Expert Technical Designer

About Small Axe Studios and Role Overview

Small Axe Studios, established in 2023 as 2K's newest independent studio located in Burnaby, BC, is dedicated to pioneering cutting-edge advancements in game development and launching 2K's next innovative sports franchise. The studio is forming a top-tier team passionate about creative collaboration, technical mastery, and innovative gaming experiences. This role offers the chance to influence a brand-new intellectual property and shape the future of sports entertainment games.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype gameplay systems in collaboration with engineers and designers, utilizing visual scripting or proprietary tools to bring gameplay mechanics and core experiences to life.
• Guide the technical execution of features by scripting game logic, defining system flows, integrating features into builds, and acting as the technical liaison for feature teams to address dependencies and risks.
• Enhance content creation workflows by working with tools engineers, establishing best practices, creating reusable templates, and optimizing data structures and tool usage.
• Provide mentorship to other designers, elevating their scripting skills, reviewing implementations, resolving blockers, and fostering strong documentation standards to maintain a robust technical design culture.
• Lead and manage a team of Technical Designers, overseeing hands-on technical direction and performing people management duties.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, animation, audio, and UI/UX teams to ensure performance, scalability, high quality execution, and alignment with design planning and prioritization.
• Support the Core Fantasy vision by ensuring technical solutions enhance player experience goals and facilitate emergent gameplay possibilities through creative problem-solving.

Candidate Profile and Experience

• At least seven years in technical design or gameplay implementation roles with strong scripting system expertise, such as Unreal Blueprints.
• Demonstrated ability to take complex gameplay systems from initial prototypes through to final shipped products.
• Comprehensive knowledge of game mechanics, system interactions, and integration with engineers.
• Proficiency in problem-solving, debugging, optimization, and technical communication with non-technical team members.
• A proactive and collaborative mindset focused on enabling creative teams.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with sports games or titles reliant on systemic gameplay.
• Familiarity with content pipelines, modular system design, and data-driven approaches.
• Background in tool development, technical design documentation, and performance profiling on consoles or PCs.
• Programming or computer science knowledge is advantageous.

Compensation and Additional Information

This position's starting salary in British Columbia is anticipated between CAD 99,800 and CAD 147,680 annually. Actual pay will consider location, skills, knowledge, experience, and other objective business factors. Eligible employees may also receive bonuses, equity awards, and comprehensive benefits packages. Temporary and intern roles are excluded from some benefits. Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available throughout the employment process upon request.

Note: Communication from the company will always come through official 2K.com emails; beware of impersonation through other channels.