Game Director | Old Skull Games (OSG)

Old Skull Games (OSG) is a premier independent studio located in the heart of the French gaming hub. With a talented team of 60 professionals, we simultaneously manage 3 to 4 diverse projects spanning mobile, console, and PC platforms. From immersive narrative experiences to challenging roguelites and platformers, our studio thrives on creative diversity and technical excellence.

We are searching for a Game Director who is a visionary artist and a strategic product leader. This unique role blends creative direction with the responsibilities of a Product Owner , requiring someone who can not only dream up the next great gaming experience but also navigate market trends, stakeholder needs, and the mechanical realities of the backlog. At OSG, you will lead multidisciplinary, autonomous teams under the principles of Agility, turning high‑level concepts into exceptional games that players love.

Job Overview: Game Director | Old Skull Games

Category

Details

Official Job Title Game Director / Product Owner

Company Name Old Skull Games (OSG)

Location 35 Rue Louis Guérin, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (Greater Lyon Area)

Job Type Full-Time, Permanent Contract (CDI)

Executive Status Cadre (Executive Status)

Salary Negotiable (Based on profile, expertise, and industry experience)

Work Model Hybrid : Collaborative in‑office days combined with remote flexibility

Health & Wellness Supplementary pension, health insurance, on‑site sports (Yoga, Football)

Time Off Ultra‑flexible paid leave, leave for sick children, extra leave for disability

Daily Perks Weekly team breakfasts, Rooftop access, Concierge service, Fruit/Coffee bar

Core Responsibilities: The Dual Mandate

As a Game Director , you are the “North Star” for your project. You will bridge the gap between pure creativity and product success, ensuring that our games are as commercially viable as they are artistically groundbreaking.

• Identity Definition: Establish a robust creative vision from the pre‑production stage, visualizing the final product in its entirety.
• Holistic Consistency: Maintain the “soul” of the game across all disciplines—ensuring mechanics, metagame, narrative, aesthetics, and UX all serve a singular, compelling player experience.
• Innovation & USPs: Actively monitor global market trends to develop Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) that make our titles stand out in a saturated market.
• High‑Level Decision Making: Lead the collaborative decision‑making process with departmental leads (Art, Tech, Design) while remaining the final authority on the creative vision.

2. Product Ownership (PO) Integration

This role requires a “Product‑First” mindset to ensure the creative vision reaches the right audience:

• Backlog Management: Contribute to the prioritization of the backlog, clearly articulating the value of specific features to the development team.
• Sprint & Epic Alignment: Lead development by aligning milestone objectives, Epics, and Sprint Goals with the overarching product vision.
• Stakeholder Relations: Integrate feedback from publishers, marketing teams, and end‑users into the iterative development cycle.
• Market Awareness: Enrich the creative process with a deep understanding of business constraints and user behaviour data.
• Inspirational Leadership: Unite and motivate a multidisciplinary team around a clear and inspiring project goal.
• Human‑Centered Environment: Foster a culture based on constructive feedback, where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities rather than failures.
• Problem Solving: Demonstrate resilience and adaptability in the face of the complex technical and creative challenges inherent in game development.

4. Departmental Evolution

• Tactical Growth: Collaborate with the Design Manager and CCO to improve studio‑wide processes, evaluate new technologies, and optimise team organisation.

Qualifications & Leadership Profile

We are looking for a veteran who embodies the balance of art and science in game development.

• Proven Experience: A track record as a Game Director or in a high‑level creative leadership role on successfully shipped titles.
• Design Mastery: A deep, intuitive understanding of Game Design principles and the iterative creative process.
• Agile Advocate: Solid experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies. You don’t just “use” Agile; you embody and promote its values within the team.
• Strategic Thinker: An ability to analyse market trends and translate them into actionable creative directions.
• Communication: Fluency in both French and English (written and spoken) is essential for collaboration with our international partners.
• Soft Skills: High levels of empathy, resilience, and the ability to inspire a team to achieve world‑class results.

Industry Context: The Evolved Game Director (2026)

In the modern landscape, the “Auteur” director has been replaced by the Collaborative Director . In 2026, a successful Game Director job requires an understanding that player feedback and live‑service data are creative tools, not constraints.

As studios move toward more sustainable development cycles, the Game Director must be a master of scope. At Old Skull Games, you will be empowered to use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to measure success, ensuring that your creative risks are backed by strategic alignment. This role is perfect for a leader who wants to maintain the “Indie” heart of a project while utilising professional “AA” product management standards.

Beyond the code and the art, OSG is a community. Our Lyon‑based studio is designed to be a second home for our creators:

• Prime Location: Our office is located in a quiet, green area right next to the famous Parc de la Tête d’Or .
• Community Events: From our weekly team breakfasts to the legendary annual Summer Camp , we make time to celebrate our victories together.
• Well‑being: We offer flexible hours to ensure a healthy work‑life balance and provide on‑site amenities like showers and a concierge service for those who bike or run to work.
• Inclusion: We are a proud equal opportunity employer. We offer extra leave for people with disabilities and specific support for families.