Design

Overview

As an Associate Product Manager for The Elder Scrolls Online, you will work cross-functionally to create plans, products, features, and experiences that drive engagement and monetization. Successful candidates have a passion for great gameplay paired with successful monetization strategies, and the ability to leverage data to inform product decisions. We are seeking a self-starter who relishes the challenge of finding innovative solutions to enhancing KPIs. This individual is player-focused but also understands and can deliver on business goals.

If you love digging into data, working with talented cross-discipline teams, and delivering best-in-class experiences to players, this position may be right for you. 

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Co-lead the planning, creation, and implementation of multiple components of Live Operations for The Elder Scrolls Online, including the Crown Store, with business forecast goals; measure and communicate results to help improve game health
• Help to develop and manage economy and monetization components of The Elder Scrolls Online
• Provide development teams with guidance to ensure core monetization, retention, and engagement KPI goals are met
• Work with teams to ensure success of offerings, updates, events, and features; define measurable business objectives and KPIs; analyze, communicate, and memorialize results
• Work with Business Intelligence and Data Science teams to collect and analyze data to identify opportunities and propose solutions
• Drive new initiatives to improve revenue and re-engage the customer base
• Capture learnings and present findings and best practices for LiveOps within the studio

Qualifications

• Understanding of game design and monetization fundamentals
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent organization skills and ability to multi-task priorities
• Strong communication, writing, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and confidential environment
• Passion for making great games

Preferred Skills

• Previous game development experience
• Previous product management experience
• Bachelor's in a quantitative or design discipline or equivalent experience

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is looking for a Content Designer that will work with the content, world building, animation, audio, and gameplay teams to provide fun and well-conceived stories/locations for players to experience. This position will work on creating content in specific environments to create a fun and exciting game experience for the Elder Scrolls Online RPG.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Learn to work in our proprietary toolset and become proficient as soon as reasonably possible
• Attend and absorb content training activities as available
• Work with other team members to support the design of content throughout a release
• Pitch, share, and comment on content design ideas within the team space
• Design and script innovative quests/gameplay for ESO, with a focus on storytelling and pacing
• Pitch and collaborate on innovations to ESO’s content and storytelling with other team members, with an eye toward continual improvement in the game and content
• Collaborate with other teams and departments (Encounter, Fiction, Animation, FX, etc.) to develop content and new assets for the game
• Execute other game designs and design revisions when necessary
• Implement revisions based on feedback and bugs

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of professional experience in content design, preferably in the MMO or multiplayer space
• Experience designing, building, and populating game levels
• Strong sense of the 3D game space and game flow
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Strong organizational skills, the ability to multi-task, and a keen attention to detail
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and an understanding of content creation pipelines and tools
• Demonstrates high standards of excellence in work
• Experience playing MMOs

Preferred Skills

• Scripting or programming interactivity
• Non-content game design experience (level design, encounter design, fiction writing, etc.)
• Work on non-MMO or multiplayer games
• Work on non-computer games (tabletop RPGs, card games, board games, etc.)

Overview

Founded in 2007, ZeniMax Online Studios was established to take the legendary Elder Scrolls franchise online. Since then, we have attracted and developed internally some of the most talented individuals in the industry, and we work to foster a collaborative, encouraging, and open working environment while developing our current and future projects.

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a talented intern to join a team of world-class developers making great games. We are looking for people who are either self-taught or trained in their respective area of video game development, who have a portfolio of work they are excited to show, and who work well both on their own and as part of a team. In addition, the successful candidate will be a self-motivated problem solver who is passionate about making games that people love!

*Must be available for a full-time internship for a 3-month period.*

Responsibilities

• Undertake mentorship from a lead in your specialty on a AAA title at a world-class studio
• Learn as much as you can about your field, the industry, the team culture, and the company
• Build components of a AAA game and/or its tools under the guidance of your mentor
• Meet the development team and learn about careers adjacent to your field

Qualifications

• Formal training or a strong portfolio in one of the following fields:
  • Video game content and encounter design
  • User experience and/or user interface design
  • Monetization design and/or video game product management
• Writing/narrative design *MUST INCLUDE A WRITING SAMPLE TO BE CONSIDERED*
  
• Rising senior pursuing BS or MS in Game Development or game development-oriented field, OR Recent graduate with a respective degree
• Available for a full-time internship during the summer of 2023
• Proficiency in the tools of your trade (art, engineering, or design software)
• Experience playing action games or online games (The Elder Scrolls Online, DOOM, Skyrim, Fallout, etc.)
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Motivated and organized, with strong attention to detail
• Love for games and game development

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a Lead Technical Designer to join our studio for the development of our next AAA game. This is a chance to join an experienced group of developers in pre-production for a new IP.

This role will architect and implement gameplay systems and mechanics, and hone them to industry-leading quality. Aside from designing technically complex gameplay systems, a developer in this role will collaborate closely with project engineers, artists, animators, and other designers to bring gameplay to life.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a tech design team, their mentorship & direction of their efforts
• Design and create modular gameplay components which will be used to propagate gameplay features throughout the world
• Write scripts utilizing component API to facilitate gameplay implementation in an entity component system (ECS) based engine
• Collaborate with feature teams on the designs of systems and mechanics with a focus on usability and implementation approach
• Help establish script implementation standards and best practices
• Work with engineers on expanding the capabilities of the scripting system
• Contribute and maintain script utilities to facilitate content building
• Provide strong direction for user workflows and usability in tools and pipeline development
• Advocate for tech design as a critical role in game development

Qualifications

• 5+ years related experience 
• Deep experience in programming or scripting systems
• Solid gameplay design fundamentals with an understanding of what makes gameplay fun
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-discipline development environment
• Familiarity with the many types of assets from which a game is built
• Comfortable with a development schedule that is playtest-driven and focused on iteration and polish
• Strong understanding of the discrete elements game systems are built from, and the ability to problem solve both holistically and on a per-component basis
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required
• An online portfolio which clearly demonstrates relevant work experience

Preferred Skills

• Experience developing Open World games
• Familiarity with third-person action or roleplaying games
• Familiarity with Entity Component System (ECS) architectures
• Experience in animation, UI programming, creating or using shaders, or FX systems
• Strong public speaking skills

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is looking for a Senior Content Designer to work with the content, world building, animation, audio, and gameplay teams to provide fun and well-conceived stories/locations for players to experience. This position will work on creating content in specific environments to create a fun and exciting game experience for the Elder Scrolls Online RPG. The qualified candidate is ready to step into mentorship or leadership roles as necessary, and take on additional responsibilities that extend throughout and beyond the Content department.

Responsibilities

• Learn to work in our proprietary toolset and become proficient quickly
• Attend and absorb content training activities as available
• Help determine/run content training activities for the department
• Work with other team members to support the design of content throughout a release, often mentoring less senior team members
• Pitch, share, and comment on content design ideas and designs-in-progress
• Take responsibility for high-profile content or content support for wide-ranging elements of the game (including supporting new systems, Main Story quests, and other new content)
• Design and script innovative quests/gameplay for ESO, with a focus on storytelling and pacing
• Pitch and collaborate on innovations to ESO’s content and storytelling with other team members, with an eye toward continual improvement in the game and content
• Collaborate with other teams and departments (Encounter, Fiction, Animation, FX, etc.) to develop content and new assets for the game
• Execute other game designs and design revisions when necessary
• Implement revisions based on feedback and bugs

Qualifications

• Minimum five years professional experience in content design, preferably in the MMO or multiplayer space
• Experience designing, building, and populating game levels
• Strong sense of the 3D game space and game flow
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Strong organizational skills, the ability to multi-task, and a keen attention to detail
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary teams and an understanding of content creation pipelines and tools
• Demonstrates high standards of excellence in work
• Experience playing MMOs

Preferred Skills

• Leadership or Mentorship experience a plus
• Scripting or programming interactivity
• Non-content game design experience (level design, encounter design, fiction writing, etc.)
• Work on non-MMO or multiplayer games
• Work on non-computer games (tabletop RPGs, card games, board games, etc.)

Overview

We are hiring a Senior Encounter Designer to build interactive combat experiences that engage solo and small groups of players within Elder Scrolls Online. Our ideal candidate is passionate about storytelling in a multiplayer environment and finding new ways to delight and terrify players of all skill levels.

Responsibilities

• Design and populate encounters in the Elder Scrolls Online ranging from solo quest encounters and delves to multiplayer group bosses
• Script AI combat behaviors and abilities in our proprietary toolset
• Stage monsters in new and interesting environments with an eye toward visual
  storytelling
• Communicate regularly with artists, writers, designers, and engineers
• Mentor junior designers

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience
• Excellent storytelling and visual composition skills
• Experience playing massively multiplayer online games
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Excel or other data management software
• Motivated and organized, with strong attention to detail

Preferred Skills

• Photoshop or other image editing software experience
• Programming or scripting experience
• Demonstrable mod experience
• Animation background
• Familiarity with a wide range of Games
• Familiarity with ESO

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a Senior Product Manager to help drive the development of our next AAA PC/Console project. This is a chance to join an experienced team of veteran developers in pre-production as we create an ambitious new IP.

As a Senior Product Manager, you will be the product specialist across multiple feature teams, where you will partner with Design and UX to define and steer systems, economies, and rewards that compose the game’s monetization and retention loops. You will be expected to engender trust & ownership across the project, for which you will foster a data-informed culture by leading efforts from development through to LiveOps that raise player lifetime value.

This position reports to the Product Management Lead for the new IP.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote. Please apply for more information.

Responsibilities

• Equipped with a deep bench of data-informed best practices, contribute goals and acceptance criteria on feature teams to align game design with product KPIs
• Ensure features are developed for LiveOps by working across Design, Engineering, and Business Intelligence to define data-driven flexibility, instrumentation, and telemetry
• Lead the definition of initial strategies, tactics, and tuning that will set features up for success at launch
• Define and execute performance measurement plans for beta and for launch
• Lead feature teams in LiveOps, which includes driving analytics & reporting to understand performance, testing hypotheses for improvement, building A/B experiments where appropriate, and aligning stakeholders to prioritize, develop, and launch the next iteration
• Ideate, define, propose, and drive new initiatives to improve product KPIs across (re)acquisition, retention, and monetization
• As a product performance expert, play a key role in revenue forecasting initiatives

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience as a game product manager with a track record of improving player lifetime value in fast-paced LiveOps environments
• A keen student of live games with a seasoned palette for data-informed best practices across different audiences, genres, and platforms
• Strong business/quantitative acumen with a natural analytical mindset; able to break down complex questions, identify & clarify key details, and methodically problem solve towards a desired goal
• Adept at creating teardowns of game loops & economies to convey how and why they affect product KPIs
• Experience modeling game economies that underpin strong player retention
• Experience with hypothesis testing, including defining & interpreting A/B tests
• Self-starter who has a strong bias for action and for iterating beyond 0 to 1; excels with increasing ownership, accountability, and autonomy
• A team player with the communication and interpersonal skills to engender trust and influence across creative, technical, and business stakeholders
• Strong player empathy, which always guides your judgement
• Passion for high quality PC/Console games and for the craft of making them

Preferred Skills

• Experience with launching games and building LiveOps environments defined by rapid iteration
• Experience with live games across both mobile & PC/Console
• Working knowledge of SQL with experience getting hands-on with analytics
• MBA or a bachelor’s degree in a quantitative discipline, such as Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or similar

Overview

The Senior Systems Designer works with the Systems Lead and the rest of the project team to support the creation and maintenance of core game mechanics and non-combat systems.  They are responsible for mechanisms which retain players’ short term and long term interest in the product and in facilitating social interactions between players, while adhering to team values and best practices.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Maintain numerous existing in-game systems as assigned (Examples: Achievements, Itemization, Crafting, Housing, Justice, Itemization, etc)
• Develop expertise on all in-game systems behavior and interdependencies including proprietary toolsets
• Create and maintain documentation for new and existing systems
• Coordinate work initiatives and priorities across multiple feature teams
• Function effectively as a leader and/or team member in collaborative, cross-disciplinary feature development teams
• Identify and develop opportunities for fair monetization and business practices
• Utilize business intelligence reporting to drive data informed decisions
• Provide, receive and integrate feedback on all aspects of game development
• Any other duties assigned by the Systems Lead, Lead Gameplay Designer and Creative Director

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience developing or maintaining systems in a shipped or live game
• Experience developing and playing MMORPGs
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word or equivalent
• Technical writing familiarity with close attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with Agile development methodology and experience with Product Ownership
• Viewable portfolio of previous work

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is hiring a Systems Designer to work with the Systems Lead and the rest of the project team to support the creation and maintenance of core game mechanics and non-combat systems within Elder Scrolls Online. They are responsible for player retention mechanisms and facilitating in-game social interactions, while adhering to team values and best practices.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Maintain numerous existing in-game systems as assigned (Examples: Achievements, Itemization, Crafting, Housing, Justice, etc)
• Develop expertise on all in-game systems behavior and interdependencies including proprietary toolsets
• Create and maintain documentation for new and existing systems
• Function effectively as a team member in collaborative, cross-disciplinary feature development teams
• Identify and develop opportunities for fair monetization and business practices
• Utilize business intelligence reporting to drive data informed decisions
• Provide, receive and integrate feedback on all aspects of game development
• Any other duties assigned by the Systems Lead, Lead Gameplay Designer and Creative Director

Qualifications

• 2+ years’ experience developing or maintaining systems in a shipped or live game
• Experience playing MMORPGs
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word or equivalent
• Technical writing familiarity with close attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with Agile development methodology
• Viewable portfolio of previous work

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a Technical Design Director to join our studio for the development of our next AAA game. This is a chance to join an experienced group of developers in pre-production for a new IP.

This role will oversee the Technical Design vertical, scaling the team for production and leading group members to success in a new engine. A developer in this role will be a stakeholder for future engine development and collaborate closely with project directors, including design, engineering, and art leads.

The preferred location for this role is Hunt Valley, MD, Austin, TX, or Madison, WI. Will consider remote.

Responsibilities

• Oversee tech design vertical and direction of its resources
• Define the vision for tech design in a new engine, building on established parameters, that enables your team as problem-solvers
• Advocate for tech design as a critical role in game development
• Establish and reaffirm implementation philosophy for an entity component system (ECS) based engine
• Collaborate with feature leads to allocate resources across the project to established and emergent areas of need
• Help establish script implementation standards and best practices
• Work with engineering leads on expanding the capabilities of the scripting system

Qualifications

• 8+ years related experience 
• Expertise in programming or developing in a visual scripting system
• Experience in organizational managemnt and staffing
• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-discipline development environment
• Familiarity with the many types of assets from which a game is built
• Comfortable with a development schedule that is playtest-driven and focused on iteration and polish
• Strong understanding of the discrete elements game systems are built from, and the ability to problem solve both holistically and on a per-component basis
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required
• An online portfolio which clearly demonstrates relevant work experience

Preferred Skills

• Experience developing Multiplayer / Open World / Live-Service games
• Familiarity with third-person action or roleplaying games
• Experience with tools development as a customer
• Strong public speaking skills