Associate Creative Director

Job Description

PlayStation isn't just the Best Place to Play - it's also the Best Place to Work. Today, we're recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

Role Overview:

We're looking for an Associate Creative Director to join our Firesprite studio and work closely with the Creative Director to guide the team through the realisation of the creative vision, fostering a culture of creative engagement and excellence in execution. You will play a key role in ensuring that the team shares a unified vision for the overall game experience.

As second-in-command to the Creative Director, you will have decision-making authority over various areas of the game, including gameplay, narrative, UX etc.

This is an ambitious, AAA project with a heavy focus on atmosphere, storytelling, player agency and immersion into ground-breaking territory on the latest hardware technologies.

We encourage in-office collaboration for 1-3 days a week, but we are open to discussing remote working options within the UK for the right candidate.

What you'll be doing:
• Collaborating with the Creative Director to develop the overall vision of the project.
• Working closely with a cross-discipline team to define key content, with the goal of creating stand-out moments with strong emotional engagement.
• Driving cross-discipline teams to deliver these moments to AAA standards.
• Reviewing the game and providing actionable feedback.
• Proactively finding areas that need improvement and driving solutions.
• Looking ahead to foresee problems before they arise.
• Working with directors and senior staff across the game with a bias towards game content & design.
• Mentor and guide direct reports through regular one-on-one interactions and provide actionable feedback.
• Participate in the recruitment of new team members and assist with their onboarding as needed.
• Foster a culture of open collaboration, transparency, and ownership to build a healthy, inclusive, and positive work environment.
• Represent the game vision to the team and the wider company.

What we're looking for:
• 10 years of experience in video game development, including time in narrative focused games.
• 3+ years directing and coordinating content on AAA games.
• Understanding of creative aspects of game development, such as level design, interactive storytelling techniques, or game design principles.
• Openness to iteration based on user feedback, team input, or market changes.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ever-evolving team.
• Strong ability to lead and inspire creative teams, including artists, writers, and designers.
• Ability to conceptualise and articulate the Creative Director's vision for the game and take the whole design team on that journey.
• Understanding of story development, character design, and world-building.
• Ability to forge and drive new ideas in the interactive storytelling genre.
• When necessary, the ability to take ownership of situations (e.g. gameplay feature, pacing problem, etc) and resolve them.
• A proactive and collaborative approach.
• A broad understanding of the market and a burning passion for video games.
• Mentoring skills and empathy.

Benefits:
• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Hybrid Working (within Flexmodes)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• Access to cycle garage and showers

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-36jkwn-18-188-91-70-42 in your application.