Mid - Senior Level Designer - VR Shooter Game - Melbourne

Role Type: Level Designer - Unreal Engine Action Shooter
Project: Eye-tracked Action VR shooter
Role: Full-time (9-month fixed-term contract with potential for extension)
Experience Level: Mid-Senior
Start Date: October 2026
Office Location: Hybrid - based in Footscray, Melbourne (VIC) or Remote.
Engine Collaboration: Unreal Engine 5
Core Gameplay: Action Sniper experience inspired by “Silent Scope”, “Time Crisis”, “Pure Sniper”.
Note: this job is open to applicants who are based within Australia.

About the studio

Founded in 2017 and located in Footscray, Victoria, LODE is passionate about immersive Media. We’re the studio behind the stealth-action ‘Espire’ IP. Since 2019, we’ve shipped three Espire titles across all major XR platforms. Our mission is to be at the forefront of immersive technology, crafting never-before-seen mechanics that entertain players in unforgettable worlds.

We’re currently closing out pre-production on our third, original IP codenamed “EyeSpy.” It is an action shooter game that features a novel XR input paradigm designed for the next generation of devices, with sights set on bringing the experience to traditional consoles, too.

Position Overview

We’re looking for a creative Level Designer to join our small, agile team for our latest project, codenamed ‘EyeSpy’. In this role, you will be responsible for crafting immersive, engaging environments that drive the player experience and taking levels from greyboxes all the way to final polish. You will collaborate closely with artists, programmers, and designers in Unreal Engine 5 to shape how players move through our worlds, set the pace, and script the key moments that make gameplay click with plenty of creative freedom to focus on spatial design and balance.

Key Responsibilities

Level Assembly & Composition

Drive level creation from high-level concepts through a structured 4-pass system, Greybox -> Final.
Design, organize, and maintain levels using Unreal Engine's classic level streaming system - the project does not use World Partition.
Build environments with modular asset kits, carefully matching snapping units and increments to build out seamless, large-scale environments.
Perform light environment art and scene assembly, bringing environments to life using our modular asset library (no 3D modeling required).
Iterate on overall level composition, item placement, scale, and enemy sightlines to align with the visual direction.
Work with our existing tools for parametric level design and augment our process with your own LD workflows.

Encounter & Gameplay Design

Design and iterate on enemy encounters, enemy placements and squad compositions using our suite of encounter types, enemy archetypes, and weapons.
Work closely with the Game Director, Game Designer, and AI Programmer to build out mission archetypes and gameplay flow.
Continuously playtest and iterate on levels to refine pacing, difficulty, and combat balance.
Ensure every level feels distinct and effectively champions its hero archetypes.

Optimization & Performance

Design levels with the performance constraints of Standalone VR Hardware / Mobile devices in mind.
Assist the optimization team using internal tools and workflows to meet strict mobile VR constraints.
Use in-house tooling to convert meshes to Instanced Static Meshes (ISM) and Hierarchical Instanced Static Meshes (HISM) clusters.
Work with Simplygon middleware to optimize level geometry and draw calls. Training will be provided on the job as required.

Level Scripting & World Mapping

Perform light level scripting using Unreal Engine Blueprints.
Design out individual missions on the 3D overworld map and define branching player paths.
Collaborate with the Game Director, Narrative Designer, and Game Designer to map out the overall overworld player journey.

Retention & Systems Passes

Perform retention passes across all levels by placing hidden collectibles and other metagame level mechanics.
Set, review, and iterate on level gameplay metrics, including par scores and time targets.

Position Requirements

Relevant Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating structural level design skills, action / shooter gameplay, and layout mockups specifically for games.
Design fundamentals: Strong understanding of game design principles, including flow, pacing, and difficulty balance.
Engine Proficiency: Strong proficiency with the Unreal Engine editor for level creation.
Technical Constraint: Ability to work within the technical limitations of mobile hardware, as our project targets standalone VR.
Shipped Titles: Minimum of 2 shipped titles as a Level Designer.
Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Ability to work closely across disciplines, directly collaborating with the Game Director, Game Designer, Narrative Designer, 3D Artist, and Programmers.
Based In Australia: Applicants must be based in Australia with the right to work in Australia.

Nice-to-Haves

Victorian Talent: While we welcome remote applicants, candidates based in Victoria are preferred to support hybrid workflows from our Footscray studio.
VR Design Experience: Experience designing levels within the spatial and performance constraints of Virtual Reality.
Mobile Mesh Optimization: Deep understanding of mesh optimization techniques for mobile platforms (note: training can be provided on the job).
Landscape Tools: Hands-on experience using Epic's Unreal Engine Landscape tools.
Lighting Skills: Experience working with static/baked lighting and Unreal Engine's Lighting Scenarios system.
Genre Passion: Passion for action / arcade shooters (e.g., Time Crisis, Silent Scope).

Why Join Us?

Own your work: As a member of our small team, you will have the freedom to control your area of development, influence our processes, and put your signature on the final experience for our players.
Collaborative by Design: We are a small, highly collaborative team that thrives on shared creativity. We value curiosity and honest, constructive feedback over traditional hierarchy. You will be encouraged to challenge assumptions and contribute ideas across all aspects of the project, ensuring that the best solutions rise to the top through collective effort.
Solve new design challenges: We are focused on the cutting edge of VR. You’ll work with the latest input methods and hardware, tackling unique problems in XR interaction that don't have standard answers yet.
Work-life & environment:
- We offer a hybrid work model with the flexibility to WFH 2-3 days per week and flexible start and end times. We’re also open to fully-remote candidates based in Australia for this role.
- We operate out of a unique, converted warehouse space in the Docklands Cotton Mills, Footscray.
- Staff perks include food, drinks, regular team celebrations and social events.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and portfolio information to:
jobs@espirevr.com

Please use the subject heading [Level Designer - Your Name].
Regarding your portfolio, please provide a link to your online portfolio and any published games or software projects you have worked on. Please do not attach large Portfolio files or Portfolio PDFs.
Digital Lode requires applicants to have the appropriate rights to work in Australia.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Digital Lode is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups.