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: Collaborate closely with the Senior Creative Director to bring his vision to life by owning the design roadmap and shape the future of this game. Define, pitch, and communicate a clear and compelling design vision for new content, features, and game modes. Be the go-to expert on how design is structured, implemented, and iterated across the entire game. Inspire a multidisciplinary design team, fostering creative innovation and technical excellence across gameplay and systems. Evaluate and elevate existing systems while driving new, bold ideas that enrich player engagement. Champion a player-first mentality while balancing business objectives and creative ambition. Mentor, support, and grow the next generation of talented game designers at Behaviour. Lead key design reviews; responsible for go/no-go decisions, managing gate processes, and making final calls on high-impact design choices. What we are looking for : Poven experience as a Design Director, Game Director or Associate Design Director on a successful PC/Console live multiplayer game. Strong expertise in gameplay design: from mechanics to the meta strategy, level design, systems, content pacing and player goals. Video game history demonstrating solid creativity and innovation skills. Deep understanding of GaaS and live operations and what it takes to keep players coming back. Demonstrated ability to pitch ideas, influence teams, and align cross-discipline stakeholders. Passion for asymmetrical gameplay, and evolving multiplayer experiences.