Senior Games Developer, Osprey Games

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is looking for a Senior Games Developer to work within Osprey Games, the tabletop gaming imprint of its Special Interest division. The successful applicant will report to the Editorial Director and will work across our growing range of well-known and award-winning board and card games. This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and ambitious individual to join our friendly team based in Oxford, UK, and to dive into the world of tabletop gaming.

The role

• Shaping the future of Osprey Games:
  • Spearheading the acquisition and development of gaming projects, anticipating or leading trends in the gaming market.
  • Liaising with the Editorial Director to plan, build, and grow the Osprey Games list.
  • Working closely with contributors and colleagues to take new games from prototype to finished product.
  • Identifying, evaluating, and playtesting new projects.
  • Championing and leading discussion of new gaming projects, especially in publishing meetings where potential projects are presented for approval.
  • Managing and developing a pool of designers, writers, and artists.
  • Ensuring the quality and timeliness of gaming projects, maintaining schedules and taking responsibility for checking and editing all materials for clarity and accuracy.
  • Working with our Production and Design teams to ensure the quality, suitability, and accessibility of the games’ visual and physical elements.
• Representing Osprey Games:
  • Representing Osprey Games internally with colleagues in other departments, speaking for individual projects and the board and card game lines as a whole.
  • Acting as an in-house point of contact for external contributors (designers, authors, illustrators, and freelancers).
  • Attending conventions and shows, demoing games and interacting with customers and contributors in person.

Knowledge, skills and experience 

• Knowledge and understanding of the hobby games market.
• A high level of written and spoken English.
• Great organizational skills, especially time management and the ability to prioritise workload.
• Excellent communication skills with colleagues, collaborators, and customers.
• Confident negotiation and presentation skills.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to think creatively.
• IT competency (especially MS Word, Excel, and Outlook) and an aptitude for learning new software.
• Professionalism and a positive approach.
• A passion for board and card games in particular and other games (wargames, roleplaying games, etc.) in general!

Additional information

The role is a full-time, permanent position.

The role is based at our Oxford office, Kemp House, Chawley Park, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9PH on a hybrid working pattern of 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if ACpreferred).  Allocated office days for this role are: Monday and Tuesday.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter addressed to Human Resources (Word or PDF format only) via the ‘APPLY NOW’ button detailing how you meet the requirements outlined above for this role by 8th February 2023.

Bloomsbury reserve the right to close the role early if we exceed the required number of applications

Bloomsbury Benefits

As well as a fantastic opportunity to join a global award-winning organisation, Bloomsbury offers the following competitive benefits package:

Working Pattern

• hybrid working pattern of: 2 days office based / 3 days home based (or fully office based if preferred)

Holidays

• 25 days holiday
• 3.5 days Christmas company holiday

Other Benefits:

Two paid Personal Wellness Days

Flexible Fridays – take Friday afternoon off by working an additional 3 hours and 45 minutes earlier in the week

Season Ticket Loan

Sharesave Scheme

In-house Doctor

Eyecare Voucher Scheme

Company culture! – Employee Voice Meetings, Staff Networks (Bloom, Disability, Mental Health, Pride and Parents, Guardians and Carers), 10 Mental Health First Aiders trained across the UK offices, Publishing Events and access to free Publishing Resources

For additional benefits see below

Bloomsbury is a place where anyone of any background, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, age, ability, or socio-economic status can thrive, feel comfortable, and be heard and accepted. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are willing to make any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please flag to the recruitment team if required

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK. 

The Company

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Bloomsbury Publishing is a leading independent publishing house, established in 1986, with authors who have won the Nobel, Pulitzer and Booker Prizes, and is the originating publisher and custodian of the Harry Potter series. Bloomsbury has offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Oxford and Sydney. Within Bloomsbury’s Academic division, it publishes under Bloomsbury, as well as under a number of prestigious and historic imprint names. Read Our Story for how it all began. 

 Bloomsbury is committed to creating a working environment that stimulates creativity and collaboration, is respectful of difference, is inclusive and ethical in its practice, and promotes well-being. We are determined to nurture and develop our employees to reach their highest potential, and we know that our success is down to the passion, commitment and hard work of our talented people. We recognise the urgent need to attract and support applicants from all backgrounds and identities to become part of the global publishing industry, allowing diverse voices to reflect and shape our culture and society.

Please read more on our Missions and Values here.

Please read our environmental policy here.