Level Designer

Job summary

You will create carefully crafted layouts, game environments, and gameplay moments that guide players through engaging experiences. Additionally, you will collaborate with directors, designers, engineers, and artists to champion the project's design direction throughout all development phases.

Job details

WHO WE ARE: Next Level Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd. We’ve been passionate about video game development for 20 years now, shipping award-winning games for fans across the world and still going strong. Some of our titles include Super Mario Strikers, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and most recently Mario Strikers™: Battle League. At NLG, we believe that a project finds success when we collaborate. Therefore, we place careful consideration to build an environment where everyone feels welcome and has fun in the process of achieving our shared goals. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: We are looking for a Level Designer to join our team at Next Level Games. You will learn and champion the Nintendo philosophy of game development, focused on creating high-quality experiences. You will work with directors, designers, engineers, and artists to deliver games that put smiles on the faces of people around the world. A snapshot of the role includes: Create carefully crafted layouts, game environments and gameplay moments that guide our players through fun experiences Understand the project’s design direction and champion it through your designs Strong communication skills and the ability to clearly present your level vision and design intent to your team Design inclination to simplicity and clarity Help foster a highly iterative and collaborative environment Take ownership of your levels and drive them forward through all development phases Lead by example and share expertise to better other teammates Contribute to continuous improvement of our tools and development process WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR: Have shipped 1+ games, preferably with console experience Strong desire to solve hard design problems Experience in all phases of game development Strong layout skills with a deep understanding of how 3D spaces impact the gameplay pacing Experience building 3D levels in level-based games Proficiency in Programming or Scripting Proficiency in 3D Layout programs (Unreal, Unity, Maya, etc.) Willingness to be proactive to coordinate with your team If you have a portfolio, please include a link WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE: Competitive annual leave and benefits, including discretionary performance bonus program, health coverage Support for mental health, financial well-being, legal assistance and more through our Employee Assistance Program Access to our in-studio gym, and an extensive media library filled with games and books Join a committee – board games, sports, or something else – it’s all here! Discounted shopping for Nintendo products and merchandise at the online employee store A workplace that values inclusivity and encourages continuous growth A chance to be part of Nintendo, creating award winning games that make an impact This is a hybrid role, with the first three months fully in‑studio. After that, there is flexibility to work from home, with a requirement of three days per week in our Vancouver studio. The hiring range for this position is $67,000 - $85,000 CAD annually and is subject to change. The final base salary compensation will be based on factors such as skills, education, and experience. At NLG, we know the best teams are made up of players with different skills, perspectives, and experience. We're committed to creating a workspace where everyone can contribute and feel included. If you need any accommodations during the hiring process, please contact careers@nextlevelgames.com, and we will do our best to support your needs. We wish to thank all applicants in advance; however, only those under consideration will be contacted. We are currently only considering applicants who already have work eligibility and are residing in or willing to relocate to Metro Vancouver.

What you’ll do

You will create carefully crafted layouts, game environments, and gameplay moments that guide players through engaging experiences. Additionally, you will collaborate with directors, designers, engineers, and artists to champion the project's design direction throughout all development phases.

Requirements

Candidates must have shipped at least one game, preferably with console experience, and possess strong 3D layout skills. Proficiency in programming, scripting, and 3D layout software like Unreal, Unity, or Maya is required.

Benefits

• Annual leave • Performance bonus program • Health coverage • Mental health support • Financial well-being support • Legal assistance • Employee assistance program • In-studio gym • Discounted shopping for Nintendo products

Listed skills

• Problem solving · Preferred
• Collaboration · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Level design
• 3D layout
• Programming
• Scripting
• Unreal Engine
• Unity
• Maya
• Gameplay pacing
• Game development
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Iterative design
• Problem solving
• Project Design
• Unity Engine
• Mental Health
• Continuous Improvement Process
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Video Game Development
• Autodesk Maya
• Merchandising
• Luigi (Python Package)

Job areas

• Software
• Creative & Media
• Art & Design
• Technology
• Level Designer
• Video Game Designer
• Graphic and Multimedia Designers
• Video Game Designers
• Web and Digital Interface Designers