Lead Designer

Lead Designer for Angry Birds 2
Design
Stockholm
Permanent

At Rovio you will get to work with multiple groundbreaking IP’s including one of the most famous game IP’s in the world: Angry Birds! We craft joy with player-focused gaming experiences that last for decades. In order to do that, we know that people need to bring their own joy to what we do. That’s why we value work-life balance, say no to crunch culture, and welcome people from all walks of life to join the flock. Today, we are a proud team of 500+ caring and talented professionals representing over 50 different nations.


We trust our teams to work autonomously by providing them the right tools and level of responsibility. We believe in our teams to remain creative and to keep learning – as well as ensuring everyone has opportunities for personal growth.


To support our mission of keeping Angry Birds 2 the top choice among mobile games we are now looking for a Lead Game Designer to join us in our studio in the centre of Stockholm and lead the design craft on the Angry Birds 2 project. Do you live, breathe, and dream F2P game design? Is your mind filled with ideas on ways to evolve the player's experience? Do you know how to inspire and lead a team to create their best work? - If yes, this role is for you!


In this role you will be responsible for guiding the overall design direction of the game and work side by side with the Game Lead as well as other members of the game leadership team. Furthermore, you will be a people leader for the game designers currently working on the project.


We are working in a hybrid mode in our studio and will support with relocation to Sweden if you are not already here.


You will have impact and fun at work by:
Owning the Design function for AB2 from strategic vision to hands on execution
Working side by side with Game Lead and challenging each other to raise the thinking of the game vision to new heights
Acting as an expert in design by bringing and sharing your expertise in advanced casual mobile games (we would describe AB2 as a puzzle RPG with deep meta)
Helping the team grow and elevating our design craftsmanship by improving the current design methodology and bringing new design best practices
Leading by example when needed through execution, ideation, documentation, implementation, and iteration
Representing the design perspective within the Game leadership team
Inspiring the whole game team to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AB2 and deliver fresh & fun experiences to the players
Providing visionary leadership, coaching and mentoring the designers on the team



Experience and skills we are looking for:
Extensive experience as a Lead designer or holding a critical design role on multiple successful projects
Solid experience with gameplay, metagame and system design
Deep knowledge of casual mobile games
Deep knowledge of mobile design methodology and understanding what is takes to bring successful designs to production
Deep knowledge of mobile KPIs, and how to use them to make a creatively-led blockbuster hit
Proven leadership skills in both inspirational leadership and creative vision for the game as well as past managerial experience
Strong communication skills where you can excite the whole game team to pursue a direction and and can have a healthy conversation with the game leadership supporting your arguments with data



Recruitment process:


Introduction call: You will have a first chat with our TA partner. The aim is for us to know who you are, what your experience has been and what motivates you
First interview: you will meet the Design Director in the Studio and the Game lead for AB2. This is also an opportunity for you to learn about Rovio, the wider team and the specifics of the role
Design skills round: we would love to have a deep dive into your design skills together with the team here and have a conversation about how you have run successful projects before
HR/leadership interview: as you would be a critical person in the game team we would love to dive deeper into how you lead, mentor, inspire others and handle difficult conversations
Final round: You will be meeting the studio Leadership team and our aim is to get a clear overview of how you would fit with our working culture, your ambitions and where we can help each other develop and see how you will work in a larger team


Rovio's Stockholm Studio is the studio behind the hugely popular Angry Birds 2, the bigger, badder and birdier sequel to the global phenomenon Angry Birds. The studio is dedicated to making the Angry Birds 2 game experience ever more exciting for players, developing continual improvements, as well as running world class live ops every day.


In addition to Angry Birds 2, Stockholm studio is actively developing new titles with the Angry Birds brand as well as new original IPs. Our approach is to focus on highly accessible yet innovative cores paired with Rovio's light-hearted aesthetic. At the same time, we still aim to deliver a deep meta that can keep players engaged for decades. Our development is driven by our players as we push to become masters of our genre. We use data to provide insights into our players' needs, and we always strive for improvement through continual iteration.


Our ambitious teams are full of passionate gamers who are eager to leave their mark.


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We welcome applicants to use the name they want to be addressed by in the application form, regardless of whether it is their legal name. At Rovio, we are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in our working environment and job application procedures. We make all reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or who otherwise need support to thrive in the workplace. We are committed to continuously improving workplace accessibility. If you have any questions before applying, please write to us at recruitment@rovio.com.