Senior Game Designer - The Sims

General Information

Locations : Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Role ID

215648

Worker Type

Regular Employee

Studio/Department

Maxis

Work Model

Hybrid

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Welcome to Maxis, home to tinkerers, craftspeople, & storytellers. Our drive is to inspire everyone to make a better world through creative play. As the developer of The Sims, we create games and experiences for millions of people around the world and are always looking for new ways to inspire our players. Maxis is a place where you can do what you love and help others grow while doing it; a place where your unique voice can be heard and seen. We put creativity and inclusivity at the core of our work and don't settle for seeing the world only as it is, but strive to build a world as it could be.

Maxis is looking for an experienced Senior Game Designer who is excited to shape what’s next with The Sims. As a Senior Game Designer on our team, you will partner with Engineers, UX, Artists, Researchers, and Producers as you design and implement a variety of gameplay, features, systems, and content. You will report to a Game Design Director.

Responsibilities

• You will advocate for and maintain the vision of the project set by the Game Design Director.

• You will become an expert on the game and our target audience, using data, research, and playtesting to make and advocate for thoughtful design decisions.
• You will design and own major features, systems, mechanics, and content.
• You will determine player experience goals for owned systems, features, and gameplay and lead concept, implementation, and iteration of those features to meet those goals.
• You will find practical and creative solutions that achieve the intended player experience and fit within the project scope.
• You will collaborate with all disciplines—including engineers, experience designers, product manager, artists, and quality assurance—to guide projects from initial design to production.
• You will become proficient in proprietary game development tools to implement designs, tune features, and fix bugs.
• You will establish and advocate for good design patterns and practices that scale with the game and team.
• You will partner with Development Directors and Producers to plan work, identify risks, and communicate design changes.

• You will mentor other designers, providing feedback and guidance to support their professional growth.

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of professional game design experience on a video game development team.

• Proficient at designing mobile or mobile-first features and systems.
• Motivated to overcome complex design challenges with practical solutions.
• Proficient at communication and collaboration across many disciplines
• Proficient at leading large features or game areas.
• Experience implementing features and tuning design using scripting, blueprint, or other technical configuration schemes in common editors or proprietary toolsets.
• Comfortable with multiple stages of development, from pre-production through live service.
• Proficient at writing clear design documentation throughout a project life cycle.
• Experience with data-informed design practices, A/B testing, and segmentation.
• Bring expertise in shipping live service features that enhance the player experience, respond to player needs, and deliver measurable impact.
• Enthusiasm for playing and deconstructing games.
• Experience leading or mentoring other designers.
• Effective at collaborating with project managers to organise and prioritise work.

• Proficient in version control (e.g. Perforce, Git) and online collaboration suites like Atlassian (Confluence, Jira), Slack, Google (Docs, Sheets, and Slides), Miro, and Figma.

Desirable Skills

• Worked on mobile, mobile-first, or AAA HD titles.
• Some technical design, scripting, modding, or engineering background.
• Experience designing synchronous multiplayer gameplay.
• Experience with camera, character, and controls design.
• Experience with rapid prototyping.
• Experience in Unreal.
• Experience designing mobile-first UX.
• Experience with games in The Sims franchise or other simulation games, like life sim, builder, business management, or tycoon games.
• Experience with expansion content or live service development.
• Experience working within Agile development.

• Experience with social sandbox games or other games with open-ended player creativity.

Pay Transparency - North America

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

* British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$114,300 - $156,200 CAD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.