About Deep Silver Dambuster Studios

Originally founded in 1999 as Free Radical Design our ambition and passion comes through as strongly now as when we first began. We are always seeking individuals who can emulate our values - passion, quality, and teamwork - which are embodied in our diverse and inclusive culture.

Even if you’re not sure that you meet all the criteria for a role, don’t be put off from applying - we want to hear from you. Our only requirement is that you work from the UK, and if you’re not here right now we can discuss relocation and sponsorship. Our studio is in Nottingham city centre and many of our roles can be offered on a hybrid or fully remote working basis – each role is different, so please refer to the advert below for further information. Our internal Wellbeing Committee and Mental Health First Aiders help ensure that our diversity is championed in a safe environment.

Lead Narrative Designer

Deep Silver Dambuster Studios - creators of the TimeSplitters series alongside Second Sight, Haze, Homefront: The Revolution, and the number one smash hit Dead Island 2 - has an exciting opportunity for a Lead Narrative Designer to join our highly talented Narrative Design team.

What we’re looking for

• You are dedicated to improving the professional lives and skillsets of your direct reports. You are passionate about leadership, mentorship, and attentive management.
• You lead your team from the front, inspire by example, write briefs, give feedback, help brainstorm, and roll your sleeves up and get stuck in when necessary.
• You're a game designer who knows how to write, and you love doing both. You know writers - what makes them tick, what makes them grow, what helps them to deliver - and you understand the constraints and concerns of game and level design, as well as an understanding typical game development life cycles.
• Work options for this role – hybrid or full studio

Role overview

• You'll be responsible for shaping Dambuster's Narrative team into better narrative designers and colleagues.
• You will regularly check in with each member of the team, conduct their official appraisals, provide constructive feedback on their work, champion their training requirements and promotions, clarify the team’s priorities, remove, or reduce the obstacles in their path, help them identify and address any professional issues, organise, and promote teambuilding, and guide them in their career development.
• Make important (and sometimes tough) decisions, but you're always a champion for your team: we're making games, not breaking people. You'll be responsible for ensuring that the narrative of all Dambuster projects is implemented to a high and consistent quality bar, on time and to scope, and for flagging any obstacles early and often.
• Tone, dialogue, and pacing are second nature for you; when to say it out loud or let the gameplay hold centre stage, and when to leave space for the players' pet theories and forum discussions.
• You will work with the Principal Writer to provide the team with clear and actionable feedback on their scripts, critiquing the team's narrative design work, guiding the creation of environmental storytelling alongside the Art and Audio teams, and overseeing the creation of voice-over.
• The latter may include contributing to writing scripts, casting characters, and/or directing actors during recording sessions. You love the process that takes concept to script, to casting, to capture and VO recording, to game, to review, to sign-off. The characters you create have their own life; players fall in love with them, quote, and cosplay them, and they become a standout part of the game experience.
• And you look forward to rolling all this into a Narrative Design Wiki populated by the whole team that tracks and describes every character, scene, conversation, journal, location, quest, item, hub, and prop - chapter and verse. You believe in the power of documentation and the need for attention to detail.
• As Lead ND, you will help shape Dambuster's approach to narrative design, studio-wide and across multiple projects. Working with Production and the Narrative Director, you will create or refine workflows and processes that define or improve the way Narrative works both internally and with other teams and their dependencies.

What we can offer you

• Core hours 9.30am – 4pm, remaining hours worked flexibly
• Relocation and visa support
• Holiday allowance that increases with service (to a maximum of 30 days plus statutory public holidays)
• Annual pay reviews
• Company pension contribution that increases with service
• Clear career progression within Deep Silver Dambuster Studios
• Studio funded learning and development opportunities
• Modern game development environment with the latest technologies
• Vibrant, modern city centre location with good transport links
• Fully subsidised gym membership with Virgin gym (Nottingham)
• Annual Christmas party and Summer Family BBQ
• Quarterly company funded cross-team events
• Free financial advice
• Employee referral bonus scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Weekly office treats, including breakfast on Monday and pastries on Friday

Requirements

Essential:

• 1+ years of experience leading a narrative team (with or without the title)
• Experience managing at least 2 direct reports
• 4+ years of experience as a narrative designer or mission/quest designer
• Familiarity with a game editor such as Unreal or Unity
• High level of personal organisation and communication skills
• Dedication to mentorship, feedback, and improving skills
• Residence in the UK and ability to come into the Nottingham studio in person if required
• Tolerance or enjoyment of zombies and gore

Desirable:

• Experience as a game dev on a AAA project
• Experience as a game writer, mission/quest designer, dialogue or audio designer, game designer, and/or level designer
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine, game localisation, game marketing, branding and IP, and/or game telemetry
• Experience as a producer or project manager
• Native in US American slang & idioms
• Living in or willing to relocate to Nottingham

Equal Opportunities Statement

Deep Silver Dambuster Studios is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Anyone considering their next step in their career journey with Dambuster will receive consideration without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity or paternity, or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to apply.

We operate a transparent recruitment process that removes barriers for those who require reasonable adjustments. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment or onboarding process, or if you are successful in securing a position with us, please let us know what we can do to ensure your success.