Vacancies

Creative Director – Racing

Art & Animation (London-UK)

At NaturalMotion, we make games that wow people. We innovate to create experiences that previously were impossible and that would not exist without us. We take pride in making titles that reach a large audience and in creating communities that last. For the past five years NaturalMotion Studios have been named as one of the Best Places to Work in the UK games industry by gamesindustry.biz.

Our Racing Studio - responsible for the CSR Racing franchise and the #1 Racing Game on Mobile CSR2 - is one of the most ambitious, successful, and creatively inclusive studios in the UK. Based across three locations – London, Birmingham and Bangalore - the team loves welcoming diverse, humble, straightforward and ambitious talent, aspiring for award-winning excellence. People who want to find a place where they will be supported and encouraged to do the best work of their career.

Hiring Update: The safety of our candidates and team members is our top priority. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our workforce transitioned to working from home, with all interviewing and onboarding being conducted virtually until further notice.

Job Purpose

Our new Creative Director will carry the vision and lead a passionate team of developers to excellence and a new benchmark for what that looks like in Racing on Mobile. We are passionate about car culture, we are passionate about cars, and with your help, the team will surface and curate that passion in every corner and crevice of the game.

You are a passionate gamer, and intimately understand the differences between games on various platforms and can pull from that experience seamlessly.

You will report to the Project GM.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

A Creative Product Visionary

• The Creative Vision is what binds everything together for the Player, and ensures a consistent, meaningful, and immersive experience. It’s the juice that makes the squeeze worth it. And in collaboration with the other crafts, you will be holding this vision high for everyone to see clearly, and ensure it makes it across the finish line.
• With our target audience and existing data in mind, and together with Product Management, Marketing, Production, and Consumer Insight, you are part of ensuring a game positioning will maximize its impact.
• But the game is not done once it ships! You will be deeply involved in supporting the game at all stages of its life cycle.
• You understand that excellence comes through iteration and repetition, so being a key part of driving that culture, in the teams and through playtesting, is a crucial part of your job.
• You enjoy presenting and know how to communicate the game to executive stakeholders, to external partners, and, of course, to the team.

A Design Evangelist

• Although you partner with the game’s Design Director who is responsible for the inner workings of the game, you will help guide those features and systems to ensure they stay within the confounds of the Creative Vision, and delivers excellently against the needs of other disciplines.
• You will be the fan-bearer of quality, to make sure that features and systems get implemented to the highest standard, within the confines of the Creative -and Product Vision.
• Continuously review and provide feedback, formally and informally, to both features and content owners, and provide both low -and high-level guidance as needed.
• Pull from your vast experience with video games overall and use your communication skills to contextualize complicated problems in a simple to digest manner.

A Dynamic Leader

• Lead and grow a diverse group of passionate designers.
• Alongside the Head of Design, be part of mentoring the team and challenge the status quo.
• Use your experience, intelligence, and communication skill to help designers leverage their strengths and potential, building a team with both breadth and depth, capable of tackling any creative challenge.

Required Experience & Skills

• You’re either a Design Director, Art Director, or Creative Director who have shipped one or more high quality games in either mobile or AAA.
• You are experienced and passionate with Racing games, either as a Player or through your work experience.
• You have experience with and understand Free to Play and Live Operated games.
• You know how to balance your own Creative motivations with the Player’s needs and expectations with the practical realities and needs of the business.
• You have a good understanding of the future of games, Cross-Platform, technological innovations, and know how to form a pattern from this insight.
• You communicate effortlessly, lightly, and respectfully, and you can do this in person, in groups, in writing, and at a whiteboard.
• You have a “player first” mindset.
• You are a Master of quality in content, design, and overall execution.

What we offer you:

• Competitive salary and discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Create next-gen games that will be played and loved by millions of players around the world
• Work in a family-oriented, collaborative team that invests in your development and growth on-the-job
• A diverse team of friendly, fun and supportive co-workers
• Flexible working hours & crunch-free working culture
• Communal music and laid-back atmosphere
• Summer/Christmas parties and Happy Hour in the studio each Friday
• 26 days holiday + bank holidays, 2 paid personal days
• 6 months of fully paid maternity/adoption leave or 16 weeks of fully paid paternity leave (eligibility criteria apply)
• Pension plan with a double matching employer contribution (capped at 8%)
• Private medical insurance, dental insurance and healthcare cash plan
• Life insurance, accident insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) (eligibility criteria apply)
• Fitness Reimbursement plan worth £600 per annum
• Charitable Giving Platform to which the Company contributes a 2:1
• Annual season ticket advance and cycle to work scheme

We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome job-seekers, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds to join us!

We will consider all qualified job-seekers with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities in order to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at accommodationRequest@zynga.com to request an accommodation associated with your application for an open position.

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