Design Director

TL;DR

Design Director (Game Design): Providing creative and strategic leadership on a large-scale science fiction game with an accent on overseeing the execution of gameplay vision across systems, narrative, and player experience. Focus on leadership, clarity, and decision-making at scale, balancing creative ambition with production realities while empowering design teams.

Location: Remote within Canada

Salary: $130,000 - $160,000 a year

Company

hirify.global is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers.

What you will do

• Partner with project leadership and publishing stakeholders to understand and execute the established creative vision.
• Provide direction and oversight across multiple design disciplines, ensuring gameplay systems and content align with project goals.
• Lead, mentor, and support design leadership and senior designers, fostering a strong design culture.
• Work closely with production to plan and scope design efforts, identifying risks early.
• Collaborate with engineering, art, and audio leadership to ensure gameplay intent is clearly expressed and technically feasible.

Requirements

• At least 15 years of experience contributing to game development, including at least 10 in a design leadership or senior design role.
• Proven experience shipping large-scale, systems-driven games, ideally within the action or RPG space.
• Deep understanding of gameplay systems, player experience, and game feel.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing design teams, including mentoring leaders and guiding cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Exceptional communication skills, with experience aligning diverse teams around shared design goals.

Nice to have

• Passion for science fiction games and worlds centered on exploration and systemic depth.
• A strong player-first mindset, with sensitivity to clarity, usability, and long-term engagement.
• Appreciation for how design, technology, and presentation combine to create cohesive experiences.
• Enjoyment of shaping teams and processes to raise the overall quality of a project.

Culture & Benefits

• Four-day work week.
• Supporting in-studio, remote within Canada, and hybrid work arrangements as permanent options.