Design Director - 7 Days to Die

Are you ready to dive into the world of cutting-edge video game development? Headquartered in Montreal, Behaviour Interactive is at the forefront of the gaming industry, crafting unforgettable experiences across PC, console, and mobile platforms. We're a dynamic, independent studio of over 1200 passionate employees, with studios in Toronto (Behaviour Toronto), Rotterdam (Behaviour Rotterdam) and in the UK (Behaviour UK–North & South). Our day to day revolves around two core business focuses: Services and Original Games. Our Services team collaborates with gaming and entertainment giants like Disney, Sony, Activision, and Nintendo, delivering exceptional work-for-hire development and pioneering immersive location-based entertainment (LBE). Meanwhile, our Original Games unit pushes our creative limits, with our signature IPs, including the iconic Dead by Daylight. Join us and be a part of the future of interactive entertainment! At Behaviour Interactive, we believe in giving everyone a fair shot. We embrace a diverse and creative environment where everyone is celebrated. We value folks of all ages, sex, ethnicity, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, civil status, disability, or any other protected characteristics as per applicable law. Help shape the next era of an iconic survival franchise. For over a decade, 7 Days to Die has captivated more than 20 million players worldwide. Now, with Behaviour Interactive joining forces with The Fun Pimps, we're entering an exciting new phase of growth, bringing together deep live game expertise and the creative legacy behind the franchise. This is a rare opportunity to help elevate a beloved game, scale its long-term potential, and shape what comes next for millions of players. The Design Director owns the gameplay vision of a project and is responsible for how the game plays, feels, and evolves. Working in close partnership with the Creative Director, the Design Director translates creative intent into systems, mechanics, and player experiences that are clear, deep, and engaging. This role leads the entire design team across gameplay, content, economy, combat, UX, and progression. The Design Director sets the standard for design quality, structure, and communication, while also being deeply involved in feature prioritization, pacing, and mechanical cohesion. They play a key role in ensuring that the game delivers a complete and satisfying experience that meets the expectations of both players and publishing partners. In this role you will: Partner closely with the Creative Director and in collaboration with other discipline directors to bring the game's vision to life, owning the design roadmap. Define, pitch, and communicate a clear and compelling design vision for new content, features, and game modes. Lead, engage, and mentor a design team, earning credibility through hands-on expertise and raising the bar for design quality. Move fluidly between high-level vision and detailed design, staying involved in feature prioritization, pacing, and mechanical cohesion. Use player data and analytics to evaluate and elevate existing systems, progression, and live content, while driving bold new ideas that keep players engaged. Lead key design reviews, manage gate processes, and make final calls on high-impact design choices, representing design within the leadership team What we are looking for : Proven experience as a Design Director, Game Director, or Associate Design Director on a successful PC/console live service game. A generalist design background, with strong expertise in gameplay, systems, progression. Experience working closely with analytics and user research team, in support of defining the design direction and general game design of the game. Deep understanding of a live title operations and what it takes to keep players coming back over time. The ability to work at both a high level and a micro level, from the overall design vision to the details of mechanics, pacing, and balance. Strong leadership and communication skills, with the credibility to engage the design team and influence the leadership team and cross-discipline stakeholders. A genuine interest in survival games. In this role you will (French version): Collaborate closely with the Creative Director and the other discipline directors to bring the game's vision to life, while owning the design roadmap; Define, pitch, and communicate a clear, ambitious, and inspiring design vision for new content, features, and game modes; Lead, mobilize, and support a design team as a mentor, building credibility through hands-on expertise and continually raising the standards of design quality; Move with ease between strategic vision and execution details, staying involved in feature prioritization, game pacing, and mechanical cohesion; Use player data and analytics to evaluate, optimize, and evolve existing systems, progression, and live content, while proposing innovative ideas to keep players engaged; Run key design reviews, manage approval processes, and make final decisions on high-impact design directions, while representing the design discipline within the leadership team. What we are looking for (French version): Proven experience as a Design Director, Game Director, or Associate Design Director on a successful live service game on PC or console; A generalist design profile with strong expertise in gameplay, game systems, and player progression; Experience collaborating closely with analytics and user research teams to define design direction and the foundations of the game experience; Excellent understanding of live game operations and the levers needed to keep players engaged over the long term; Ability to operate at both the strategic and operational levels, moving from the overall design vision to the details of mechanics, game pacing, and balancing; Strong leadership and communication skills, with the credibility to mobilize the design team and influence leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders; A strong interest in survival games. Help shape the future of an iconic survival franchise. For over 10 years, 7 Days to Die has captivated a community of more than 20 million players around the world. Today, as Behaviour Interactive joins forces with The Fun Pimps, the franchise is entering an ambitious new phase of its evolution. By combining proven live game expertise with the creative legacy that made the franchise a success, we have a unique opportunity to take this iconic title even further. Join us to help evolve a beloved game, unlock its full long-term potential, and imagine what lies ahead for millions of players in the years to come. The Design Director is responsible for the gameplay vision of a project and for how the game plays, feels, and evolves. Working in close collaboration with the Creative Director, they translate creative intent into clear, deep, and engaging systems, mechanics, and player experiences. This role oversees the entire design team, covering gameplay, content, economy, combat, UX, and progression. The Design Director sets the standards for design quality, structure, and communication, while playing a key role in feature prioritization, development pacing, and mechanical cohesion. They directly contribute to delivering a complete, coherent, and satisfying game experience that meets the expectations of players and publishing partners. Ready to dive into the world of cutting-edge video game development? Based in Montreal, Behaviour Interactive is a major player in the gaming industry, creating unforgettable experiences on PC, console, and mobile. We are a dynamic independent studio with over 1200 passionate employees, with studios in Toronto (Behaviour Toronto), Rotterdam (Behaviour Rotterdam), and the United Kingdom (Behaviour UK–North & South). We focus on two main areas: Services and Original Games. Our Services team works with gaming and entertainment giants such as Disney, Sony, Activision, and Nintendo, delivering top-tier work-for-hire development and innovating in immersive location-based entertainment (LBE). Meanwhile, our Original Games unit pushes the limits of our creativity with our iconic IPs, such as the famous Dead by Daylight. Join us and be part of the future of interactive entertainment! At Behaviour Interactive, we believe in equal opportunity for everyone and celebrate the diversity of people, perspectives, and ideas. It is important to us to work with talent from all backgrounds, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.