Managing Director in Bristol

Lo-Fi Games is an internationally renowned, fully independent games studio with roots and headquarters in Bristol, UK. We’re known for Kenshi, the hit Sandbox RPG on Steam, and we’re now deep into the long-cycle development of its sequel. We’re at the point where the studio needs someone to run the company day-to-day, so the founders can stay focused on the game. We’re looking for a practical, low-ego director, that will keep the studio aligned, moving, and healthy without adding unnecessary process. This is not a traditional executive role. It’s hands-on, slightly chaotic, and grounded in real delivery. We need to keep the creativity flowing and adhere to our Life > Work balance core value. This will be offered as a hybrid/office-based role requiring regular travel to our central Bristol office. Please only apply if you are local or able to commute comfortably. Relocation support may be available for the right candidate and can be discussed during the process.

Responsibilities

• Run the company day-to-day
• Own overall execution and ensure the studio is moving in the right direction
• Turn high-level direction into clear, actionable priorities
• Keep teams aligned and moving
• Connect Development, Publishing, and Operations teams as one
• Resolve cross-team friction and unblock progress
• Make sure decisions land and translate into action
• Enable teams to work their best and make Lo-Fi Games a success
• Support and enable founders
• Protect and prioritise the founders’ vision in all key decisions
• Keep studio values, culture, and creative direction consistent and alive
• Enable founders to focus on high-impact creative work by handling the day-to-day
• Make sure the founders’ definition of success is clearly understood and followed across the studio
• Provide structure that reduces friction
• Drive clarity and momentum
• Keep priorities clear, simple, and understood by everyone
• Reduce unnecessary complexity and over-processing
• Help the team focus on what matters most
• Support leads without getting in the way of their ownership
• Provide structure where helpful, not for its own sake
• Hold a high bar for accountability and follow-through
• Own company health
• Keep an eye on team energy, delivery pace, and alignment
• Address issues early before they become bigger problems
• Be available to the whole team to listen, understand, and act objectively
• Lead the company
• Be a clear, steady leader for the whole studio
• Run company-wide meetings, keeping everyone motivated and aligned on direction
• Reinforce and protect our culture: games-first, honest, no-bullshit, and respectful. No crunch, but also no entitlement - everyone takes ownership of their work
• Set the tone for how we operate day-to-day, maintaining consistent standards across the studio
• Manage senior team
• Directly manage senior leaders and support them to do their best work
• Hold a high bar for accountability, clarity, and follow-through at leadership level
• Ensure the leadership group is aligned and working effectively together

What you won’t do

• Build heavy processes or bureaucracy
• Turn the studio into a corporate environment
• Override creative direction (this stays founder-led)

Requirements

• Experience running a team, studio, or product (ideally in games or a similar creative/technical environment)
• Strong bias toward action and problem-solving - you unblock things and keep momentum
• Comfortable making plans and decisions with incomplete information
• Able to balance structure and flexibility without over-engineering
• Low ego, high ownership - someone who gets things done
• Grounded, objective and focused on the solutions
• Comfortable balancing creative priorities with financial reality - making sure the company is sustainable without losing what makes it worth building.
• Must be able to work autonomously, reporting progress to founders periodically

Desirable

• Running a team or company of 15+ people or similar
• Experience in a small company environment
• Games industry experience

Benefits

• Super flexible working - our core hours are between 12pm and 4pm (GMT)
• 32.5 hour working week across 4 or 5 days
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays (pro-rata)
• Relocation package if required
• Relaxed environment with a strict company policy of no crunch
• Private WPA healthcare (UK PAYE Only)
• Excellent team welfare benefits and support
• Mental health support with Spill with two ‘no questions’ extra days off a year if you need it
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free Merch!
• Regular, inclusive team socials, both in person and online
• Extra benefits for people who stick with us!

Lo-Fi Games is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We encourage a full range of diversity in our team and strongly encourage all people to apply, especially those from under-represented groups. We can also discuss anything you may need to achieve your full potential at any stage of the process. We assess your application solely on your demonstrated suitability for the job. Nothing else. We are members of the Good Employment Charter and Safe In Our World.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and a covering statement detailing why you would like to work for us at Lo-Fi Games to jobs@lofigames.com. As part of your application, please also include responses to the following:

• Describe a project or studio you’ve managed or led
• What appeals to you about working at a relatively small indie studio like ours?
• What aspects of this role or job advert give you pause?
• Tell us about a mistake or regret you experienced in a leadership role. What did you learn from it?

Applications are open until the position is filled. However, we may close the vacancy at any time once we find a suitable candidate, so we encourage interested applicants to apply as early as possible. Application processing time is dependent on the volume received, though we do endeavour to respond to every applicant regardless of the outcome. Please bear in mind that we are a small team and tend to receive large amounts of applications, so it can take us a little time to get through them.