Lead Narrative Designer

About this task

About the Role

Lead the narrative development of Hopetown, a narrative-first RPG, combining creative storytelling with production planning. Guide a small team of writers through early development and build the systems and structures needed to deliver cohesive narrative work.

Responsibilities

- Shape and shepherd the game's story while balancing storytelling vision with clear planning, coordination, and delivery.
- Lead a small writing team and oversee writers' work and edits to maintain consistency in tone and style.
- Plan, organise, and deliver narrative work within production milestones.
- Refine narrative workflows, coordinate pipelines, and track progress.
- Collaborate closely with design, production, and technical teams to align narrative goals with development milestones and integrate narrative output into the broader development pipeline.

Must-Have Requirements

- 5+ years of experience leading and/or managing a narrative team on a narrative-first game, ideally in the RPG space.
- Proven ability to plan, organise, and deliver narrative work within production milestones, including coordinating pipelines, tracking progress, and aligning with design or production teams.
- Proven experience writing emotionally resonant, character-driven stories.
- Experience overseeing multiple writers' work and edits to ensure cohesion in tone and style.
- Excellent communication, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Basic understanding of other disciplines and how their work integrates with narrative and design.
- Familiarity with production and project management tools, such as Basecamp, YouTrack, or similar tools.

Nice-to-Have Requirements

- Experience shipping or contributing to a narrative-driven RPG, especially within a small or startup-style team.
- Strong familiarity with Disco Elysium-like, dialogue-heavy storytelling structures.
- A creative and adaptable mindset suited to an early-stage, highly collaborative development environment.
- A love for narrative experimentation, psychology, and surreal or philosophical themes.

Working Arrangement

- Remote-first working, with flexibility to work from wherever inspiration strikes.