Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.
Our studio operates as a remote-first workplace, offering flexible work arrangements.
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada.
Responsibilities Partner with project leadership and publishing stakeholders to define, reinforce, and execute the creative vision, ensuring alignment across narrative, gameplay, art, audio, and presentation
Lead the development of the game's narrative, characters, investigative gameplay, and environmental storytelling, ensuring every element supports a cohesive and memorable player experience
Lead, mentor, and support the design team, fostering a strong design culture focused on quality, collaboration, and accountability
Collaborate closely with engineering, art, audio, and production to establish effective workflows, drive implementation, and maintain alignment as the project evolves
Provide clear creative direction and feedback, helping translate high-level vision into polished, shippable content while maintaining quality and consistency across the game
Identify creative risks, narrative gaps, and production challenges early, partnering with discipline leads to balance creative ambition with scope, schedule, and technical constraints
Contribute hands-on to writing, narrative implementation, game design, prototyping, and content development as needed, helping unblock the team and drive key features through critical milestones




Requirements At least 10 years of experience in game development, including at least 5 years in a creative leadership, narrative leadership, or senior design role
Hands-on experience developing content in Unreal Engine 5, with confidence using in-engine tools and workflows to prototype, implement, iterate, and polish gameplay features
Experience shipping at least one narrative-driven or creatively ambitious game with significant responsibility for story, gameplay, or overall creative direction
Strong understanding of interactive storytelling, narrative pacing, player agency, and how gameplay and presentation work together to create compelling player experiences
Proven ability to provide creative direction, review content, and maintain quality and consistency across a multidisciplinary team
Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to align design, narrative, engineering, art, audio, and production around a shared creative vision
Comfortable contributing hands-on to writing, narrative implementation, game design, prototyping, or content development while balancing creative ambition with scope, schedule, and technical constraints
Pluses Passion for crime fiction, investigative storytelling, and grounded, character-driven narrative games
Appreciation for authentic research and the responsible adaptation of real-world subject matter into interactive storytelling
Strong instincts for dramatic pacing, mystery, suspense, and player-driven discovery
Experience working with dialogue systems, cinematic storytelling, performance capture, or branching narrative tools
Enjoyment of cooperative creative development and helping teams refine ideas through iteration, playtesting, and feedback
$140,000 - $160,000 a year

#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Design Director (British Columbia)
🏢 Blackbird Interactive
📍 British Columbia