Polyarc is searching for an experienced Narrative Lead to define our narrative workflow and ensure our storytelling thrives within every possible channel. The Narrative lead will manage a small team of writers to bring our characters to life and guide their stories to further flesh out our worlds.
In this role, you’ll create and support the development of narrative systems and storytelling experiences that span diverse voices and playstyles across our imaginative projects. You'll also help steward the overarching narrative vision, and ensure every story we tell is cohesive, emotionally resonant, and deeply embedded in the player experience.
As a highly collaborative studio, you'll work closely with animators, artists, sound designers, game designers, engineers, marketing, and product to fill our worlds with memorable tales. We’re a small, passionate indie team, so this role involves both team leadership as well as individual contributor work.
If you’re searching for a workplace that is committed to an environment of collaboration, mentorship, accountability, player experience, and creative expression, then Polyarc might be the studio just for you.
Responsibilities:
- Establish narrative goals for a project by building on input and feedback from the development team across disciplines and help communicate those goals through open, collaborative dialogue.
- Partner with their manager to balance the narrative team schedule, clearly communicating dependencies and resource needs to realize in-budget, sustainable goals.
- Mentor and nurture an established team of writers to expand the world and its stories through an iterative process involving regular team reviews and idea pitching, while keeping a pulse on overall story enthusiasm.
- Craft story outlines, branching scenarios, and immersive character interactions that resonate on an emotional and sensory level.
- Work with all development disciplines to inform and build both developer-facing and player-facing systems to integrate fluid, interactive storytelling in our projects.
- Playtest and iterate to validate implementation aligns with narrative goals and intentions by identifying and resolving story-centric issues in potentially complex moments of gameplay.
- Support the general copywriting and copyediting needs of the studio to further the development of individual voices within the company as well as the voice of the company as a whole.
Qualifications:
- Professional experience in narrative game development contributing and building a complete narrative experience from prototype to launch.
- Background in developing interactive stories which support a cohesive world, demonstrate familiarity with large-scale content burdens, and integrate complexity and scope mitigation strategies.
- Excellent collaborator, able to graciously provide and accept feedback while working with a small development team to find solutions.
- Professional experience working with multiple disciplines to align narrative goals with a project and integrate a story into interactive gameplay.
- Experience mentoring and managing a writing team.
- Effective editorial skills, working with writers to preserve their voices while shaping the narrative and serving the project needs.
- Experience supporting the proposal, design, and development of features or tools utilized by the narrative team to effectively and efficiently deliver interactive storytelling.
Pluses:
- Experience in Unreal, bringing narrative experience to life.
- A portfolio of celebrated narrative contributions to game projects.
- Experience writing branching and/or non-linear narratives.
- Previous experience working with voice actors by providing clear context and direction to bring out characters and worlds to life.
We believe all the listed qualifications are important to the role. We’re also open to hearing from anyone who believes their unique experiences also qualify them for consideration. If that’s you, please apply!
Compensation:
Polyarc’s salary range for this role is:
- USD: $142,000 to $175,000, with a total compensation target (cash + equity) of $178,000 to $194,300.
- CAD: $121,000to $149,000, with a total compensation target (cash + equity) of $151,500 to $165,300.
Any final compensation is dependent on position leveling, taking into consideration the candidate’s qualifications and experiences.
Additionally, there are several other great benefits such as health care benefits (medical, dental, and vision), 401K, flexible PTO (25 accrued PTO days/yr), two seasonal holidays (5 days each) + 10 additional paid holidays, long term disability insurance, life & AD&D, and other voluntary benefits such as pet insurance.
To apply, please submit your resume, plus any support materials you deem relevant to your candidacy (portfolio, reel, cover letter, etc.) to jobs@polyarcgames.com.
If you need assistance or an accommodation through the recruiting process, please let us know, and one of our amazing People team members can help.
About Us:
Polyarc was founded in 2015 to seize the unmistakable opportunity to make an impact on the future of games and the way they are made. Debuting our first game, Moss, in 2018, we discovered new compelling ways to connect players to characters through virtual reality. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of gameplay and dedicated to building a studio where we develop games and characters that players love, fostering creative and professional growth.
As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for one another, our players, and our communities. Diversity provides a variety of perspectives, challenges us collaboratively, and adds to our creative process, positively shaping our company culture and encouraging innovation that emphasizes player value.