Senior Technical Designer

WHO WE ARE:
Next Level Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd. 

We’ve been passionate about video game development for 20 years now, shipping award-winning games for fans across the world and still going strong. Some of our titles include Super Mario Strikers, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and most recently Mario Strikers™: Battle League. 

At NLG, we believe that a project finds success when we collaborate. Therefore, we place careful consideration to build an environment where everyone feels welcome and has fun in the process of achieving our shared goals.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: 
We are looking for a Senior Technical Designer to join our team. Key responsibilities of the role include: 

• Design well-engineered solutions to creative problems and persuade team members of the value and strategic plan exhibited in those solutions 
• Mentor technical designers, teach other team members, and document your processes as durable tools to facilitate training and knowledge sharing 
• Publicize your documented processes within the company 
• Assist Production in planning your own and others’ work 
• Use your experience to assess risk and grow the team’s ability to predict and manage it 
• Work with Leads and Directors to remain aligned with high-level goals and future plans 
• Serve as a bridge between the engineering and design teams, proposing solutions to level-specific features and supporting them wherever necessary 
• Establish and maintain level creation pipeline 
• Design and promote shared tech solutions between gameplay and level design departments 
• Promote and maintain technical standards within performance budget constraints 
• Liaise as the technical expert with supporting departments and the publisher 
• Help test new features and tools, and provide feedback for possible improvements 
• Establish best practices and workflows for designers. 

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 6+ years of industry experience and 1+ shipped games where you’ve experienced a full development cycle from prototype through gold master and postproduction 
• Organized and self-motivated, with strong communication and negotiation skills 
• Ability to think about long term implications of tools and feature changes 
• Excellent problem solving and leadership skills, with experience in mentoring  
• Ability to partner with Production to manage schedules
• Understanding of Unity or Unreal Engine 
• Experience in text-based scripting and working with animation state machines  
• Knowledge of C / C++, C# / .NET 
• Experience with Houdini and Substance Designer is a bonus!   

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE:  

• Competitive benefits and annual leave, including discretionary performance bonus program and health coverage  
• Support for mental health, financial well-being, legal assistance and more through our Employee Assistance Program 
• Access to our in-studio gym, and an extensive media library filled with games and books 
• Join a committee – board games, sports, or something else – it’s all here!  
• Discounted shopping for Nintendo products and merchandise at the online employee store 
• A workplace that values inclusivity and encourages continuous growth   
• A chance to be part of Nintendo, creating award winning games that make an impact  

This is a hybrid position, requiring at least three days per week at our Vancouver studio.

The hiring range for this position is $89,000 to $112,000 CAD annually and is subject to change. The final base salary compensation will be based on factors such as skills, education, and experience. 

At NLG, we know the best teams are made up of players with different skills, perspectives, and experience. We're committed to creating a workspace where everyone can contribute and feel included. If you need any accommodations during the hiring process, please contact [email protected], and we will do our best to support your needs.

We wish to thank all applicants in advance; however, only those under consideration will be contacted. We are currently only considering applicants who already have work eligibility in Canada.