Directeur de la conception de jeu / Game Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Game Design Director

Company: Electronic Arts

Location: Los Angeles, California, USA; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Job Type: Regular Employee (Full-time)

Category: Game Design / Creative Leadership

Date Posted: October 1, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Define and drive the overarching gameplay design vision, standards, and strategic roadmap for the renowned Battlefield franchise, ensuring a cohesive and engaging player experience.

• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary design teams and directors to deliver high-quality, balanced, and fun gameplay systems, mechanics, and player interactions within a live service environment.

• Collaborate closely with Creative and Product leadership to prioritize features and establish a clear development roadmap, ensuring alignment with the overall game vision.

• Establish and refine repeatable design processes to support rapid development cycles and continuous improvement in a live service context, ensuring consistent quality across all seasons.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a senior leadership position within game development, specifically focused on the design direction of a major AAA franchise. The emphasis on "live service operations" and "repeatable design processes for rapid development" indicates a need for strong operational and strategic thinking beyond pure creative design. The role requires a candidate who can balance creative vision with execution efficiency and team management.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Establish and champion the core gameplay design vision and quality standards for the Battlefield franchise.

• Deliver fun, engaging, and balanced gameplay experiences that resonate with a large player base.

• Partner with Creative and Product leadership to define a prioritized roadmap for gameplay features and updates.

• Drive the design group to deliver high-quality features on schedule, effectively managing scope and resources.

• Align the design direction with established creative pillars and product goals for the franchise.

• Support the production team in effective feature scoping and estimation to ensure timely delivery.

• Provide expert direction, mentorship, and guidance to design leads and their respective teams.

• Implement and maintain repeatable design processes for efficient development in a live service environment.

• Ensure a unified and consistent gameplay vision is executed across all live service seasons and content updates.

• Empower creative leadership within design by providing clear requirements and strategic direction for their areas of ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic vision setting, team leadership, and operational execution. The emphasis on "repeatable design processes," "effective feature scoping," and "unified gameplay vision across all live service seasons" suggests that candidates will be evaluated on their ability to manage complex, ongoing game development projects efficiently and strategically.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Game Design, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for senior roles in this industry.

Experience: A minimum of 10+ years of experience in game design, with a significant portion dedicated to leadership roles within AAA game development. Extensive background in live service operations is a must.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience directing multiplayer AAA First-Person Shooter (FPS) titles.

• Deep understanding and design mastery of core combat, gunplay mechanics, and player progression systems.

• Proficiency in game mode design, particularly with experience in Battle Royale or similar large-scale multiplayer modes.

• Demonstrated success in leading and mentoring design teams, including other design leads and directors.

• Experience in communicating directly with player communities and leveraging their feedback.

• Ability to drive design direction through clear, persuasive communication and strong influence.

• Capability to establish design frameworks and guardrails while fostering creative freedom within teams.

• Skill in mobilizing multi-disciplinary lead groups toward a unified design direction.

• Effective collaboration with other discipline directors (e.g., art, engineering, production) to achieve the overall game vision.

• Ability to translate high-level creative and product direction into actionable design priorities.

• Proficiency in translating player data, analytics, and feedback into effective design pivots and improvements.

• Proven track record of successfully leading design efforts during the live operation of a game. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with game design documentation tools and methodologies.

• Familiarity with game engines (e.g., Frostbite, Unreal Engine).

• Understanding of player psychology and engagement loops.

• Experience in iterative design and playtesting methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements are highly specific to AAA FPS development and live service management. Candidates will need to demonstrate deep expertise in core gameplay loops, leadership capabilities in a complex team structure, and a data-driven approach to design iteration and community engagement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing leadership in the design of at least one successful multiplayer AAA FPS title, with a clear emphasis on combat, gunplay, and progression systems.

• Include case studies detailing experience in live service operations, highlighting how design decisions evolved based on player data and feedback.

• Provide examples of design documentation that clearly articulate gameplay vision, mechanics, and system specifications for large-scale projects.

• Showcase instances of leading design teams through the full development cycle, from concept to live operations, including challenges faced and solutions implemented. Process Documentation:

• Exhibit understanding of established design processes for rapid iteration and development in live service environments, potentially including documentation on workflow optimization.

• Present strategies for implementing and maintaining a unified gameplay vision across multiple content updates or seasons, demonstrating a systematic approach.

• Detail methods for integrating player data and community feedback into design iterations, including examples of analytics-driven design pivots.

• Provide evidence of effective feature scoping and planning processes, illustrating how design requirements were translated into actionable development priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the leadership and strategic nature of this role, a traditional design portfolio may be less critical than a "portfolio of impact" demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, and successful execution of complex game design initiatives, especially within live service contexts. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their methodologies for team leadership, process improvement, and data-informed design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• British Columbia (Canada): $190,500 - $267,300 CAD per year.

• California (USA): $215,900 - $327,900 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Paid Time Off: 3 weeks per year to start (US and Canada).

• Sick Time: 80 hours per year (US) / 10 days per year (Canada).

• Paid Company Holidays: 16 days per year (US).

• Parental Leave: 10 weeks paid leave to bond with a new baby (US) / Paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary for 12 weeks (maternity) and 4 weeks (parental/adoption) (Canada).

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Life Insurance: Provided.

• Disability Insurance: Provided.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan (US) / Retirement plan (Canada).

• Incentive Programs: Potential eligibility for bonus and other incentive programs based on role.

• Additional Perks: Complimentary games, mental well-being support, and other wellness benefits.

Working Hours: Standard 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility often required in the gaming industry, especially during crunch periods or for live service support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to the listed locations and represent a significant compensation package commensurate with a Director-level position in AAA game development. The benefits package is comprehensive, aiming to support employee well-being across multiple dimensions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Interactive Entertainment / Video Game Development. Electronic Arts (EA) is a global leader in this sector, known for its extensive portfolio of popular game franchises.

Company Size: EA is a large, publicly traded company with thousands of employees worldwide, indicating a robust corporate structure and significant resources. This implies a need for individuals who can navigate larger organizations and collaborate across various departments.

Founded: Electronic Arts was founded in 1982, bringing a long history and deep experience in the gaming industry. The Battlefield franchise itself has a history spanning over two decades, underscoring the company's commitment to enduring IPs.

Team Structure:

• This role is part of EA Studios, specifically within the Ripple Effect studio, contributing to the unified Battlefield Studios initiative. This initiative brings together multiple studios (Criterion, DICE, Motive, Ripple Effect) to focus on the future of the franchise.

• The Game Design Director will likely lead a significant portion of the design department, working closely with other discipline directors (e.g., Art Director, Technical Director, Production Director) and reporting to a higher