Lead Designer – RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Role Overview

• Drive the execution of the RuneScape: Dragonwilds design vision across external development and outsourcing partners.
• Act as the primary design contact for assigned co-development teams, providing clear direction and ongoing support.
• Translate high-level creative vision into actionable design guidance that enables partners to deliver high-quality gameplay and content.
• Review features, gameplay systems, and content, providing constructive, timely feedback that maintains quality and consistency.
• Ensure externally developed work aligns with established design pillars, technical constraints, and player experience goals.
• Collaborate closely with Creative Leadership and Production to maintain consistency across all areas of development.
• Identify risks, blockers, and quality concerns early, working proactively with partners to resolve them.
• Provide hands-on design support where needed, helping unblock teams through implementation guidance, prototyping, or problem-solving.
• Facilitate effective communication between internal stakeholders and external development partners.
• Help establish efficient review processes, design workflows, and best practices across co-development teams.
• Participate in planning sessions, milestone reviews, and feature evaluations to support successful delivery.
• Champion player-focused design through regular playtesting, feedback analysis, and iterative improvement.
• Support the onboarding of new development partners, helping them understand the project's vision, workflows, and quality expectations.
• Build trusted relationships with external teams, encouraging accountability, collaboration, and shared ownership of outcomes.

Requirements

• Proven experience leading design efforts on shipped PC or console titles.
• Previous experience working with co-development studios, outsourcing partners, or distributed development teams.
• Strong understanding of gameplay systems, progression, content design, and player experience principles.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to influence teams and drive alignment without direct line management responsibility.
• Experience reviewing work across multiple design disciplines and providing clear, actionable feedback.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks and unblock development teams.
• Experience creating and maintaining clear design documentation.
• Comfortable balancing creative vision with production realities and technical constraints.
• Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine 5, including hands-on experience implementing and reviewing gameplay content.
• Working knowledge of Unreal Engine systems including Blueprints, Data Assets, Gameplay Framework, and content authoring workflows.
• Experience debugging gameplay issues and collaborating closely with engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of feature development pipelines, iteration, and content integration.
• Experience working closely with multidisciplinary teams including Engineering, Art, Audio, Narrative, QA, and Production.
• Deep understanding of player psychology, usability, and gameplay pacing.

Tech Stack

• Unreal Engine

Benefits

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Employee Assistance Programme & onsite Counselling.
• Life Insurance.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!