Principal Level Designer

Posted Feb 3

Full Job Description

Company Description

The Molasses Flood is the newest member of the CD PROJEKT group, and is located in Boston, MA. We were founded by industry veterans in 2014, and since then have created The Flame in the Flood and Drake Hollow. We’re currently working on an ambitious and exciting new project and are growing our team across all departments. We value every voice on the team, open communication and transparency, and run a studio based on mutual respect and kindness between all members and levels of the team. If this sounds like the type of team you’d like to be a part of, we encourage you to apply. If you require any specific accommodations as part of our application process, please let us know so we can try to provide for your needs.

Job Description

The Molasses Flood is looking for a Principal Level Designer to help us create fun, functional and beautiful spaces for our next title.

The Level Design team will create levels that employ both hand-crafted and procedural elements, ensuring consistency across both. You will also work collaboratively with the systems design, engineering, art and narrative teams to make sure that the spaces you create are beautiful, performant, fun and tell the story of the game.

Our ideal candidate has a background in production level design, a masterful understanding of level design principles, a strong technical background, and familiarity with scripting systems. As a Principal Designer, you will own and drive a large part of the game experience, be it a level or a feature, and set the quality bar for your discipline.

This is a full-time salaried position, reporting to the Lead Level Designer. This job could be performed either working a hybrid model out of our office in the greater Boston area, or remote within the contiguous US states. Relocation assistance is available for moving to Boston area. All employees of The Molasses Flood work on a schedule aligned to US eastern time.

Responsibilities

Oversee the creation of hand-crafted environments for exploration, combat and storytelling across the game
Craft unique spaces where gameplay flow and visual composition form memorable experiences
Create level chunks to be recombined and arranged by a procedural system
Coordinate across disciplines with engineers, artists, sound designers, and production in managing the prioritization, implementation, and scope of the game’s environments
Provide feedback and guidance on procedurally-generated environments
Deliver expert technical advice, direction and implementation to enhance level performance and playability
Proactively suggesting improvements to gameplay systems and principles
Provide mentorship and guidance to other members of the level design team

Qualifications

Minimum 7 years game industry Level Design experience
Excellent understanding of level design fundamentals and the role of level design in the overall player experience
Ability to take ownership of areas of level production, from start to finish
Ability to create map layouts on all stages – from simple drawings to fully functional levels
Ability to use all elements of the game world, including level geometry, texturing, lighting, sound and VFX to craft unique player experiences
Extensive knowledge of current game titles, as well as movies and other visual arts, to use as reference for crafting and communicating original ideas
Experience with scripting systems, either visual (such as Blueprint) or text-based (such as Python, Lua, or C#)
The ability to communicate fluently with engineering, art, narrative and production
Candidates must have a US work permit or citizenship
Curiosity, kindness, and a positive and professional can-do attitude

Nice to Haves

Experience with procedural systems, especially for environments
Unreal Engine 4/5 experience

The expected salary range for this position is $135,000 to $155,000 USD, negotiable. Salary offered will be based upon a number of factors, including but not limited to: skill set, years and quality of experience, and suitability for the role.

Additional Information

100% company paid medical, dental, and vision plans available - for employees and dependents
401K with matching
Company paid long & short term disability plans, and life insurance
Profit sharing plan
Unlimited PTO and flexible schedule
Environmental company paid offset of employees’ carbon footprint via Wren.co
Some positions available for Remote work
Positions worked in office are hybrid: M/W/F work from home & T/Th work in office, with lunch provided on the in office days
Dog friendly office
Many opportunities for advancement as our team grows and takes on new challenges

The Molasses Flood is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing and celebrating diverse thoughts and backgrounds throughout our organization. Employment at The Molasses Flood is based on ability – not an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence or sex offenses, reproductive health decisions, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

CA Candidates: TMF abides by all policies set forth in the CCPA/CPRA. For more information, please contact HR or visit the California Privacy Protection Agency website: https://cppa.ca.gov/