Principal Design Director - Keywords Americas (Creative Centre of Excellence)

Ovii's Interpretation of the Role

The Principal Design Director will own gameplay systems architecture and design strategy for Keywords Studios' Creative Centre of Excellence across the Americas. You will translate creative vision into scalable, data‑informed gameplay loops, economies and live‑service frameworks while partnering with studios and business development teams.

Role Snapshot

• Lead gameplay systems architecture
• Define progression and economy frameworks
• Drive design strategy across North America
• Partner with studios and business development
• Champion AI‑enabled design workflows
• Mentor multidisciplinary design teams

Must-Have Requirements

• Gameplay systems design
• Progression & economy design
• Live‑service design
• AI‑assisted design tools
• Design documentation & prototyping
• Data‑informed decision making
• Strong communication and collaboration
• Game design leadership
• Gameplay systems architecture
• Live‑service systems
• Must be legally authorized to work in Canada
• Must reside in Greater Montreal or relocate

Nice-to-Have Signals

• Mobile or VR format experience
• Familiarity with modern game engines
• Mobile/VR formats
• Modern engine pipelines

Work Setup

• Location: Montreal, Canada
• Work mode: HYBRID
• Remote scope: UNSPECIFIED
• Relocation: Must reside in Greater Montreal area or relocate
• Employment type: Full-Time

Eligibility Gates

• Work authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in Canada
• Visa sponsorship: no

Not Specified in JD

• Visa sponsorship
• Education requirement
• Certifications
• Travel
• Security clearance
• Coding test
• Portfolio
• GitHub
• Writing sample
• Cover letter

What You'll Likely Work On

• Design strategy & systems architecture: create scalable loops, economies, progression models and live‑service features.
• Pitch leadership & client engagement: document and present innovative systems to publishers and partners.
• Regional studio collaboration & discipline supervision: guide design production across Canada, the US and Mexico.
• Live‑service & player engagement: define retention, monetization and seasonal content systems.
• Design innovation & AI enablement: leverage AI tools for simulation, balancing and rapid prototyping.
• Establish design frameworks, principles and best practices to ensure consistency across projects.

Good Fit If You Have

• 10+ years of game design leadership (Design Director, Game Director, Lead Designer).
• Experience shipping commercially successful PC/console titles.
• Familiarity with modern game engines and production pipelines.