Full-Time

Head of Design

Bellota Labs

Bellota Labs

51-200 employees

Develops and publishes B2B mobile games

Compensation Overview

$250k - $300k/yr

+ Equity

San Carlos, CA, USA

Hybrid

Category
UI/UX & Design (2)
,
Required Skills
Claude
UI/UX Design
Figma
Requirements
  • 5+ years of experience in a creative leadership role, preferably within the gaming industry
  • Proven track record of leading successful game design projects from concept to launch
  • Strong understanding of UI/UX principles, player psychology, and game mechanics, particularly in poker
  • Hands-on experience using generative AI tools in a professional design context and a clear point of view on where AI adds value versus where human craft must lead
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a creative team
  • Degree in Game Design, Graphic Design, or a related field
  • Experience with player analytics and how they inform design decisions, including the use of AI tools to surface insights from qualitative and quantitative player data
  • Passion for poker
  • Proficient in design tools and software such as Figma, plus fluency with AI-powered creative tools (e.g., Midjourney, Firefly, Runway, Figma AI, or equivalents)
Responsibilities
  • Develop Creative Vision: Craft and execute the creative vision for our future poker product, ensuring alignment with business goals and player expectations. Leverage generative AI tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Firefly, Runway) to rapidly explore visual directions, mood boards, and concept art during early ideation
  • Team Leadership: Lead a multidisciplinary team of UI/UX and game designers, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and creativity. Establish team-wide best practices for responsibly integrating AI into the design workflow—from ideation to production—and mentor designers on prompt craft, tool selection, and quality control
  • Market Analysis: Analyze market trends and player feedback to inform design decisions and enhance gameplay experiences. Use AI-powered research and synthesis tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) to accelerate competitive teardowns, player sentiment analysis, and trend reports
  • User Experience Oversight: Oversee the design and development of engaging user interfaces and intuitive user experiences that elevate player satisfaction. Drive adoption of AI-assisted design tools such as Figma AI, Galileo AI, Uizard, and Magician to accelerate wireframing, component generation, and rapid prototyping
  • Collaboration: Work closely with product managers and developers to ensure the feasibility and timely delivery of creative concepts. Use AI tools to quickly generate production-ready assets, variant explorations, and interactive prototypes that tighten the loop between design, product, and engineering
  • Design Review: Conduct regular reviews of design work, providing constructive feedback and guidance to team members to ensure high-quality outputs—including clear standards for when AI-generated content is appropriate, how it should be refined, and how the team maintains a consistent, human-led brand voice
  • AI Strategy for Design: Stay ahead of emerging AI tools and techniques relevant to game design, UI/UX, motion, and branding. Continuously evaluate, pilot, and roll out new tools that give the design team an outsized creative and velocity advantage
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience owning creative direction in a startup environment with equity exposure or leadership visibility.
  • Familiarity with NLHE poker design and analytics would be a plus.
  • Ability to build and mentor a team in an AI-native design workflow.

Bellota Labs creates, develops, and publishes games for established brands in a B2B model. Its projects include ClubWPT Gold for the World Poker Tour, released December 2024, indicating a focus on branded online/mobile games and partner-driven product delivery. The company builds games that brands can stand behind, working with a team of industry veterans in Redwood City, California, and prioritizing in-person collaboration, game integrity, and strong customer experience. Bellota Labs positions itself as a fast-paced hypergrowth startup aiming to raise standards in the U.S. online gaming market and to deliver products that clients are proud of.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

N/A

Founded

N/A

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • AI tools streamline hiring for hypergrowth since May 2024 founding.
  • High-salary roles like Principal Game Designer pay $200K-$300K yearly.
  • Remote jobs posted expand talent access beyond Redwood City.

What critics are saying

  • ClubWPT Gold flops from 70%+ churn, erodes World Poker Tour trust.
  • Playtika steals deals with superior AI and $2B revenue advantage.
  • AB 2863 35% tax hike July 2026 cancels California client contracts.

What makes Bellota Labs unique

  • Bellota Labs develops B2B games for brands like World Poker Tour.
  • ClubWPT Gold released December 2024 targets US iGaming market.
  • Next-gen iGaming app features rich visuals and iOS cross-platform play.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Your Connections

People at Bellota Labs who can refer or advise you

Benefits

Company Equity

Flexible Work Hours