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Head of Engineering - VR

Santa Monica, Los Angeles Interactive
At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.
 
We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.
 
Following the success of our first VR title Archangel, we elevated our ambition and tackled The Walking Dead universe in VR. The result was the 2020 genre-defining hit The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. We are currently working on several highly anticipated VR games for emerging platforms that we can’t wait for you to play.
  
For information on Skydance’s privacy practices, see the Skydance U.S. Personnel Privacy Notice located at  https://skydance.com/privacy-personnel/.
 
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Skydance Interactive is seeking a strategic technical leader to develop our infrastructure and guide our technical teams in creating the cutting-edge AAA games. You will define and communicate a technical vision for Skydance Interactive, transforming it into actionable plans that drive our VR experience forward. With your EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE in leading gameplay engineering, platform, build and game engine teams, you will make informed decisions about adopting new tech stacks to enhance our capabilities. 
As Head of Engineering, your focus will be on aligning technical initiatives with business goals, fostering an engineering culture that promotes innovation and efficiency. You will lead technical teams, ensuring their work supports project objectives while collaborating with creatives to streamline workflows and enhance technical literacy across the Studio. 
As a member of the Studio’s Senior Leadership team, your role is to leverage your technical expertise to identify strategic solutions to complex challenges faced by the business. You know when to advocate for firm positions, when to seek compromise, and how to creatively solve problems to maximize product value and drive the Studio’s success. 

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement long-term technology vision and strategy for Skydance Interactive that will endure for future games. 
  • Develop and execute a comprehensive technology roadmap to guide game development.
  • Articulate the Studio’s technology strategy, vision and goals. 
  • Ensure Skydance Interactive’s technical infrastructure is scalable and reliable. 
  • Oversee the technical architecture of the games being developed, ensuring they are scalable, secure and maintainable. 
  • Ensure the delivery of stable, high-quality game builds.
  • Work closely with creative development teams to ensure the technology is appropriate for the game being developed. 
  • Create and restructure high-level processes and documentation that facilitate technical excellence and efficiency.
  • Manage and lead various technical disciplines, ensuring alignment and performance. 
  • Build and nurture high-performing technical teams. 
  • Lead efforts to enhance technical skill and knowledge across the Studio through training initiatives. 
  • Collaborate with key external partners. 
  • Evaluate and manage relationships with tech vendors and partners. 
  • Assess vendor performance.

    • Requirements

  • 15+ years of professional experience in a game development environment, with 5+ years leading technical game development teams in shipping games from start to finish. 
  • Ideal candidate has a VR games background. 
  • Proven track record building a portfolio of high-quality games and experiences. 
  • Proven proficiency in multiple programming languages and game engines, specifically with Unreal Engine. Familiar with build systems and platforms. 
  • Demonstrated leadership experience as a senior leader, able to delegate and guide engineering managers and directors. 
  • Able to bridge gap between technical and non-technical teams. 
  • Interacts with top management to keep abreast of plans and strategies impacting the Studio’s roadmap. 
  • Interacts with major decision makers to convince and influence business decisions. 
  • Work with their Leads and Directors in translating Studio strategies into operational plans for the team from both a technical and team management perspective. 
  • Able to guide development, finding ways to innovate and push into new areas of game development, while ensuring project is delivered on time and under budget. 
  • Able to provide feedback that empowers/inspires teams to produce their best work and cultivate conditions necessary for team success. 
  • Experienced in taking an active role in resource management, process optimization, risk/crisis management and change management.

    • The salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $300,000 – $375,000.  The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors.  The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc. 

    We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description. 

    Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.
     
    Skydance is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. We welcome and consider applicants for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy status, military/veteran status, disability, or any other protected category. Diversity in the workplace is not just a commitment, it is who we are and a reflection of what makes our world special.

    Recruitment Fraud Alert
    It has come to our attention that there may be fraudulent activity by individuals impersonating our Talent Acquisition team. Skydance will only contact you from an official “@skydance.com” email address. If you suspect that you are being contacted by an unauthorized person or believe that the correspondence you have received is suspicious, please do not click on any links or attachments in such emails and submit any questions or concerns to our information security team at information.security@skydance.com.

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