Annapurna Interactive · 17 hours ago
Design Director
United States
Full-time
Remote
Director/Executive
$210K/yr - $250K/yr
9+ years expAnnapurna Interactive is seeking a highly experienced Design Director to act as a creative partner to their portfolio of external development teams. This role involves providing creative consultancy and support, evaluating new projects, and establishing creative frameworks to help development partners navigate design challenges.
AppsSoftwareVideo Games
Hiring Manager
Nathan Tylutki
Responsibilities
Act as a Force Multiplier: Serve as a centralized design consultant across multiple active titles, diving deep to solve specific design knots without taking over ownership from the developers
Milestone Evaluation: Review builds at key stages (Vertical Slice, Alpha, Beta) to provide high-level feedback on pacing, difficulty curves, onboarding, and 'game feel.'
Risk Assessment: Identify potential design pitfalls early (e.g., scope creep, dissonant mechanics, unclear player feedback) and propose pragmatic solutions that respect the developer's constraints
The Player Perspective: Champion the player experience by ensuring artistic goals do not obscure usability, accessibility, or core fun factors
Evaluation of New Projects: Assist the signing team by playing prototypes and analyzing pitch decks to evaluate mechanical depth, feasibility, and market potential
Cross-Pollination: Identify trends and best practices from across the industry (and within our own portfolio) to share knowledge between teams that might be facing similar challenges
Creative Strategy: Establish creative frameworks that support our development partners in answering their toughest design questions and finding their most creative solutions
Qualification
Required
A veteran designer with a proven track record (13+ years) who has transitioned from focusing on •how• to build a mechanic to understanding •why• a game works
Act as a centralized design consultant across multiple active titles, diving deep to solve specific design knots without taking over ownership from the developers
Review builds at key stages (Vertical Slice, Alpha, Beta) to provide high-level feedback on pacing, difficulty curves, onboarding, and 'game feel.'
Identify potential design pitfalls early (e.g., scope creep, dissonant mechanics, unclear player feedback) and propose pragmatic solutions that respect the developer's constraints
Champion the player experience by ensuring artistic goals do not obscure usability, accessibility, or core fun factors
Assist the signing team by playing prototypes and analyzing pitch decks to evaluate mechanical depth, feasibility, and market potential
Identify trends and best practices from across the industry (and within our own portfolio) to share knowledge between teams that might be facing similar challenges
Establish creative frameworks that support our development partners in answering their toughest design questions and finding their most creative solutions
A 'Design Generalist' with High EQ: You have deep experience in systems, levels, and narrative, but your superpower is diplomacy. You know how to give critique that inspires rather than demoralizes
Hands-Off Implementation, Hands-On Strategy: You are comfortable putting down the tools. You derive satisfaction from empowering •others• to do their best work, rather than being the one to implement the asset
An Analytical Powerhouse: You can deconstruct •why• a mechanic feels 'off' and articulate it clearly to a dev team, rather than just saying 'it's not fun.'
Versatile: You are just as comfortable discussing the mechanics of a card battler as you are the narrative pacing of a walking simulator
Resilient & Adaptable: You can switch contexts rapidly, moving from a pitch review for a new project to a crisis-management design meeting for a game in Beta on the same day
Preferred
13+ Years Preferred (9 Minimum): You have 'seen it all.' You have shipped multiple titles across different genres and perhaps different engine generations
Diverse Track Record: Experience working on both AAA (for process/polish) and Indie (for creativity/constraints) titles is highly desirable
Communication Mastery: Ability to communicate complex design concepts to non-designers (Marketing, BizDev) and highly technical peers alike
Publisher/Consulting Experience: Previous experience working in External Production, Incubation, or as a Lead Designer who managed external outsourcing is a massive plus
Company
Annapurna Interactive
Annapurna Interactive works with game creators.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
James M.
Co-Founder
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