Principal Rendering Engineer

Summary: 

We are seeking a Principal Rendering Engineer to drive the technical excellence of our rendering systems. Join our world-class team developing a cutting-edge open-world video game that pushes the boundaries of visual fidelity and gameplay immersion.  

Core Responsibilities: 

• Be responsible for optimizing and improving rendering infrastructure systems, including texture streaming, virtual texturing, mGPU, and shader compilation. 
• Collaborate with technical artists to establish a performant kit of materials and techniques to meet visual requirements. 
• Develop scalable graphics solutions to maximize visual fidelity across a range of targets, from current-gen consoles to cutting-edge PCs and emerging hardware. 
• Drive the development of tools associated with rendering features, ensuring they are user-friendly and meet the needs of our artists.  
• Optimize our skin cache for GPU performance and memory to support rendering many characters on screen. 
• Stay up-to-date on current techniques, research, graphics data, and hardware advancements to inform the development of forward-thinking rendering systems. 
• Define and enforce technical specifications for asset and scene construction in collaboration with the art and design teams. 
• Author new shaders and effects to enhance visual quality. 

Core Qualifications: 

• Strong proficiency in C++ and multi-threaded programming techniques. 
• In-depth real-time rendering experience in the games industry or related computer graphics fields. 
• Expertise in GPU architecture and performance characteristics, with extensive use of GPU profiling tools (e.g., PIX, Razor).  
• Experience with Unreal Engine 4 or 5. 
• Thorough knowledge and practical application of 3D math, rendering algorithms, and data structures. 
• Deep knowledge of at least one graphics API (e.g., DirectX 11/12, OpenGL, Vulkan, Metal). 
• Demonstrated skills in performance and memory optimization across various platforms. 
• Experience shipping AAA video games. 
• A proven track record of creating clean, efficient, and well-tested code. 

Plus If... 

• Experience with emerging rendering technologies, such as ray tracing or machine-learning-based graphics solutions. 
• Contributions to published research or participation in industry conferences related to computer graphics. 
• Familiarity with mGPU solutions and cutting-edge PC hardware optimization techniques. 

Description  

• Full-time job with benefits.  
• Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA OR San Rafael, CA.  

The base pay range for this position is $170,000 to $230,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.