Interactive
Lead Engineer - 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.
—
Reporting to a Technical Director or Company Chief Technologist, the Lead Engineer will play a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction and ensuring the successful execution of a new game development project. Collaborating closely with the creative team, the Lead Engineer will lead a small group of engineers in designing, implementing, and optimizing game systems and features.
Work with members of a cross-discipline game development team to define technical requirements and ensure alignment with creative vision.
Architect scalable and stable solutions, considering performance and future expansion.
Implement best practices for coding, testing, debugging and optimization, and process.
Manage a team of engineers, assigning tasks, giving feedback and guidance to ensure team members deliver the requested features on time and at a high-quality bar.
Mentor other members of the engineering team to support their growth and skill advancement.
Maintain and troubleshoot the game engine and development environment, to keep both in good working condition throughout development.
Drive innovation on the game project by introducing new technologies or discovering ways to push available technologies. This includes overseeing prototyping and working with existing code base to develop gameplay.
Identify and mitigate technical risks, troubleshoot issues, and propose creative solutions to complex problems.
Involved in translating strategies into operational plans for the engineering team. This includes proposing project benchmarks, assessing team capability, project scheduling and resource allocation, and enhancing production pipeline efficiency and team skills.
Foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment, promoting communication, teamwork, and knowledge sharing.
8+ years of professional and relevant engineering experience in a game development environment.
BS/MS in Computer Science or related field.
Shipped at least one PC or Console game in a Senior or Lead capacity.
Strong proficiency in C++ programming and object-oriented architecture.
Broad knowledge of all major aspects of game engines and their development environments.
Detail-oriented planner.
Experience with leading a small team through a complete development cycle on a game or major game component.
Strong personal communication skills, fostering open communication and collaboration among technical and non-technical team members.
Able to drive team prioritization and decision-making, bringing order to ambiguity and uncertainty for self and team.
Sound technical judgment in estimating task complexity.
Experience with Unreal Engine 4 or 5
PS5 or XBOX Series X experience
Experience with VR development environments: Quest, PSVR, PC
The salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $140,000 – $170,000. 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.
#Interactive #LI-hybrid
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.
