, and we welcome you to share yours with us, and become part of an inclusive team working on creating exhilarating and engaging socially emergent action games.
- We are committed to creating a safe working environment where a diverse mix of talented people come together to make great games for everyone and to increase diversity and inclusion in the game development industry.
