Lead Level Designer

Lead Level Designer

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Job Title:

Lead Level Designer

Requisition : R026314

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since our inception in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles including Call of Duty:
Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WWII (2017), and, most recently, Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare III. As industry leaders in first‑person shooter development, our commitment to excellence is reflected in every detail of our games, from highly polished multiplayer experiences to emotionally engaging single‑player campaigns.

We are excited to invite a talented and passionate developer to join our growing team as a Lead Single Player Level Designer based in our Guildford, UK studio. In this role, you will work collaboratively with our talented teams across the globe, including our locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. If you’re ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

This is not a remote role. It is a hybrid position based in our Guildford Studio, offering flexibility with a combination of in‑studio and remote workdays. Permanent remote work is not available for this position.

As a Lead Single Player Level Designer, your mission is to guide the creative and technical direction of our campaign levels from early concept to final polish. You’ll lead a talented team of designers in building cinematic, gameplay‑driven levels that deliver emotional impact and unforgettable player experiences that will be enjoyed by millions of gamers across the globe. You will champion design quality, mentor others and collaborate closely with narrative, art, engineering and production to bring the studio’s creative vision to life.

• Act as the level design leader for Single Player content made by Sledgehammer Games.
• Lead by example through hands‑on creation of high‑quality level content.
• Define and uphold best practices in level design, pacing and player readability.
• Translate creative direction into clear, actionable design goals and documentation. Hold regular reviews and provide iterative feedback to the team to meet the required quality bar.
• Build effective working relationships with key creative and production partners across Sledgehammer Games, helping to ensure consistency of output from the studio.
• Work with stakeholders across other Activision studios to ensure content developed fits with creative pillars.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and career development for level designers of varying experience levels.
• Work with user research during playtests to identify iterative improvements and changes.
• Learn, understand, and improve the tools and workflow for the team.
• Work with production teams to provide estimates and schedules for the Design team.
• Communicate progress and resolution of issues with the ability to set guidelines for peers and support teams.
• Represent the team’s work at global SHG all‑hands meetings when required.
• Partner with the recruitment team to identify key hires, taking an active role in building the core team.
• Over time, become a key creative leader at the studio with a highly visible presence at team all‑hands and other studio events, visiting other studios when required.

• Extensive industry experience working in AAA Game Design. Able to provide a professional portfolio that demonstrates prior experiences.
• Previous experience as a Lead Designer, with experience of managing and mentoring a team (2+ designers).
• Prior experience with technical scripting, ideally through text‑based languages (C++, C#, Lua, or similar) or Unreal’s Blueprints. A curiosity to learn and grow technical skills is strongly valued.
• Expansive knowledge of game design with appreciation and understanding for the other disciplines.
• Strong grasp of combat design, AI behaviours, player guidance and geometry building, flow and layout.
• Solid understanding of level design with ability to clearly discuss modern trends.
• St…