Blizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. With a focus on creating highly enjoyable gaming experiences, the company has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception in 1994. Blizzard...

Blizzard Entertainment

Team Name 
 
Job Title: 
 
Lead Technical Designer| Diablo | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY 
 
Requisition ID 
 
R027557 
 
Job Description 
 
We Need You 
 
The minions of hell are growing stronger… 
 
Join us as we continue to shape the Diablo universe! Diablo games are action RPG experiences with endless evil to slay, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Come work with us, and together, we’ll create experiences that exceed the expectations of those who call Sanctuary home. 
 
We are seeking a Lead Technical Designer to assist in the creation of new ARPG experiences within one of Blizzard’s most iconic worlds, Diablo. As a key member of the team, you will be responsible for leading a group of technical designers while providing technical and creative support across the design organization. You will help define and evolve designer workflows, tools, and pipelines to enable the efficient creation of high-quality, performant content. 
 
This role offers a flexible hybrid work week, with a mix of remote and on-site days. While hybrid is the standard arrangement, you're also welcome to work on-site full-time if you prefer. Our primary studio locations are in Albany, NY, and Irvine, CA. 
 
Responsibilities 
 


* Lead and support a team of technical designers, providing direction on priorities, deliverables, and career development.
* Coach and mentor designers on implementation, workflows, and tools.
* Collaborate closely with design, engineering, art, QA, and production to align solutions and execution.
* Serve as a technical point of contact for content reviews, standards, and best practices.
* Champion improvements to designer workflows, identifying inefficiencies and driving solutions.
* Analyze existing pipelines and tools to determine areas for enhancement.
* Partner with engineering to request, define, and refine tool and workflow improvements.
* Create, maintain, and reinforce standards and best practices for technical design.
* Review and troubleshoot game content to ensure quality, cleanliness, and performance.
* Simplify complex systems and content to improve usability and scalability.
* Contribute hands-on where needed, including debugging and resolving content issues. 
 
 

Minimum Requirements 
 


* 8+ years of experience in game design on AAA titles, including technical design experience, with a track record of shipping content across multiple areas (systems, levels, encounters, UI, etc.).
* Experience leading, mentoring, or guiding developers, with accountability for team delivery and quality outcomes.
* Experience developing and evolving pipelines, workflows, and development processes to support scalable content creation.
* Strong understanding of technical design principles, pipelines, and content creation workflows, including a deep familiarity with game editors.
* Proficiency in scripting or programming gameplay systems and content, with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical and content-related issues.
* Ability to create and communicate clear design documentation for tools, systems, and workflows.
* Experience collaborating across disciplines to deliver complex features or systems, with strong communication skills that align cross-functional partners.
* Ability to balance hands-on technical execution with leadership responsibilities in a dynamic development environment.
* A collaborative, team-oriented approach, with a passion for improving workflows, tools, and developer experience. 
 
 

Extra Points 
 


* Previous design experience for ARPG / Open World / Multiplayer games.
* Passion for new and emerging workflows.
* Previous experience training developers on best practices.
* Authoring game content using the Lua scripting language.
* Familiarity with Blizzard worlds and gameplay, especially within the dark fantasy of Diablo. 
 
 

Your Platform  
 
Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.  
 
   
 
Our World  
 
Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!  
 
Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment.  We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  
 
  
 
_The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners._  
 
   
 
We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.   
 
   
 
We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.   
 
   
 
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.   
 
Rewards 
 
Requirements 
 
We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including: 
 

* Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
* 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
* Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
* Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
* If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance. 
 
 

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/. 
 
In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $97,200.00 - $179,900.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.