Design Director (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Design Director (Gamedev): Leading the creative vision and execution of a narrative-driven investigative storytelling experience with an accent on world-building, gameplay systems, and emotional impact. Focus on translating ambitious concepts into polished player experiences while mentoring a multidisciplinary team through all stages of development.

Location: Must be based in Canada

Salary: $140,000–$160,000 CAD

Company

hirify.global is a platform facilitating AI-powered matching between candidates and partner companies for remote roles.

What you will do

• Define and champion the creative vision across narrative, gameplay, art, and audio.
• Lead the development of narrative systems, investigative gameplay, and environmental storytelling.
• Mentor and support the design team to foster a culture of creativity and accountability.
• Collaborate with engineering and production to establish effective workflows and maintain alignment.
• Identify creative risks and production constraints while developing solutions to protect the vision.
• Contribute directly to writing, prototyping, and narrative implementation as needed.

Requirements

• Must be based in Canada
• 10+ years of experience in game development, with at least 5 years in creative or narrative leadership.
• Proven experience shipping at least one narrative-driven or creatively ambitious game.
• Strong hands-on experience with Unreal Engine 5, including prototyping and iteration workflows.
• Deep understanding of interactive storytelling, narrative pacing, and player agency.
• Ability to align multidisciplinary teams across design, engineering, art, and production.

Nice to have

• Experience with dialogue systems, cinematic storytelling, or performance capture.
• Passion for crime fiction, investigative storytelling, and mystery genres.
• Experience with branching narrative tools.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $140,000–$160,000 CAD.
• Remote-first work environment with flexible arrangements.
• Opportunity to lead the creative direction of an original, high-quality project.
• Collaborative environment focused on innovation and professional growth.
• Direct influence on game design decisions and player experience.