Manager, Game Design, Creative Development- Disney & Pixar Games

Manager, Game Design, Creative Development
- Disney & Pixar Games at Disney Experiences summary:

This role leads the game design team for Disney & Pixar Games, overseeing narrative and gameplay quality across mobile, console, and PC platforms. The manager partners with internal teams and external developers to ensure authentic and engaging Disney & Pixar experiences. Responsibilities include team leadership, game design oversight, narrative guidance, and brand compliance on high-profile projects.

Come and join our talented Creative Team at Disney & Pixar Games . This unique position requires a highly creative and motivated individual to partner with the best game developers from across the globe to build the next generation of Disney & Pixar Games .
The Manager, Game Design, Creative Development – Will be responsible for providing game design leadership across our portfolio of licensed games. They will manage our team of internal game designers, partner with our product development, marketing, and brand relations teams, as well as our world-class game partners to deliver exceptional and authentic Disney and Pixar experiences for gamers and fans alike.

They will provide game design/narrative guidance and brand feedback to our external development partners that will help elevate the overall quality of our diverse portfolio of mobile, console, and PC games. This role draws upon your expertise not only as a seasoned game designer, but also as an authority on gaming trends and a passionate Disney & Pixar enthusiast who can creatively support the games our external partners are making.

You will be the point person for game design and narrative submissions and discussions, leveraging best-in-class examples on the target platform and genre, and guiding gameplay and narrative through the lens of our characters and worlds, to ensure that each game is a compelling, appealing, and an authentic Disney & Pixar experience.

This is a full-time role.

You will report to the Senior Manager, Creative Development

This is an onsite position, and candidates must be willing to relocate to Southern California.

Team Leadership:

• Oversees the game design & narrative quality of the projects for which they and their Designers are responsible.

• Works with the Creative Department lead regarding goals, priorities and individual project progress.

• Manages and mentor internal team members, providing game and narrative design guidance. Share best practices that foster inclusive creativity and elevate game design and storytelling in our products.

• Identifies opportunities to improve processes and pipelines for yourself and other design team members. Apply best practices to elevate how the team approaches gameplay opportunities and challenges within our products.

• Serves as an internal game critic for all Disney & Pixar Games, focusing on game design and narrative. Works to elevate the quality of all the games across our portfolio.

• Leads internal game design/narrative initiatives based on direction from the Disney & Pixar Games leaders.

• Works with the Senior Manager, Creative Development, regarding goals, priorities, and individual project progress.

Game & Narrative Design:

• Represents game design and narrative on the highest complexity projects as an authority on the worlds, stories, and characters of Disney & Pixar.

• Manages their team of Game Designers to oversee game design and narrative assessments and discussions throughout the product lifecycle (from ideation to release to live operations) on all projects.

• Provides editorial feedback and leads discussions on game design documentation, gameplay concepts, features, Live Ops plans, and playable builds, while fostering successful collaboration with partners and stakeholders.

• Reviews and provides actionable recommendations on story arcs, beats, and scripts to ensure authenticity and quality in our games.

• Proactively identifies areas of risk affecting product quality, story, and player experience; provides actionable solutions to mitigate game design and narrative risks.

• Maintain familiarity with current game and game industry products and trends including popular gameplay features, trending genres, current platforms, and commonly leveraged retention and monetization techniques.

• Independently balances a workload of diverse projects in varying stages of development and team management.

Brand & Franchise Guidance:

• Collaborates with partners to create gameplay experiences that authentically represent our brands and engage gamers and fans alike.

• Exemplifies the role of a creative negotiator, representing and advocating on behalf of our development partners, studio leadership, and key Walt Disney Company stakeholders to deliver against our collective product goals and gameplay needs.

• Creatively works within existing and upcoming Disney and Pixar IP guidelines to provide guidance to our partners that ensure that the gameplay and stories within our products are being designed and executed…