Associate Design Lead, Overwatch League

Description

The Overwatch League is a premier global sports league, with the best professional gamers from around the world clashing in weekly matches. The Overwatch League is always entertaining, offering high quality streams, educational content, and a place to connect with the community.

The associate design lead will play a major role in the evolution, expansion and maintenance of the Overwatch League brand identity. You will work closely with the Overwatch game team, and collaborate with third party agencies and OWL team owners to insure the integrity and quality across all representations of the Overwatch League brand. You will also partner with multiple departments within Blizzard including Marketing, Web and Mobile, Events, Broadcast and Consumer Products.

Senior-level graphic design talent a must – the ideal candidate will have hands-on involvement in the creation and maintenance of logos, key art, style guides, digital and print advertising, web, event and broadcast graphics.

The ideal candidate must understand the audience and understand the value of effective visual communication. Highest-quality creative execution, concepting and art direction skills are required. Minimum 5-years’ experience in the entertainment or video game industry are needed, along with a familiarity with core Overwatch design themes.

Responsibilities

• Guide the visual identity for the Overwatch League brand and manage its execution across all areas
• Work directly on a broad range of design projects. Take ownership and maintain creative involvement from start to finish with limited direct supervision while keeping multiple stakeholders informed and engaged
• Manage the integration of specific components of Overwatch game IP into OWL brand materials, maintaining design values throughout
• Provide high level guidance, iterative review and approval of Overwatch League related materials in all media
• Collaborate with game team art leadership to create and iterate on style guides for franchise partners and external agencies in web, mobile, marketing communications, and esports
• Solve complex visual problems and turn them into beautiful, clearly designed solutions that reinforce the brand
• Partner closely with the game art director to maintain alignment as the franchise and the League evolve visually and thematically
• Build strong relationships with internal and external partners; identify key creative leaders and instill shared creative values and goals around Overwatch projects
• Collaborate with cross functional / cross department teams to ensure consistency and quality of brand representation.
• Facilitate communications, organization, and accountability across all departments and stakeholders to ensure high-level project goals are met

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design, art, communications, related field or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years' experience in hands-on creative roles designing a broad range of digital work
• 2+ years' in artistic or design leadership roles
• Strong understanding of design fundamentals and ability to apply Overwatch brand values on a wide variety of media projects
• Awareness of current trends in graphic design, marketing communication, web and mobile, and broadcast graphics
• Strong artistic skills including layout, logo design, typography and color theory
• Expert-level knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other graphic design and production tools
• Able to work with team leads, external vendors and directors to align priorities
• Experience tracking complex projects and providing support to clear blocking issues
• Exceptional communication skills are critical for successful partnership with support groups, agencies, team owners and the game development team

Pluses

• Experience establishing a primary brand visual identity for a major product, series or media network and managed its successful execution across multiple media
• Game development experience in an artistic leadership role
• Experience designing branded merchandise or consumer goods
• Advanced illustration skills

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Portfolio demonstrating relevant artistic skills
  • Only online artwork submissions will be accepted (e.g. website, blog or online album).
  • Must be willing to complete a test if requested