P4P4 — Senior Professional
Advanced – Lead Narrative Designer
Own the core narrative vision for the game.
What this level means
Seasoned professional; handles complex tasks, may lead small teams or projects
- Scope
- A system or set of related features
- Autonomy
- Self-directed; reviewed at critical decision points
- Complexity
- Complex, ambiguous problems; devises new approaches
- Impact
- Multi-team / function outcomes
- Decision rights
- Owns technical decisions for a system; influences adjacent design
- Leadership
- Technical lead for focused efforts; mentors several
- Typical experience
- 5–8 yrs
What you'd do
- Define story scope, key character arcs, and major plot points.
- Guide the overall structure of quests and branching narratives.
- Own the narrative vision for the game.
- Lead narrative team meetings.
- Ensure alignment with overall game design.
- Define story scope.
- Guide quest structure.
- Lead narrative meetings.
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Narrative vision setting
- Project leadership
- Conflict resolution
- Advanced collaboration
- Decision-making
- Narrative vision development
- Conflict resolution strategies
- Project leadership
- Advanced storytelling
- Game design alignment
- Advanced collaboration
- Decision-making under uncertainty
- Conflict resolution
- Project leadership
What good looks like
- ~7–10 years with lead designer or narrative lead experience
- Proven track record in narrative leadership
- Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, Literature, or related field
Common titles
Narrative Design IVNarrative Design 4Senior Narrative DesignSr. Narrative DesignNarrative Designer IVNarrative Designer 4Senior Narrative DesignerSr. Narrative DesignerStorytelling IVStorytelling 4Senior StorytellingSr. StorytellingCharacter Development IVCharacter Development 4Senior Character DevelopmentSr. Character Development
Where it sits & what it pays
O*NET / SOC: 27-0000 — Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media Occupations(inferred · under review)
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are coming — JobFrame anchors pay to the family/level structure rather than the raw title.