Design Manager

Overview

Design Manager role at Take-Two Interactive. Join Ghost Story Games on Judas, a narrative-driven project led by Ken Levine. The work involves integrating dynamic narrative, roguelite mechanics, and emergent systems to deliver a cohesive player experience.

What You'll Take On

• Manage Design Team personnel.
• Collaborate with technical and systems design leads on tasking for those groups.
• Create and maintain clear, concise design documentation that articulates system functionality.
• Work hands-on in Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) to prototype, build, and iterate on systems using Blueprint scripting.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Art, Narrative, and QA to ensure cohesive implementation of gameplay features.
• Champion the player experience, ensuring designs are intuitive, engaging, and support a wide variety of playstyles.
• Actively participate in playtests, gather feedback, and iterate on designs to achieve high quality.
• Proactively identify design challenges and propose effective, innovative solutions that push creative boundaries.
• Advocate for the player experience and ensure designs align with the overall vision of Judas.
• Contribute to design discussions and the evolution of design practices, fostering knowledge-sharing within the studio.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of professional systems design experience on AAA titles.
• Shipped at least one AAA game in a systems design capacity.
• Proven expertise in designing and implementing core gameplay loops, progression systems, and player-facing mechanics.
• Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5), particularly in-engine implementation and Blueprint scripting.
• Proactive, self-motivated work ethic with a strong sense of ownership and autonomy.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex design concepts clearly.
• A deep passion for creating emergent, systems-driven gameplay and narrative-rich experiences.
• Understanding of telemetry and its uses within game development to validate implementations.
• As a senior team member, lead by example and mentor others.

Great to Have

• Passion for narrative-driven first-person shooters.
• Scripting proficiency within Unreal Engine (advanced Blueprint usage); C++ experience is a bonus.
• Direct experience with roguelike/roguelite or immersive sim genres.
• Experience designing systems that enhance replayability and emergent outcomes.
• Familiarity with content tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Hansoft) or version control systems (e.g., Perforce).

When Applying For This Position

Please watch the following GDC talk given by Ken Levine: http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1020434/Narrative

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
• Industries: Entertainment Providers

Massachusetts, United States