Quest Designer (Contract)

Company Description

Smoking Gun Interactive (SGI), a Keywords Studio, is an industry leading independent game development studio focused on creating revolutionary gaming experiences.  It was founded in 2007 by the award-winning industry veterans and creative forces behind Company of Heroes™. Since that time SGI has developed a wide range of games- from original IP, AAA game concepts, to mobile apps, console titles, and even immersive online experiences.

We offer competitive salaries, great benefits, and a creative and driven work environment with our passionate team of talented professionals on high quality projects.

Job Overview:

We are currently seeking a Quest Designer for a potential upcoming project. As a Quest Designer with Smoking Gun Interactive (SGI), you’re a talented, passionate individual with at least 3 years of industry experience in quest design.  You have demonstrable hands-on experience implementing and polishing quest and narrative gameplay content using visual scripting and world editing tools, as well as a strong literacy in game design and the ability to clearly and concisely communicate ideas in both written and verbal forms. You’re a naturally flexible, collaborative individual who is excited to work closely with art and programming teams to achieve excellent results. Additionally, you’re able to examine pipelines and workflows and suggest actionable improvements. This is an implementation-focused role working from pre-designed content.

This position is a 3-month temporary full-time contract with the potential to convert to full-time employment.

*Whilst this position is being offered on a remote basis, we are only able to consider applicants who are currently located within the greater Vancouver area

Requirements

In this role, you will:

• Collaborate with a Lead Designer and Creative Director to deliver on the creative vision for the project;
• Help evangelize and communicate the design vision to the team;
• Implement pre-designed quest content using proprietary tools and visual scripting systems;
• Integrate gameplay elements, locations, characters, dialogue, and supporting assets into cohesive player experiences;
• Implement narrative encounters and world vignettes that support player interaction and exploration;
• Create and manage NPC behaviours and population logic to support dynamic environments;
• Troubleshoot issues related to event sequencing, progression, and logical structure;
• Collaborate daily with Writers, Cinematic Designers, Animators, and Gameplay teams to resolve dependencies and unblock delivery;
• Maintain organization standards for naming, structure, and content management;
• Work with art and programming disciplines to achieve project goals;
• Maintain high proficiency in workflows and pipelines, collaborating to improve tools and methodologies;
• Ensure a high level of quality in all aspects of your work;
• Take initiative in problem-solving and collaborating as needed to facilitate effective resolutions;
• Help liaison between the design team and QA.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• 2 to 3 years experience as a Quest Designer working on AAA game projects;
• Shipped at least 1 title as a Quest Designer on a PC or Console Game;
• Experience implementing gameplay or narrative content in Unreal Engine 4 or 5;
• Strong understanding of quest structure, player flows, and progression logic;
• Experience integrating assets within large content pipelines;
• Experience with Word, Excel, Photoshop;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to communicate ideas clearly;
• Ability to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks;
• A naturally self-driven demeanor, taking initiative when needed demonstrated ability to work independently;
• Willingness to push the envelope and innovate within game parameters;
• Passion about gaming and striving to improve the quality of games;
• A positive attitude and a great team-player.

Benefits

*Only eligible if converted to full-time employment*

• 10 days vacation leave
• 5 paid days personal leave
• 7 paid sick days
• Life Insurance & Accidental Death & Dismemberment
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Extended Healthcare Benefit
• Dental Care
• RRSP matching
• Hybrid working
• Training & Development

Salary Range: $65,000 - $80,000 CAD

Smoking Gun Interactive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.

Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice at https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice. 

Role Information: EN
Studio: Smoking Gun
Location: Americas, Canada, Vancouver
Area of Work: Game Development
Service: Create
Employment Type: Full Time
Working Pattern: Remote