Senior Gameplay Engineer
$150,000–$180,000 year
RemoteCalifornia, United States or Arizona, United States
Job Summary
Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of core gameplay AI systems and drive technical direction for NPC gameplay frameworks. Own large-scale AI features from concept through ship, identifying and resolving performance and scalability challenges across gameplay systems. Partner closely with Design, Animation, Audio, and Production to define AI feature goals, while helping establish engineering standards and improving team-wide workflows. Provide technical leadership across cross-functional initiatives, mentoring engineers through code reviews and best practices. Requires 7+ years of experience architecting AI simulation systems in C++ and Unreal Engine, with legal residence in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Texas, or Washington.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of professional gameplay/AI engineering experience
- Proven experience owning large gameplay or AI systems in a production environment
- Experience architecting and implementing AI simulation systems and features from scratch using a combination of C++, Blueprints, and other tools
- In-depth knowledge of industry standard gameplay AI simulation systems, techniques and frameworks (e.g, Behavior Trees, FSMs, Utility AI)
- Demonstrated collaboration with designers, artists, and audio developers to iterate on and refine key AI behaviors and system tunings
- Ability to take ownership of major systems, maintain development schedules, and drive major implementation tasks
- Extensive experience with Unreal Engine, using and understanding the different gameplay AI authoring tools, modifying and creating custom tech to extend the base engine feature sets
- Experience with animation techniques driving AI characters (e.g, Animation Blueprints, Montages, Control Rig, MotionMatching)
- Self-motivated and self-directing, willing to pitch in areas of development beyond direct responsibilities
- A passionate eye towards delivering quality and highly-tuned game feel
- Experience mentoring and supporting other engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and best practices – helping them stay on track and true to the overall vision of the game
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Strong problem-solving skills
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