Advanced Designer, Narrative

Storytelling is, and will always be, the heart of what we do at Skydance.

Our vision is to build a thriving entertainment ecosystem where stories and worlds are imagined, brought to life and experienced. We create for every age and audience, anchored by the strength of our content and experiences and the depth of our connection with fans. We are creator-first, audience-focused, tech-forward, globally scaled.

Here, you’ll work with talented teams that move fast, think boldly and collaborate with purpose to deliver results. We aim high, champion the best ideas and win together, earning the trust of our employees, creators, partners and audiences every day.

If you’re energized by the opportunity to help build the next-generation global media and entertainment company powered by creativity and technology, we’d be thrilled to welcome you aboard. LET’S GO!

Avalanche is a Warner Bros. Games studio located in downtown Salt Lake City nestled against the backdrop of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. We’ve been in the video game business since 1995, creating interactive experiences for fans of the world’s largest franchises. Join the team behind the blockbuster open world, action RPG Hogwarts Legacy as we create what’s next!

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ADVANCED NARRATIVE DESIGNER

 

Join the team behind 2023's smash hit Hogwarts Legacy! Avalanche Software, a division of WB Games Inc., is seeking an Advanced Narrative Designer to join the team that created Hogwarts Legacy. We are looking for a visionary storyteller whose passion is providing stories that the player can affect through their choices. The ideal applicant has a deep understanding of the Wizarding World and is excited to tell new wizarding stories through player agency. Applicants should be creative, self-motivated problem solvers who enjoy collaborating with writers and other designers to create immersive narrative experiences. This position involves direct collaboration with design and narrative leadership, writers, artists, IP owners, producers, and peers across every discipline.

*Position is classified as Hybrid with onsite days weekly at our Avalanche studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Relocation is provided for candidates living out of the area.

 

The Daily

• Craft compelling missions and rich stories that build a satisfying player experience.
• Collaborate with directors and IP owners to ensure authentic stories that tickle fans, ignite the imagination, and connect with players on an emotional level.
• Champion the narrative goals of the project on a day to day basis
• Promote and drive narrative, thematic, and mechanical coherence across story and gameplay.
• Visualize, track, manage, and communicate the branching structure of narrative choice content in the game.
• Resolve issues, mediate, provide feedback, and iterate on mission designs based on direction from the development team and franchise representatives.
• Provide narrative support for design elements, such as story beat creation, game mechanics delivery, character profiles, character motivations, narrative feature design, player choices, and the player emotional journey as delivered through narrative during game development.
• Evaluate missions and provide feedback to mission implementors and artists for how to maximize storytelling and narrative immersion through game mechanics, player choices, dialog options, and environmental storytelling.
• Own and drive production on large or complex narrative features or content arcs from initial design through polish and ship.
• Translate creative direction, team feedback, and cross-discipline conversations into clear mission specs, narrative documentation, and implementation plans.
• Work with discipline leads and stakeholders across the studio to gather input, vet proposals, and align narrative content with the broader needs of the project.
• Work with production to prioritize narrative content and keep milestones on track.
• Provide clear guidance and feedback to other narrative designers on mission design, documentation, and franchise alignment.

 

The Essentials

• Previous experience in interactive storytelling, narrative design, and game writing, RPG experience preferred.
• A strong record of quality in writing and/or narrative focused game design.
• Experience working within an established franchise, authoring exciting new experiences that still feel authentic and tonally consistent.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills including documentation of narrative plans.
• Contributed to shipped titles and participated in a full dev cycle from concept through release.
• Familiarity with standard game-development processes and workflows.
• Possess a deep literacy in games, film, television, and literature with a love of the fantasy genre.
• Knowledge of the Wizarding World franchise is a definite plus.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5, Blueprint, and dialogue authoring tools such as Articy considered a plus.

About Skydance

Skydance is a next-generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. Skydance's portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO and HBO Max, Paramount+, Pluto TV, CBS, CNN, CBS Sports, TNT Sports, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV, Food Network, BET, HGTV, and Comedy Central.

Some Important Details

We embrace the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit. In line with the laws of the country or region in which the role is based, this includes consideration without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, religion or belief, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military or protected veteran status, union status or any other category protected by applicable law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.