Senior Game Designer d3t - 12 Month Contract in Gateshead

12 month fixed‑term contract at either of our UK studio sites (Daresbury or Newcastle), on a hybrid basis (3 days per week in the studio: Wednesday, Thursday and another day of your choice). The Design team at d3t is an agile and close‑knit group of cross‑discipline designers. We work across a broad array of projects and own core design on the full spectrum of game types and genres, from the first sketches to the final shipped design.

The Role

• Become a key part of the Game Design team here, contributing and owning game features, components, and broad‑spectrum design for AAA Co-Dev video game projects across a wide range of genres.
• Exhibit excellent design know‑how across the whole development process, from the first Post‑It note to the final shipping design.
• Be agile and flexible, able to adapt quickly to new design problems, and build within a broad spectrum of areas and genres as required by a busy Co‑Development team.
• Be involved in ideation, prototyping, refining and finishing design features alongside internal teams and external client resources.
• Work to design, iterate, test and ship your work across PC and Console, maintaining a high degree of quality throughout.
• Exercise good design practices and procedures, holding yourself and the team to high production and quality standards.
• Be the owner and champion of design work with both internal and external stakeholders, presenting and discussing work with confidence and trust.
• Collaborate with production and Design leadership to provide accurate task estimations and assist with schedule balancing.
• Good time management and prioritisation are a must.
• Work within a diverse and close‑knit team in a respectful, constructive manner at all times, acting as a model of respect and professionalism for others.

Requirements

Essential skills

• 5+ years experience, with proven released projects in a senior design or equivalent position.
• Strong hands‑on experience in a major modern engine (e.g. UE5 blueprints).
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of broad design work and feature ownership, ideally across multiple genres.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including some presentation skill.
• Ability to organise and structure your own work and that of the team.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations with a flexible and professional attitude.
• Hungry to learn and expand your areas of expertise.
• A calm, positive and professional attitude alongside excellent time‑management and organisational skills.
• Team player, with the ability to work as part of a diverse, fast‑moving team.
• Passion, energy, and infectious enthusiasm for video games and development.
• Great attitude: we value cultural fit, creativity, and positivity.

Desirable skills

• Ability to work in other engines outside of Unreal: Unity, Decima, Frostbite, or proprietary engines for example.
• Experience working with industry‑standard tracking and documentation tools like Jira and Confluence, or equivalents.
• Some experience in client‑facing roles, including pitching experience.

Benefits

• 22 days holiday, 3 festive studio closures and bank holidays.
• Company pension scheme (enhanced contribution).
• Flexible working hours.
• Private medical insurance scheme – BUPA.
• Anti‑crunch ethos – a professional, fun and supportive working environment.
• Free parking.
• Company socials, monthly lunches and annual d3t events.
• Break‑out areas with games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences.

Interviews will be held by video call. At d3t we work flexibly, but value in‑person collaboration. We value work/life balance and have a discretionary flexible hours system and operate a no‑crunch policy as a studio. If you do not meet every single requirement, please apply. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace and culture. If this opportunity excites you but your current skills or past experience don’t align perfectly, we encourage you to still apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles within our team.