Principal Graphics Engineer

The Initiative is looking for a Principal Graphics Engineer to join our team to work on Perfect Dark. In this role, you will lead our rendering technology group, solving the toughest rendering challenges for the content team and lifting the visual bar and performance across all our target platforms and quality tiers. You'll collaborate with concept and design teams to translate artistic vision into stunning, unique visual experiences that push the limits of today’s hardware, and work with engineers, tech artists, and the content team to deliver high quality graphics, solve problems, and improve consistency and efficiency. You will also be collaborating with our dev partner studios, other Xbox 1^st party studios, Xbox tech groups, and with Epic Games. Your work will help refine the technical rendering vision for the Perfect Dark franchise, directly shaping the visual experience for millions of players worldwide.

At the core of The Initiative, we seek to shape the future of narrative-driven games by leveraging the most innovative tech and talent this industry has to offer. We value original, perseverant thinkers & doers who can come together as a cohesive team, capable of creating genre-defining games. We actively seek and celebrate diverse perspectives and experiences, striving to create a respectful, inclusive environment where you can bring your best self and do your best work.   

On Team Perfect Dark, the multi-studio development team reimagining the science-fiction action-adventure game Perfect Dark, we’re seeking collaborative problem solvers who are eager to surprise and delight players new to the franchise. When you join Team Perfect Dark, you join a group of developers across internal and external studios who have contributed to some of the most celebrated, critically acclaimed properties recognized for their excellence and cutting-edge technology, visuals, gameplay, and narrative.  

The Initiative, headquartered in Santa Monica and fully distributed, is a Microsoft Xbox Game Studio. This is an amazing opportunity to join a studio with a great work-life balance and a talented, inclusive team working on the rebirth of the beloved, critically acclaimed franchise, Perfect Dark.  

Core hours are based on Pacific Time but is fully remote. Position may require occasional travel.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

• Lead the development, optimization, and troubleshooting of cutting-edge rendering features within Unreal Engine 5 in collaboration with tech and content teams. Work closely with the art and design department to ensure that all features meet artistic and design needs. This could range from specific story-based special effects or project-wide raytracing, lighting and material option enhancements, to render graph and swap chain adjustments and beyond. 

• Work with directors to set standards and best practices for content teams, and analyze content to spot workflow, performance, and visual improvements. 

• Optimize and ensure the scalability of the rendering features to support multiple platforms and quality settings. 

• Write and maintain robust, high-quality code which meets performance goals given the challenging technical constraints of the target platforms. 

• Review code to uphold high standards of quality and performance, and provide technical leadership to manage and mitigate technical risks effectively. 

• Research and stay updated on the latest advancements in graphics technology, contributing to the team’s R&D efforts and implementing real-time rendering techniques. Lead R&D efforts for future rendering features. 

• Lead the rendering team in the design, implementation, and optimization of new graphics technologies. Educate team members about new features and general rendering technologies, ensuring a clear understanding of these implementations. 

• Communication, teamwork, and organizational skills are essential, as you will be working with a diverse group of professionals across various disciplines. 
• Embody our  &