The Xbox Game Studios Publishing team responsible for the recently released Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Tell Me Why is seeking a Design Director responsible for working with independent development teams on innovative Cloud First commercial video game products. This is a great opportunity to join a creative and motivated team of people, develop exciting new projects, and take advantage of the newest technology available with backing and support from across Microsoft. Join the team driving world-class game development that sets the standard for entertainment across a growing family of devices including Xbox and Windows 10.

Specifically, we are looking for an experienced Design Director who will work directly with the creative and technical leads of our partner studios to create Cloud First games that champion innovation while maintaining design quality. Additionally, this role will work with other teams across Xbox to spot design opportunities and collaborate on strategic initiatives.

This is a creative leadership role, where the director curates and communicates a clear and articulate vision for the game, in collaboration with the partner studio and the internal Microsoft team, across all disciplines. This work must be done within a culture

of influence and collaboration, not mandate, as we operate across multiple organizations outside of our own.

Responsibilities include forging strong, successful partnerships with internal teams and external development teams, including day-to-day communication and consultancy, as necessary. The Design Director will embrace the mission of building experiences for a diverse audience and appreciate the value of inclusiveness within every facet of the work environment. 

Responsibilities

• Work with the design departments of partner studios to establish the game's vision, pillars, and strategy for long term, social engagement.
• Communicate this vision to key, internal Microsoft stakeholders, including studios leadership, development peers, live operations, business, and marketing partners.
• Act as the vision's chief advocate, actively seeking opportunities to build support for and confidence in the project across organizations.
• Partner with production to establish a cadence of deliverables to track progress of game development. Clearly set deliverable expectations with the partner studios and provide consistent and timely feedback that flows from the established pillars of the game.
• Oversees, reviews and creates required design documentation to support full production of a game. Provides improvements to the documentation and production process and/or guidance to other team members as needed.
• Work closely with the Live Ops team to set retention and engagement goals and to ensure the game’s core design delivers on those goals.
• Work closely with Business Management to ensure game monetization works in harmony with the game’s design pillars and delivers an ethical and sustainable experience.
• Develop research and playtesting plans with the User Research group, establishing a cadence of testing, iteration, and review.
• Create a clear plan and process for improving the approachability and accessibility in our games, where people of all backgrounds and abilities can be their true, authentic selves while playing our games.
• Guides priorities for prototyping innovation and Cloud Features for one or several teams and begins to drive collaboration across teams. Provides strategy for franchise/studio prototyping and presents prototypes to executive team.

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Qualifications

Members of our team have a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, which adds value to our games, relationships, and careers. This is also a creative leadership role that benefits from experience. The following are qualifications for the role:

Required:

• 6+ years or more experience leading design teams from ideation to completion.
• Ability to work in a 100% remote work capacity in a secure and reasonably uninterrupted environment.
• Ability to travel both domestically and internationally.
• The ability to establish and nurture relationships with people of all backgrounds and work styles
• Experience with multiplayer games and LiveOps development
• Self-motivated and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment while driving progress towards goals and seeing them through to final resolution in a remote and geographically diverse work setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to successfully interact with varying levels of stakeholders and leadership.

Preferred:

• A baseline knowledge of all design disciplines. It's not necessary to have direct experience as a level designer, for example, but it's important to understand their processes, pipelines and standards of quality.
• Game development and/or publishing experience, through an entire game product’s development from Concept to Launch through Live.
• The ability to navigate a partner studio's culture and workstyle, including differences due to a studio's home country/region and associated culture and customs.
• Experience in social design such as matchmaking, relationship and communication building systems, and pro-social economics.
• Experience working with new and innovative technology.
• Previous experience working with partners & consultants to help bring diverse and inclusive perspectives, as well as representation to game development and video game products.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.