Lead Unreal Engine 5 Blueprint Designer

Job Title: Lead Unreal Engine 5 Blueprint Designer

Location: Hybrid preferred, fully remote possible

Limited to applicants residing in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

The team operates in a remote fashion. The candidate is strongly preferred to be someone local to Southern California that can deliver milestones in person to Beverly Hills as frequently as once a month.

Employment Type: Full-Time

About Snail Games USA

Snail Games USA is a leader in the video game industry, known for delivering innovative and immersive experiences. The company specializes in developing culturally rich and complex games.

Position Overview

A Lead Designer for an upcoming open world space game will be a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the survival game genre and have the capability to blend it with other game genres, such as logistics, 4X and exploration. They will drive a pillar of the game’s development, with responsibility for blending their mechanics and player experience with the overall vision of the game

We are looking for an Unreal Engine 5 Blueprint expert to lead a small prototyping team, rapidly developing gameplay systems and mechanics. This role requires strong technical skills, leadership experience, and the ability to iterate quickly on new ideas.

Responsibilities

• Blueprint Development – Build and optimize gameplay systems using UE5 Blueprints.

• Team Leadership – Manage, mentor, and support a small prototyping team.

• Task Planning & Roadmaps – Define priorities, set milestones, and track progress.

• Communication – Develop strong relationships with international partners and collaborate in distributing the work.

• Rapid Prototyping – Quickly create and refine game mechanics through iteration.

• Collaboration – Work with designers, artists, and engineers to integrate ideas.

• Problem-Solving – Debug and fix Blueprint-related issues.

• Optimization – Ensure Blueprint scripts run efficiently.

• Documentation – Keep clear records of systems and logic.

• Iterative Development – Adapt to feedback and refine designs.

Requirements

• Expert in UE5 Blueprints – Advanced scripting, AI, UI, and animation setup.

• 5+ Years Experience – At least 2 years in a lead or senior role.

• Strong Leadership – Guide a small team, set clear goals, and manage workflows.

• Task & Roadmap Planning – Organize work, define milestones, and track tasks.

• Gameplay Systems Knowledge – Deep understanding of mechanics and player experience.

• Rapid Prototyping – Quickly test and iterate on new ideas.

• Multiplayer Experience – Knowledge of replication and networking in Blueprints.

• Optimization Skills – Ensure Blueprint logic is clean and performant.

• Agile Development – Comfortable adapting to changing design needs.

Bonus Skills

• C++ Knowledge – Extend Blueprint functionality when needed.

• Familiarity with Chinese culture

• Technical Art & Animation – Integrate animations smoothly in Blueprints.

• Multiplayer Design – Experience developing networked gameplay.

• Version Control – Familiar with Perforce, Git, or SVN.

JIRA & Task Tracking – Experience using JIRA or similar project management tools.

Salary Range

$110,000 - $150,000 per year salary is based on experience

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Retirement Plans: 401(k) with company match.

• Paid Time Off: Generous PTO policy including vacation days with separate sick leave and holidays.