Product Design Lead (Puzzles & Games)

TL;DR

Product Design Lead (Puzzles & Games): Evolving and expanding the Puzzles & Games portfolio for The New Yorker, including optimizing existing games, concepting new ones, and building a habit-forming ecosystem with an accent on gameplay mechanics, reward cycles, and loyalty drivers. Focus on mastering interaction, motion, feedback, player research, and AI-assisted design to create delightful, connected experiences that boost engagement and retention.

Location: London, GB (The Adelphi). Office four days a week (Monday-Thursday); 10 remote days allowed from home or a country with a hirify.global office location.

Company

Global media company powering brands like Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, and Wired through next-generation publishing, loyalty, and commerce platforms.

What you will do

• Elevate game experiences by owning design quality, optimizing existing portfolio, concepting new games, and building habit-forming ecosystems around gameplay mechanics and rewards.
• Interrogate briefs, connect features to player experience and business goals, identify gaps, and elevate ambition.
• Master interaction, motion, feedback, micro-interactions, and precise timing for satisfying play.
• Conduct lightweight research and usability testing, partner with UX Research and Analytics to inform design decisions.
• Design connected ecosystems including onboarding, streaks, rewards, and social moments to foster loyalty.
• Collaborate closely with engineering on implementation using design tokens, Figma, and GitHub; track outcomes via metrics and feedback.

Requirements

• 5+ years in product or interaction design roles.
• Expertise in interaction, motion, feedback, and gameplay mechanics.
• Experience with Figma, GitHub, design tokens, and front-end constraints.
• Use of AI tools for prototyping and exploration.
• Strong player research skills and outcome-oriented mindset focused on engagement and retention.
• Portfolio showing interaction craft, ecosystem thinking, brand sensitivity, and implementation quality.

Nice to have

• Direct puzzles and games experience.
• Editorial experience.

Culture & Benefits

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, extra leave for moving house or volunteering.
• Competitive pension, Bupa Private Healthcare, season ticket loans, eye tests.
• Wellbeing support: core hours, Employee Assistance Programme, corporate gym, cycle to work.
• Dog-friendly office, discounts, magazine subscriptions.
• hirify.global Learning Hub for professional growth.
• Employee Resource Groups for community and shared objectives.

Hiring process

• Submit CV, cover letter, and portfolio highlighting relevant experience.
• Applications reviewed by talent team (no AI used).