VALUES VALUE was tasked with finding an experienced Head of Game Design for a fast-growing EdTech company developing a unique voice- and AI-driven educational product for children. The company had already reached tens of millions of users worldwide and was seeking a design leader who could make their product as engaging as the world’s best mobile games — while staying true to its mission of accessible, high-quality learning.
As a result of the search, two senior game design leaders were hired to strengthen the product and content teams.
- Project: Educational AI product for children
- Platform: Mobile (iOS/Android)
- Model: Voice- and tap-based interaction, gamified metagame layer, AI-driven tutoring
Desired Candidate Profile
The company needed someone who could take full ownership of game design across the product — from high-level metagame systems to day-to-day mini-game mechanics. This person would work closely with the CEO and other stakeholders to deeply integrate gameplay with educational objectives.
The ideal candidate profile included:
- 5+ years of experience designing and shipping successful mobile games or apps with live audiences
- Deep understanding of game mechanics for children (ages 3–10)
- Experience building metagames and systems that improve retention and monetization
- Strong product intuition and business orientation (LTV/CAC awareness)
- Passion for innovation in interaction design, including conversational/voice-based UX
- Ability to work autonomously and build processes from the ground up
- Upper Intermediate+ English proficiency
- Willingness to work in a fast-paced startup environment, with lean resources and iterative prototyping
Challenges
This was a unique and complex search that blended mobile gaming expertise with early childhood education and voice-first product design. Throughout the process, a number of significant challenges emerged:
- Extremely niche profile:game designers with both mobile F2P experience and a background in educational content for young children were rare.
- Hands-on but senior: the company was looking for a highly experienced designer ready to own the full product experience end-to-end — without an existing team to delegate to. Not every candidate from mature companies was ready to join a startup and work solo at this level.
- Shifting role profile: the role definition evolved several times over the course of the search — from Lead Game Designer to Head/Director and finally Creative Director — requiring a flexible and adaptive search strategy.
- Long hiring process on the client side: candidates went through up to five interview stages, followed by reference checks that could stretch the process up to two months.
- Remote-only setup and compliance: the company operated fully remotely and offered employment through platforms like Deel.com. This was not suitable for all candidates, especially those seeking in-country employment contracts or relocation.
- Time zone limitations: Game Design Directors and Creative Directors from the companies the client was most interested in were often based in the US and Canada. However, many of them declined to proceed due to the significant time zone difference with Central European Time (CET), which is the company’s primary working schedule.
- Limited responsiveness in certain markets: many candidates responded slowly or declined due to the startup setup, solo role expectations, or contract structure.
What Helped to Fill the Position
Our recruiter played an active role not only in sourcing and evaluating candidates, but also in shaping the search itself. We maintained close, ongoing communication with the client — proactively sharing market feedback, refining the role profile, and helping the team uncover a clearer understanding of their true hiring needs as the process unfolded.
Key success factors:
- Iterative role refinement – As the company gained new insights into its goals and internal structure, we adapted the target profile — evolving from Lead Game Designer to Head/Director and ultimately Creative Director level.
- Effective sourcing and relationship building – Thoughtful outreach and deep product knowledge let us assemble a talent pool strong enough to reshape the client’s hiring plan.
The search was so successful that the company ultimately hired two senior leaders instead of one: a Head of Game Design and a Head of UX. Bringing in both professionals strengthened the product and content teams and reflected the clearer view of organisational needs that emerged through our collaborative process.
On the Values Value side, the process was led by our Recruitment Lead Anna Vashchenko , with sourcing support from our extended team. The placement was the result of careful, iterative work and a deep understanding of both the product and the market.
