Technical Director, Auckland, New Zealand
Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is a proud, independent studio that joins forces with developers and publishers seeking an innovative partner in creating quality games. At BSG, people are our purpose, so we prioritize an inquisitive, proactive, and collaborative work environment for all our squirrels.
Blind Squirrel Games currently haslocations in Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand, and Manizales, Colombia.
Skills and experience are highly valued at BSG, but we recognize that talent is a product of hard-work, resilience, and a growth-mindset. We champion individuals who havedemonstratedthey have the grit to overcome challenges and subscribe to the notion that inclusion breedssynergyand innovation. To us,?diversityisn'ta metric—it'sa must!
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS AT BSG…
You'veleft no stone unturned when it comes to programming and know that the secret to creating great games is by nurturing the talent behind them and giving them the tools to thrive within their own disciplines. As an industry veteran, you are credited in multiple AAA titles in senior roles or above and have a proventrack recordof building successful foundations and strategies. You are one of the department's top decision-makers when it comes to the creation and amendment of a project's engineering pipeline and the studio looks to your direction to mitigate risks.
Your level of accountability goes beyond feedback and design as you are also responsible for orienting your department's resources, staff, and tools to perform optimally. You are accustomed tomaintainingschedules and budgets; keeping yourself abreast of project status, industry trends, and emerging technology; and managing overall team health.
Role and Responsibilities
Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is looking for a Technical Director to join us in building games systems and technologiesusingUnreal Engine4/5andC++.
Supported by the Director of Engineering and the Director of Tools and Technology, the Technical Director will work alongside a team of talented engineers torapidly prototype newgameplayfeatures andhelp developapproved prototypes intofully feature games.
The ideal candidate for this role has experience in tackling and resolving complex issues within Unreal Engine,leveragingindustryexpertiseto debug and optimize code effectively.
This is a full-time position available to work based out of ourAuckland, New Zealandstudio location.
Responsibilities
Lead the technical foundation for the project,includingthe technical designand implementationof core gameplay systemsand ensuring reliability acrossall platforms.
Evaluate and propose enhancements to C++ and UE libraries, advocating for changes to enhance user experience and reduce technical debt.
Review detailed designs, aligning them with the technical vision, and providing technical leadership within the team.
Provide production and integration support for our partner's games and services, championing client relationships.
Serve as the maintechnicalpoint of contact between BSG andour publisher, and as an expert leader for best practices in Unreal Engine development, contributing to the development of standards and solutions.
Participate in code reviews, daily scrum meetings, weeklyleadsmeetings, and biweekly sprint retrospectives..
Manageinternalprogramming leads to help guide their engineering teams towards their goals.
Develop and implement various features and systems such as gameplay mechanics, AI algorithms, audio processing, networking infrastructure, and other game development systems, scripts, and tools.
Collaborate with production and team leads for milestone and sprint planning, contributing to project bids andprovidingtechnical insight.
DetermineandmaintainCPU performance and memory budgets across platforms,assistingwith critical technical decisions and debugging complex issues within Unreal Engine.
Contribute to current and new project bids by offering technical insights andexpertiseas needed.
Other relevant duties and responsibilities as assigned to help complete company or departmentobjectives.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Engineering
6+ years of professional experience ingame development
3+ Years of experience leading and mentoring engineering teams
At least two shippedtitles.
Preferred Skills
Outstanding communication skills
Excellent collaboration skills
Fluent in C/C++
Expert UE 3, UE4, and UE 5 experience
Deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, design patterns, debugging and performance optimizations
Familiarity with consuming RESTful backend services
Ingrainedproficiencyin scheduling new feature development vs. bug-fixing/optimization
Strong knowledge in software engineering/architecture and design patterns
Solid understanding of multi-threaded programming
Strong 3D skills and low-level engine experience
Passion about games and game development
Pluses
Previousexperience with rendering, graphics, or optimization
Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated againston the basis ofdisability. Eligibility toparticipatein benefits andperksmay vary depending on position term and location.
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