Senior Systems Designer

Position: Senior Systems Designer (12-month Contract)
Blackbird Interactive is looking for an experienced Systems Designe
r to help build and deliver deep, scalable gameplay systems for an established science fiction universe. This role focuses on designing, implementing, and tuning systemic gameplay features that support player-driven exploration, progression, and emergent play across a large open-ended experience.
You’ll work closely with design, engineering, art, and production to create systems that feel cohesive, readable, and flexible, while integrating cleanly with content such as levels, encounters, and narrative. The role involves collaborating with leadership to align system design with the broader creative vision, while owning features end-to-end, from early design and prototyping through implementation, iteration, balance, and polish. If you enjoy building robust gameplay systems that empower player choice and bring a sci-fi world to life through mechanics, this role could be a great fit for you!

Responsibilities

Collaborate with level design, quest design, art, engineering, and production to support and implement the established creative vision through gameplay systems.

Design and implement systemic gameplay features such as progression mechanics, combat systems, AI interactions, exploration mechanics, or simulation-driven content.

Own systems end-to-end, including defining rules, variables, tuning parameters, failure states, and player-facing feedback.

Implement systems directly using in-engine tools and scripting workflows, ensuring features function reliably across a wide range of player behaviors and edge cases.

Work closely with other designers to ensure systems integrate smoothly into environments, encounters, and moment-to-moment gameplay.

Build and maintain system logic, data structures, and state-driven behavior that interact correctly with other gameplay systems.

Test, debug, and iterate on systems regularly, identifying balance issues, usability problems, and technical edge cases.

Respond constructively to feedback from design leadership, engineering, and production, making adjustments to improve clarity, balance, performance, and player experience.

Maintain a strong understanding of interconnected gameplay systems and anticipate how changes in one area may impact others

Requirements

A minimum of 8 years of experience contributing to game development, with a strong focus on systems or gameplay design within complex games.

Experience shipping at least one systems-heavy title, ideally within the RPG or open-world space.

Comfort working independently on features, managing tasks, iterating on feedback, and solving design and implementation challenges in a dynamic production environment.

Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work closely with designers, engineers, artists, audio, and production partners.

Familiarity with logic-driven tools, scripting concepts, and state-based systems, and confidence implementing, debugging, and tuning gameplay systems directly in-game.

Pluses

A strong interest in hands-on systems implementation, including tuning variables, managing dependencies, and refining player-facing behavior.

Appreciation for systems-driven RPGs and how mechanics support player choice, emergent gameplay, and non-linear progression.

Passion for science fiction worlds, especially those focused on exploration, technology, simulation, and scale.

Interest in readability, usability, and player feedback, and how UI, VFX, and audio reinforce system behavior.

Enjoyment of iterating on systems to improve balance, clarity, and long-term engagement.

Curiosity about how design intent, technology, and content intersect to create cohesive, playable experiences rather than isolated mechanics

$95,000 - $115,000 a year