Systems Designer

Who We Are

We are Skybound.

We love creators. We love fans. We love thrilling games, indelible images and moving stories. Our roots are in comics, but our brands extend to video games, television, movies, merchandise, and live experiences. We take special pride in original tales, fresh characters, and diverse voices.

From well-known franchises to freshly-minted originals, we offer the chance to join brilliant creators shaping a new generation of entertainment in a concentrated, agile environment where every perspective matters, and any idea can create a breakthrough.

Opportunity

Skybound is looking for an experienced and passionate Systems Designer to help build a thrilling new game franchise. Systems Designers create rewarding loops that help players set goals, progress, and stay engaged over multiple play sessions. They craft and tune player advancement and rewards across the entire game.

As a Systems Designer, you will work collaboratively with team leads, artists, designers and engineers to develop meta game elements and player progression on a new, unannounced project. You’ll create and contribute to multiple areas of the game to create a player experience spanning multiple sessions and modes of play. If you are looking for a team with strong combat DNA and a wealth of exciting properties, this may be the role for you!

Reports: This position will report to the Game Director

Responsibilities: Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• You will pitch, craft, and tune Player and Meta Progression in both single and multiplayer experiences
• Design and develop KPI’s for progression systems that keep players engaged and satisfied
• Provide designs and guide tool development to manage game content and unlocks
• Establish best practices and shared literacy for the game’s systems
• Anticipate challenges; build relationships with tools and gameplay engineers to improve functionality
• Be strategic. Be resourceful. Maximize your impact. Play the game.

Requirements

• 2 years of experience in the games industry working in a systems design capacity, shipping at least one title including a AAA game
• Extensive experience managing player progression and engagement, and a keen eye for content curation
• Experience in rapid prototyping and concept testing
• Experience developing pipelines and collaborating with engineers
• Solid understanding of systems design; ability to convert nuanced and engaging experiences into numeric values and logical tests
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Expertise writing high and low-level documentation (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Visio, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with the Unreal game engine, with a strong understanding of implementation and integration into the pipeline
• Passion for video game development, combat-oriented games, and Skybound IP

Job Type: Regular, Full-Time

Salary Range: $85,000-$100,000

• Actual base salary is dependent on several factors including but not limited to; market dynamics, location and region, experience, specialized skills/training (education), level of responsibility, budgetary considerations, tenure at the company (for current employees), etc.
• The salary range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees
• Compensation decisions are dependent on circumstances of each role

Skybound offers a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, as well as free counseling through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). We also offer a 401K plan with 4% match, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, generous time off, wellness benefits, and tuition reimbursement.

Company Overview

Skybound is a multiplatform content company working closely with creators and their intellectual properties, extending stories and universes to new platforms, including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and beyond. We are home to critically-acclaimed global franchises, including The Walking Dead and Invincible.

Skybound Games produces, publishes and distributes video and tabletop games across all genres, including the multi-million-unit selling The Walking Dead video game series. In addition to our wholly-owned franchises, we work with independent developers to foster and create original games with compelling characters and worlds, strong creator and artistic focus, and innovative approaches to engaging genres.

Invincible is one of Skybound's tentpole franchises (celebrating 20 years!) and spans the world of comic books, merchandise, video games, and the critically acclaimed adult animated television series on Prime Video. Now in its second season, the television show has consistently ranked as one of Prime Videos top-streamed series with a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on the groundbreaking comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Invincible revolves around 18-year-old Mark Grayson, who’s just like every other guy his age—except his father is (or was) the most powerful superhero on the planet. Still reeling from Nolan’s betrayal in Season One, Mark struggles to rebuild his life as he faces a host of new threats, all while battling his greatest fear - that he might become his father without even knowing it.

The show stars Steven Yeun, with Sandra Oh, Zazie Beetz, Grey Griffin, Chris Diamantopoulos, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Seth Rogen, and J.K. Simmons. Executive producers include Skybound's own Kirkman, David Alpert, and Margaret M. Dean.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Skybound we value diversity and are looking for extraordinary employees of all backgrounds! Skybound is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship, age, genetic information, disability, hair texture or veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, Skybound complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination.

Skybound will consider applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the CA Fair Chance Act and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.