Advanced Designer, Systems

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are… When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Avalanche is a Warner Bros. Games studio located in downtown Salt Lake City nestled against the backdrop of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. We’ve been in the video game business since 1995, creating interactive experiences for fans of the world’s largest franchises. Join the team behind the blockbuster open world, action RPG Hogwarts Legacy as we create what’s next!

ADVANCED DESIGNER, SYSTEMS

Join the team behind 2023’s smash hit Hogwarts Legacy! Avalanche Software, a division of WB Games Inc., is seeking an Advanced Systems Designer with a strong background and passion for designing systems that work together to create engaging experiences for players. The ideal candidate brings new ideas to our games, finds ways to expand upon existing systems, and understands how game systems and mechanics drive player behavior. We’re looking for someone who thinks about the player’s experience from beginning to end with an eye toward keeping them engaged and satisfied. This position involves direct collaboration with design leadership, narrative design, producers, and peers across every discipline.

*Position is classified as hybrid with onsite days weekly at our Avalanche studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Relocation provided for qualified candidates living our of the area.

The Daily

• Design, prototype, and implement gameplay systems focused on progression, leveling, rewards, loot, economy, open world activities, gear, crafting, and collections.

• Design and communicate the gameplay systems and reward loops needed to achieve the desired player experience.

• Collaborate with other designers and disciplines to integrate systems into narrative and gameplay goals.

• Partner with design leadership to help define pillars, player experience goals, and feature plans that support the broader vision for the game and build on established gameplay systems.

• Translate high-level creative direction, team feedback, and cross-discipline conversations into clear design documentation, specs, and implementation plans.

• Work closely with discipline leads and stakeholders across the studio to gather input, vet proposals, and align gameplay systems with the broader needs of the project.

• Maintain the vision for the systems and drive the team towards achieving that vision through collaboration and decision making,

• Work closely with production to prioritize features and keep milestones on track.

• Help improve tools, pipelines, and documentation for implementation and iteration, and share those processes with the team.

• Partner with the broader team to tune and refine systems based on leadership & peer feedback, playtest results, and data analysis.

• Analyze open world gameplay design and create additional content based on design parameters and guidelines

The Essentials

• Advanced gameplay and systems design experience, with the ability to own large or complex features from concept through polish.

• Demonstrated ability to define feature direction and turn broad creative goals into clear design plans and documentation.

• Experience designing progression, reward, loot, economy, mini-games, gear, crafting, and/or collection systems for action RPG or open-world games.

• Contributed to multiple shipped titles and participated in a full dev cycle from concept through release.

• Experience with Unreal Engine 5, including Blueprint and other gameplay implementation tools.

• Experience working with SQL and database tools.

• Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and provide clear guidance to designers, engineers, and artists.

• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to synthesize feedback from multiple stakeholders into coherent design proposals and implementation specs.

Nice to have

• Degree in Computer Science or similar experience with C++ programming

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.