Senior Product Designer at Guerrilla Games

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: Guerrilla Games Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) / Game Development Tooling Date Posted: August 5, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Lead the product design discipline for the proprietary Decima Engine and its tooling ecosystem, focusing on end-user experience for world-class content creators and developers.
Define, own, and scale the Decima Design System, establishing new foundations, patterns, and components that are adopted by development teams.
Take ownership of key content creation workflow projects, conducting deep user research to inform the prioritization and creation of new tools and features.
Cultivate best-in-class design processes and foster a strong design culture within Guerrilla Games and the wider Sony ecosystem.
Drive product strategy and execution for complex, ambiguously scoped projects, from initial understanding and definition through to realization and delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant leadership position within the product design function for a critical internal technology. The emphasis on "owning" the design system and workflow projects, coupled with the expectation to "scale the team and capability," indicates a strategic, hands-on leadership role with significant influence over the future direction of the Decima Engine's user experience. The target audience is experienced product designers with a strong background in creative software and a proven ability to influence and lead design initiatives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Design System Ownership: Define, document, and maintain the Decima Design System, including establishing new foundations, patterns, and components, and collaborating with developers for successful implementation and adoption.
Workflow Project Leadership: Lead the end-to-end design of key content creation workflow projects, from discovery and user needs analysis to interaction design, visual design, and final delivery.
User Research & Strategy: Conduct in-depth research to understand the specialized needs of Decima users (artists, designers, etc.) and translate these insights into actionable product strategies and feature roadmaps.
Process & Culture Cultivation: Define, implement, and advocate for best-in-class product design processes, methodologies, and a collaborative design culture across Decima and relevant stakeholders within Guerrilla and Sony.
Product Excellence Advocacy: Represent and champion product design excellence throughout the organization, influencing product decisions and promoting user-centricity.
Complex Project Management: Manage and lead large, ambiguously scoped projects from initial understanding and definition through to realization and delivery, ensuring alignment with business and technology goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineering, product management, and other cross-functional teams to ensure user needs are met and design solutions are technically feasible and scalable.
Design Knowledge Sharing: Elevate design capabilities and culture within the Decima team and across broader partner groups by providing education, mentorship, and assistance on design principles and practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic ownership (design system, workflow projects, design process) and hands-on execution. The expectation to "own" and "scale" the design system, along with "defining and owning key content creation workflow projects," points to a senior individual contributor role with leadership responsibilities, rather than a people management role. The emphasis on "diplomatic influence" and "cultivating collaborative influence" suggests a need for strong communication and interpersonal skills to drive adoption and alignment across diverse teams.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

6+ years of professional experience in product design, UX design, or a similar role.
Demonstrable experience designing for creative software products, such as Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools, software development tools, or game engines.
Proven experience driving complex product alignment and managing cross-functional product development teams.

Required Skills:

Product Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, information architecture, and visual design.
Design Systems: Proficiency in defining, developing, and implementing robust design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and pattern definitions.
User Research & Analysis: Ability to conduct user research (interviews, usability testing, surveys), analyze findings, and translate them into design requirements and product strategies.
Workflow Design: Expertise in mapping, analyzing, and optimizing complex creative workflows for specialized users.
Collaboration & Influence: Strong ability to collaborate effectively with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders, and to influence decision-making through design rationale and diplomacy.
Problem-Solving: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to tackle ambiguous and complex design challenges.
Communication: Exceptional oral and written communication skills, with the ability to present design concepts and rationale clearly and persuasively.

Preferred Skills:

Experience leading and working with various design specializations, including UX Research, Content Strategy/Writing, Visual Design, and Motion Design.
Experience fostering design communities and knowledge sharing outside of a traditional team structure.
Familiarity with game development pipelines, tools, and technologies.
Experience designing for enterprise-level creative applications or complex desktop software.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 years" experience level inferred from the "6+ years" requirement and the "Senior" title suggests candidates are expected to have a solid track record of leading design initiatives and contributing strategically. The explicit mention of "Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools, Software Development Tools, Game Engines" as preferred experience areas strongly indicates the desired technical domain expertise.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your product design process from problem definition to final solution and impact.
Workflow Optimization: Highlight examples of how you have analyzed and improved complex user workflows within creative software or similar domains.
Design System Contribution: Include examples of your involvement in creating or evolving design systems, showcasing pattern definitions, component design, and implementation guidance.
Problem-Solving Examples: Detail complex design challenges you've faced and the innovative solutions you developed, emphasizing your strategic thinking and design rationale.
User-Centricity: Provide evidence of how user research informed your design decisions and how you validated your solutions through user testing or feedback.

Process Documentation:

Demonstrate experience in documenting design processes, including user journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing protocols.
Showcase examples of how you collaborate with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs and adherence to design systems.
Include evidence of how you measure the success and impact of your design solutions, using relevant metrics and feedback mechanisms.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role focused on tooling for creators, the portfolio is paramount. It should not only display visual design skills but also a deep understanding of user workflows, problem-solving capabilities for complex systems, and the ability to contribute to or lead design system development. Demonstrating a structured approach to design, research, and collaboration will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in Amsterdam with 6+ years of experience, and considering the specialized nature of game development tooling, a competitive salary range is estimated between €70,000 - €100,000 annually. This range is subject to variation based on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

Competitive Salary: Attractive compensation package reflecting experience and expertise.
Relocation Support: Comprehensive relocation assistance and immigration support for international candidates.
Health Insurance: Robust health insurance coverage.
Pension Scheme: Contributory pension plan.
Paid Time Off: Generous holiday allowance and paid time off.
Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, and attending industry conferences.
Studio Perks: Access to studio amenities, potential for performance bonuses, and a vibrant work environment.
Creative Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology with a passionate and talented team.

Working Hours:

Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility often available. The role requires on-site presence in Amsterdam.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on the Senior Product Designer title, 6+ years of experience, and the high cost of living and competitive tech market in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Guerrilla Games is a well-established studio, implying a comprehensive benefits package. The mention of relocation and immigration support is a significant benefit for international candidates.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Video Game Development. Guerrilla Games is a renowned studio known for its critically acclaimed titles, particularly the Horizon series and the Decima Engine. Company Size: Large (likely several hundred employees, typical for AAA game studios). This means established processes but potential for specialized teams and cross-functional collaboration across departments. Founded: 2000. Guerrilla has a long history and a strong reputation in the gaming industry.

Team Structure:

The role is within the Decima Engine team, specifically within the Product Design department. This department is responsible for the proprietary Decima Engine and its extensive tooling ecosystem.
The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product Design or a similar leadership role within the Decima Engine team.
Close collaboration is expected with Product Managers, Software Engineers (engineers, tool developers), QA, and potentially art directors and technical artists who are users of the Decima Engine.

Methodology:

Agile Development: Game development, especially engine and tool development, typically follows Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) for iterative development and rapid feedback loops.
User-Centric Design: The role emphasizes understanding and serving the needs of internal and external content creators and developers, aligning with user-centered design principles.
Data-Informed Decisions: While creativity is key, design decisions are expected to be informed by user research, usage data, and performance metrics.
Iterative Improvement: Continuous refinement of tools and workflows based on user feedback and evolving project requirements is a core aspect.

Company Website: https://www.guerrilla-games.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Guerrilla Games is a premium AAA game development studio. The culture is likely to be highly creative, collaborative, and focused on producing exceptional quality. The Decima Engine team operates as a distinct unit that supports the core game development efforts, implying a focus on robust, scalable, and user-friendly tools for internal and external creators.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor with potential for leadership. This role is positioned as a leader within the Product Design discipline for the Decima Engine. It involves owning key design areas and potentially influencing the growth of the design team itself. Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a design lead or director within the Decima Engine team. This role will work very closely with product management and engineering leads. Operations Impact: The design and usability of the Decima Engine directly impact the efficiency, creativity, and output quality of hundreds of artists and designers both internally at Guerrilla and externally. This role has a significant impact on the productivity and success of content creation pipelines that are critical to game development.

Growth Opportunities:

Design Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a lead or principal designer role, potentially managing a team or defining the strategic direction for product design within the Decima Engine group.
Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for complex creative tools, game engines, and large-scale software ecosystems.
Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Gain exposure to various aspects of game development, engine technology, and broader organizational design practices within Sony.
Industry Recognition: Contribute to tools used in industry-leading games, gaining recognition for impactful design work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the responsibilities of "owning" design systems and workflows suggest a clear path for growth into a design leadership role, possibly managing designers or taking on more strategic product ownership within the Decima ecosystem. The opportunity to shape the design culture and processes is a significant draw for ambitious designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily on-site, within a professional game development studio environment. Office Location(s): Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Guerrilla Games is known for its modern studio facilities in the heart of the city.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Studio: Expect a dynamic, collaborative environment where interaction with colleagues from various disciplines is encouraged.
High-Tech Environment: Access to state-of-the-art hardware, software, and development tools essential for game and engine creation.
Team Integration: The role requires close integration with the Decima Engine team, working alongside engineers and product managers to ensure seamless design and development.
Creative Atmosphere: A culture that values creativity, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of technology in game development.

Work Schedule:

Full-time, standard business hours, with the expectation of on-site presence in Amsterdam. Flexibility may be available, but the nature of studio collaboration often necessitates consistent on-site interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Amsterdam is a critical factor. Guerrilla Games is a well-established studio with a strong physical presence and a culture that thrives on in-person collaboration, crucial for complex creative projects like game engine development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session where the candidate presents their portfolio, discusses key case studies, and elaborates on their design process, problem-solving approach, and impact. This is often with the hiring manager and/or senior design team members.
Technical/Design Deep Dive: Interviews focusing on specific design skills, understanding of creative software workflows, design systems, and user research methodologies. This might involve whiteboard exercises or design challenges.
Cross-Functional Interviews: Conversations with product managers, engineers, or other stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, communication, and ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.
Cultural Fit & Values Interview: Discussions focused on aligning with Guerrilla's values, team dynamics, and the studio's creative culture.
Final Interview: Potentially with a higher-level manager or director to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that showcase your experience with complex creative software and workflow optimization.
Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, interactive prototypes, or clear descriptions to illustrate your design thinking and solutions.
Highlight Design Systems: If you have experience with design systems, showcase how you contributed to their creation, maintenance, or adoption, and the benefits they brought.
Focus on Process: Emphasize your methodical approach to design, research, and collaboration, demonstrating how you handle ambiguity and complexity.
Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs made, and how you would approach specific challenges within the Decima Engine context.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Context: Research the Decima Engine, its capabilities, and the types of users it serves (game developers, artists, designers).
Workflow Analysis: Be ready to discuss how you would approach understanding and improving a complex creative workflow.
Design System Thinking: Prepare to discuss your philosophy on design systems, component design, and governance.
Problem-Solving Scenarios: Anticipate scenarios where you might need to balance user needs, technical constraints, and business goals.
Communication Practice: Practice articulating your design process and rationale concisely and persuasively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is critical for this role. Candidates must demonstrate not only strong visual and interaction design skills but also a deep understanding of the user needs of creative professionals and the ability to contribute to the strategic development of a complex software ecosystem.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure RP (or similar industry-standard tools for UI/UX design and prototyping).
User Research: Tools for usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com), survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), and analytics platforms for user behavior.
Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack (for team communication and workflow management).
Design System Management: Tools and methodologies for creating and maintaining design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, or custom solutions).

Analytics & Reporting:

Familiarity with data analysis tools and principles to understand user behavior within the Decima Engine.
Experience using analytics dashboards to track feature adoption and user satisfaction.

CRM & Automation:

While not directly CRM-focused, an understanding of how user feedback loops and support systems integrate with product development is beneficial.
Familiarity with automation principles in design tools or workflow execution is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools is a given for a Senior Product Designer. The emphasis on design systems suggests familiarity with tools and processes for managing component libraries and design tokens. Understanding how to leverage data to inform design decisions within a complex software tool is also crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Excellence in Craft: A commitment to delivering high-quality, polished, and effective design solutions.
User Advocacy: Deep empathy for users and a dedication to understanding and solving their problems.
Collaboration & Teamwork: A belief in the power of collective effort and open communication to achieve shared goals.
Innovation & Iteration: A drive to explore new ideas, experiment with solutions, and continuously improve products and processes.
Passion for Games: A genuine enthusiasm for video games and the creative process behind them.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Expect to work closely with engineering, product management, and other creative disciplines, requiring strong communication and a collaborative mindset.
Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and processes.
Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, learnings, and insights within the design team and across related departments.
Empowerment: A supportive environment that empowers designers to take ownership and drive initiatives forward.

📝 Enhancement Note: Guerrilla Games, as a leading AAA studio, likely fosters a culture of high performance, creative passion, and strong teamwork. The Decima Engine team specifically will value designers who are not only skilled but also collaborative, user-focused, and committed to building robust tools that empower creators.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Complexity of Tooling: Designing for a comprehensive engine with numerous interconnected tools and workflows presents significant complexity.
Diverse User Base: Catering to the varied needs of different types of content creators (artists, level designers, animators, etc.) requires deep user understanding and careful prioritization.
Legacy Systems & Evolution: Balancing the needs of existing users and workflows with the introduction of new features and system improvements.
Cross-Studio Alignment: Ensuring design consistency and best practices are shared and adopted across different teams and potentially other Sony studios.
Driving Adoption: Convincing and enabling a user base of highly skilled professionals to adopt new tools and patterns can be challenging.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Advanced Tooling Design: Gain unparalleled experience in designing for cutting-edge game development technology.
Design Leadership Skills: Develop skills in leading design initiatives, defining product strategy, and potentially mentoring junior designers.
Industry Trends: Stay at the forefront of advancements in creative software, game engines, and digital content creation tools.
Networking: Build relationships with a highly talented and experienced team of game developers and designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working on a large-scale, complex software product used by expert users. Overcoming these challenges provides significant growth opportunities in terms of technical design knowledge, strategic thinking, and leadership capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a time you had to design a complex workflow for creative professionals. What were the key challenges, and how did you approach solving them?" (Focus on process, user research, and outcome.)
"How would you go about defining and scaling a design system for a large, established product like the Decima Engine?" (Focus on strategy, governance, adoption, and collaboration.)
"Walk us through a project where you had to influence stakeholders or cross-functional teams to adopt your design recommendations." (Focus on communication, diplomacy, and impact.)
"How do you balance the needs of different user groups with competing priorities when designing features for a tool like Decima?" (Focus on prioritization, research synthesis, and trade-offs.)

Company & Culture Questions:

"What excites you about Guerrilla Games and the Decima Engine specifically?" (Show genuine interest and research.)
"How do you approach collaboration within a multidisciplinary team, especially with engineers and product managers?" (Highlight teamwork and communication skills.)
"What are your thoughts on building and maintaining a strong design culture within a technology-focused organization?" (Demonstrate understanding of design's role beyond just UI.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the problem statement and the user need for each case study.
Detail Your Role: Be specific about your contributions, especially in areas like user research, interaction design, and system thinking.
Show Your Process: Explain the steps you took, the decisions you made, and the rationale behind them. Use wireframes, user flows, and prototypes as examples.
Highlight Impact: Quantify the success of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced errors, increased user satisfaction). If quantitative data isn't available, use qualitative feedback.
Address Challenges: Be open about any challenges encountered and how you navigated them. This shows resilience and problem-solving skills.
Connect to Decima: Where possible, draw parallels between your past experiences and the potential challenges or opportunities within the Decima Engine.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing specific examples that demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, design system expertise, and experience with complex creative tools will be crucial. Candidates should be ready to articulate their design philosophy and how it aligns with Guerrilla's commitment to quality and innovation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.
Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases relevant case studies demonstrating your experience with complex software, workflow optimization, and design systems. Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight your understanding of creative professional needs.
Resume Optimization: Update your resume to highlight your 6+ years of experience, specific achievements in product design for creative software, and skills in design systems and user research. Use keywords from the job description.
Cover Letter: Craft a compelling cover letter that expresses your passion for Guerrilla Games, the Decima Engine, and how your skills and experience directly align with the responsibilities outlined.
Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review your portfolio and prepare to discuss your case studies in detail. Practice answering common product design interview questions and be ready to articulate your design process and problem-solving approach. Research Guerrilla Games and the Decima Engine to demonstrate informed interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions for a Senior Product Designer role in game development tooling. All details should be verified directly with Guerrilla Games during the application and interview process.

Senior Product Designer