Franchise Design Director

Creative Assembly is looking for a Franchise Design Director who will be accountable for developing the expertise of the Total War design discipline, the design craft and methodologies, and the franchise design strategy.

• Organising the discipline management structure to provide quality people management (hiring, onboarding, 1:1s, career development, clear communication and escalation paths, motivation, performance management, feedback, helping with project placement/allocation in collaboration with Resource Managers etc.)
• Building a formal design capability pathway: a competency framework, career progression and an onboarding programme, so every designer has a clear route to expert level whichever discipline they came from
• Owning the design hiring bar: role profiles, interview design and calibration, and building CA's reputation as a destination for world-class design talent
• Design craft & methodologies (establishing and maintaining standards, continuous improvement process)
• Provides communication line between Franchise Leadership Team and Project teams on a frequent basis
• Craft leadership and support: holding the agreed goals and direction, coaching Creative Directors on design craft, and adapting quickly when needed
• Design Craft support
• Exploration and analysis of the existing and evolving design of the Total War franchise
• Create and maintain a franchise design vision and philosophy that matches our franchise vision.
• Seeks opportunities and areas for improvement or advancement
• Defining what Total War design is and turning it into teachable material the discipline can be formally trained against
• Use your experience to promote our company values and culture, keep the working environment positive and inclusive, provide mentoring and coaching, and build high‑performing teams.
• You will be responsible for the overall Design strategy
• You'll work with your Franchise Leadership Team colleagues on the internal and external strategy for the design discipline and the wider business
• Anticipate and solve problems, on your own and with senior leadership. Get clarity and decisions quickly, step in to build consensus, and agree a way forward.
• Multiple shipped titles, including at least one shipped in a design leadership role (Lead, Principal, Design Director or equivalent).
• A proven track record of growing designers. You've built and run structured development for a design team, whether that's competency frameworks, career progression, onboarding or mentoring, and you can show what changed as a result.
• Experience developing designers who came into design from other disciplines and a clear view of how to build formal training that makes good instincts repeatable and teachable.
• A track record of raising a hiring bar: you have designed and calibrated interview processes for design roles and attracted senior design talent to a studio.
• Demonstrate a passion for all things game design and a keen interest in games development overall.
• You have broad knowledge of games across platforms and genres, and an ongoing desire to learn about the craft. You play everything.
• You have a strong understanding of player motivation and what makes gamers tick.
• You treat design as a craft that is both art and science — something that can be understood, taught and improved, and you apply that knowledge and curiosity to any genre you work in.
• You have a clear, well‑articulated design philosophy and can explain how it shapes your practice.
• You are constantly up to date on trends in the games industry and in entertainment more broadly.
• You play analytically. You can explain why a game works, not just whether you liked it, and you can build deep knowledge of the Total War series quickly.
• Attention to detail and a…