Narrative Design Lead

NARRATIVE DESIGN LEAD (Hybrid)  

ABOUT FIREWALK STUDIOS 

Firewalk Studios is dedicated to creating unforgettable multiplayer experiences that capture the joy of playing together. We believe in the power of multiplayer and want to delight players with worlds that spark imagination and forge connection through immersive gameplay, artistry, and heartfelt characters. We are currently working on an original multiplayer game as part of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Creating worlds that ignite imagination and connection takes a collaborative team. Firewalk is building a world-class, next-generation game studio with a focus on a more sustainable approach to game development. For us, setting a high-quality bar, creating something extraordinary, and treating each other with trust and respect go hand-in-hand.  

THE ROLE

Firewalk Studios is looking for a Narrative Design Lead who is interested in applying their skills to help bring exceptional entertainment to millions of players. As our Narrative Design Lead, you’ll be joining a very special team in a unique place in the development process. We’re a new IP with boundless potential. As we approach launch, we are focusing on a team structure that will carry us to a successful release and beyond. Our strong and mighty team is building this IP from the ground up, pouring our hearts and souls into characters, worlds, and story.

Team culture is paramount as we cultivate an environment where creators thrive together. Support, growth, communication, collaborating and facing challenges together are vital in our success.   

We approach interdisciplinary collaboration the same way. We have thriving relationships with departments across the studio. Storytelling is not siloed, but rather integrated in all aspects of design and development, with experts across the studio participating in the creation of a narrative that works best for the game we’re all making together.

We’re looking for a leader who shares these values and wants to help our department and studio grow.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Narrative Design Department
• Direct report of Narrative Designers and writers report up to you, so you’ll touch base daily:
• Responsible for direct reports of Narrative Designers and Writers.
• Recognize the strengths of team members and delegate tasks appropriately
• Give direction and supply needed understanding and tools for success
• Be aware of the status of tasks, progress, and blockers
• Review all work coming in and respond in a timely fashion
• Guide revisions to ensure all work is aligned and of a high quality
• Instill confidence and ownership
• Mentor the team and foster a healthy creative environment
• Evaluate performance concerns and career goals with team members
• Lead team meetings for the narrative development of new characters, personality/VO, narrative wrappers, and worlds
• Attend interdisciplinary meetings and collaborate
• Recognize narrative’s needs as well as other departments’ needs
• Find creative ways to express the narrative and IP in given constraints
• Represent the narrative team’s goals and ability to tackle tasks in a given timeline
• Arbitrate effectively in the face of conflict
• Communicate narrative process and ideas in language that is intuitive and accessible
• Work with Director and Production team to establish realistic goals, milestones, and schedules
• Establish workflows that cross interdisciplinary teams
• Forecast milestone progress, and adjust processes to meet deadlines
• Ensure that the scope of the work is appropriate for the team
• Prioritize tasks according to studio and big-picture needs
• Troubleshoot almost any issue that crops up in the department
• Be proactive in the face of problems or issues - lead the solution efforts
• Gather requirements for new or evolving features and help set up workflow pipelines 
• Work with the Narrative/IP Director to ensure the Narrative Design department is aligned with larger IP/Narrative Goals
• Meet on a regular basis to plan high-level narrative goals
• Incorporate high level goals into the team’s plans and structure
• Always keep lines of communication open to ensure the progress is aligned
• Bring lingering concerns, questions, and/or blockers from the team to the director

QUALIFICATIONS

• 6+ years experience in lead capacity
• At least 5 years writing experience in gaming, including dialogue/VO, character profiles, worldbuilding, cinematics, spec docs, pitches
• Preferred 2+ years experience in multiplayer games
• Experience in Unreal
• Proven work in creating design documentation and maintaining creative direction
• Strong understanding of the daily ebb and flow of game development
• Experience communicating a game vision to teams and partners
• Experience in all production phases from Concept to Live Operations, having shipped at least one title
• Care deeply about creating and fostering healthy and strong teams
• Demonstrate the ability to show empathy and emotional intelligence in the workplace
• Displayed the ability to move between long range thinking and day to day issues
• Experience in problem solving across multiple disciplines

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