Head of R&D, Clash Royale

Clash Royale is rethinking how it builds. After a decade of defining competitive mobile gaming, the game is at an inflection point and the R&D cell is where new ideas live or die. New cards, mechanics, game modes. Everything that keeps the experience from going stale.

We need someone to lead that cell. Not to design everything, but to make sure the right things get designed, built, and shipped. You'll set the creative bar, give the team real feedback, and make sure promising work actually reaches players.

This is a leadership role, not a design role. If you want to own every creative decision yourself, this isn't the right fit. We're interested in people who've worked at the intersection of creative and production – a publishing producer who's helped studios ship, someone who ran new game development, a product leader with real creative instincts. If your career has been about making other people's ideas better and getting them across the finish line, let’s talk!

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the R&D cell, owning all new gameplay content across multiple teams

• Create an environment where creative risk-taking is the norm, failure is treated as learning, and the best ideas get a real shot

• Bridge R&D and production, ensuring promising prototypes become real player value

• Working with Royale leadership, help shape the long-term direction of the game

• Hire and develop exceptional creative developers

What You Have

• Proven experience leading and inspiring a team toward ambitious creative goals

• Deep background in gameplay systems design, with shipped work you're proud of

• Comfortable staying hands-on, designing alongside the team, not above it

• Player first mindset: you feel player pain, understand what's bothering them, and solve it regardless of difficulty

• Strong communicator who can align and build consensus across strong opinions

• Live-service experience, ideally mobile

Would Be Nice if You Also Have

• Deep knowledge of Clash Royale as a player

• Experience in international, multi-disciplinary teams

• Hands-on experience with AI tools for design and prototyping

• Additional experience in live-ops or UX/UI

Where You'll Be

This role is based either in Helsinki or Shanghai.

About Supercell

Supercell is a games company from Helsinki, Finland, with offices also in San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and London. You might know us as the makers of Hay Day, Clash of Clans, Boom Beach, Clash Royale, and Brawl Stars. Our mission is to create great games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever.

So, how do we make great games? By putting together the best teams and giving them the freedom and independence to succeed. And by taking risks, failing, sharing learnings, and killing lots of projects.

Hey, You Might Love It Here!

Independent cells and trust are at the core of our culture. But it takes more than that to make great games. We take good care of our people, providing them with the compensation, work environment, and resources they need to succeed while having fun along the way.

You Are Not Your Job Title ™

Here, you won’t need to focus on chasing titles or climbing ladders. Internally, our job titles don’t include prefixes like Senior, Junior, Principal, or Director. Recognition isn’t tied to your title, as it doesn't define the impact you can have around here.

Benefits and Compensation

Luring you in with glitter, glamour, and gems isn't what we're about. We want you to enjoy your time here fully, so we structure our compensation and benefits with that in mind. It starts with perceiving you as a human being, not a resource.

Relocation? Yes!

No matter where you’re moving from, our dedicated mobility team and partners will support you throughout your move. We’ll ensure the process is as smooth as possible for you and anyone joining you – whether they’re family members of the human or animal kind!

Not Sure if You Should Apply?

Many candidates with great skills and experience second-guess themselves. The bar is high, but if this role excites you, apply! We’re here to help you succeed. Also, we're happy to learn about any specific accommodations you may need to fully engage in our recruitment process.

Wishing you all the best,
The Supercell Recruitment team

P.S.
Here's a video about what Supercell is about.
Best enjoyed with salmiakki and rye bread!