Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London

Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London

London Full-Time 48000 - 84000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design and optimise engaging game experiences for HELIX Life, focusing on player retention and social interaction.
  • Company: Join a dynamic team at a leading game studio shaping the future of social gaming.
  • Benefits: Enjoy flexible working options, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on a flagship game while driving innovation in the gaming industry.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in live service game design with strong analytical and collaboration skills.
  • Other info: Be part of a fast-paced, creative environment with high ownership and autonomy.

The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 £ per year.

Location: Prioritising Hybrid (Guildford / Greater London) but will also evaluate Remote applicants (UK / EU preferred).

About the Role

We’re looking for a Senior / Lead LiveOps Game Designer to own the long term health and performance of HELIX Life, our flagship large scale social life simulation game built on the HELIX UGC platform. This role sits at the intersection of game design, LiveOps strategy, and data-driven decision-making. You’ll be responsible for designing and operating progression systems, live events, economies, and social loops — and continuously iterating on them based on real player behaviour. Post initial definition of features, this role requires continuous optimisation focused on retention, engagement, social growth, and revenue across the full player lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own and improve core LiveOps KPIs, including D1 / D7 / D30 retention and beyond, session frequency, session length, ARPU / ARPDAU, conversion funnels, churn drivers, and K-factor — with strong attention to long-tenured and high value players.
  • Design hypotheses, run experiments, analyse cohorts, and translate insights into concrete design changes.
  • Continuously improve FTUE, onboarding flows, and early game clarity.
  • Identify friction points across the entire player lifecycle and systematically remove them.
  • Design and maintain a large-scale live economy (soft currency, premium currency, sinks, sources, inflation control).
  • Balance progression pacing for different player archetypes (casual, social, grinders, high value players).
  • Design monetisation systems that are sustainable, ethical, and retention-positive.
  • Own the live content and LiveOps calendar, including events, promotions, seasonal beats, and limited-time systems.
  • Design events that drive re-engagement, social play, and organic growth.
  • Define daily, weekly, and monthly gameplay rhythms that give players clear reasons to return.
  • Run post mortems on live events and rapidly iterate based on results.
  • Design systems that encourage inviting friends, forming groups, and social dependency.
  • Improve organic growth through gameplay driven social and viral mechanics.
  • Work closely with engineers, artists, designers, and product leadership to ship features end-to-end.
  • Translate high level goals into clear, implementable design specifications.
  • Review implementations to ensure design intent survives production constraints.
  • Mentor and guide other designers as the team grows.

Required Skills & Experience

  • 5+ years designing and operating live service games.
  • Proven track record of measurably improving retention, engagement, and revenue on shipped titles.
  • Strong experience with live economies, monetisation, and progression systems.
  • Hands on ownership of LiveOps strategy (not just feature contribution).
  • Strong analytical skills and comfort working directly with dashboards, data tools, and spreadsheets.
  • Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams in a production environment.
  • Experience with large scale social, sandbox, or online multiplayer games.
  • Experience with UGC platforms or creator driven economies.
  • Experience operating live games with large, long tenured player bases.
  • Familiarity with experimentation frameworks (A/B testing, cohort analysis).
  • Comfort working in fast-moving, founder-led teams with high ownership and autonomy.

Why Join Us

  • You’ll shape the flagship world of a new UGC platform, not just ship isolated features.
  • High ownership, high impact, low bureaucracy.
  • Design decisions ship quickly and are evaluated honestly through data.
  • You’ll influence not just a game, but the foundation of a broader ecosystem.
  • If you’re the kind of designer who gets excited watching a retention curve bend upward because of something you shipped, HELIX Life will feel like home.

Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London employer: Hypersonic Laboratories

At our company, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to take ownership of their projects. As a Senior LiveOps Game Designer, you'll have the unique opportunity to shape the future of HELIX Life while enjoying a hybrid work environment in Guildford or Greater London, with flexibility for remote applicants. We offer competitive benefits, a commitment to professional growth, and a collaborative atmosphere where your contributions directly impact player engagement and satisfaction.
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Contact Detail:

Hypersonic Laboratories Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London

✨Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the gaming industry, especially those who work with LiveOps or game design. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about sliding into DMs on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!

✨Tip Number 2

Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work in game design and LiveOps. Include case studies that demonstrate how you’ve improved retention and engagement in past projects. This will give potential employers a clear picture of what you can bring to the table.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your data analysis skills. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in your previous roles. Practice explaining your thought process behind designing monetisation systems and live events, as this will show you're the right fit for the role.

✨Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at StudySmarter. Let’s make magic happen together!

We think you need these skills to ace Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London

LiveOps Strategy
Game Design
Data Analysis
Retention Improvement
Engagement Strategies
Monetisation Systems
Progression Systems
Live Economy Management
A/B Testing
Cohort Analysis
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Player Lifecycle Optimisation
Social Mechanics Design
Mentoring and Guiding Designers

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior LiveOps Game Designer role. Highlight your experience with live service games and how you've improved retention and engagement in past projects. We want to see how you can bring your unique skills to HELIX Life!

Show Off Your Data Skills: Since this role is all about data-driven decision-making, don’t shy away from showcasing your analytical skills. Mention specific tools or frameworks you've used for A/B testing or cohort analysis. We love seeing how you’ve turned data insights into actionable design changes!

Be Creative with Examples: When discussing your previous work, use concrete examples that demonstrate your ability to design engaging live events and economies. We’re looking for innovative thinkers who can create systems that keep players coming back for more, so let your creativity shine through!

Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to see your application and get to know you better. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at StudySmarter. We can’t wait to hear from you!

How to prepare for a job interview at Hypersonic Laboratories

✨Know Your Game Design Metrics

Before the interview, brush up on key LiveOps KPIs like D1/D7 retention and ARPU. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive design decisions in your previous roles. This shows you understand the importance of metrics in game design.

✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills

Prepare examples of how you've run experiments or A/B tests in past projects. Discuss specific cohorts you've analysed and the insights you gained. This will demonstrate your comfort with data tools and your ability to translate findings into actionable design changes.

✨Understand Player Archetypes

Familiarise yourself with different player types and how they interact with live economies. Be ready to talk about how you've balanced progression for various archetypes in your previous games. This will highlight your experience in creating engaging player experiences.

✨Collaborate and Communicate

Think of examples where you've worked closely with cross-functional teams. Highlight your communication skills and how you've ensured design intent is maintained through production. This will show that you're a team player who can thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Senior LiveOps Game Designer in London
Hypersonic Laboratories
Location: London

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