Senior AI Programmer

Overview

Come join Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning development team behind Starfield, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Bethesda Game Studios strives to offer its employees a well-balanced home and work life by providing competitive salaries, a generous benefits program, and offices located in some of North America’s best cities.

With a goal of creating a culture as fun and diverse as our games and our players, we welcome applicants with unique skillsets, experience levels and backgrounds. If you are passionate about making a meaningful contribution to some of the most significant games in the industry we’d love to hear from you!

We will consider candidates for any of our four Bethesda Game Studios office locations: Rockville, MD; Montreal, Quebec; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX.

Responsibilities

Your Daily Life at Bethesda Game Studios

As Senior AI Programmer, you will…

• Partner with engineering, design and art teams to define, create and polish AI systems and behaviors
• Partner with design and art teams to design, implement, and polish AI unit types
• Partner with design team to define and create test maps
• Develop support for tools necessary to support advanced AI development

Qualifications

What Makes You S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

• You have at least 5 years of experience in the games industry
• You are proficient in C++ 
• You have at least one shipped title where credited as a programmer
• You possess a solid background in low-level AI modules, navigation, collision, physics and performance with the ability to work on systems from conception to completion
• You are knowledgeable of AI techniques such as FSM’s, path finding, animation, collision and physics
• You have experience bringing AI units from concept to completion
• You are experienced in implementing AI-related content
• You have experience creating custom test maps and level scripts
• You have a strong commitment to code quality, documentation and sound testing procedures
• You possess excellent math skills
• You are an excellent team player with very strong work ethic and a collaborative/cooperative attitude
• You have a passion for game development and game technology

Preferred Skills

Bonus Skills

• You have current-gen console experience
• You have a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science or equivalent study in related fields

Salary Range

Senior AI Programmer - The typical base pay range for this position at the start of employment is expected to be between $100,000 - $215,000 per year.

ZeniMax has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States, which allows us to pay employees competitively and consistently in different geographic markets. The range above reflects the potential base pay across the U.S. for this role; the applicable base pay range will depend on what ultimately is determined to be the candidate’s primary work location. Individual base pay depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time.

At ZeniMax certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, such as merit increases and discretionary bonuses. These awards are allocated based on individual performance and are not guaranteed. Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with ZeniMax and the country work location. U.S.-based employees have access to healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellbeing benefits, paid vacation time, paid sick and mental health time, and several paid holidays, among others.

This position is in a union and represented by the Communication Workers of America.

We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do – from recruiting for our studios, publishing and operations to fostering safe and respectful workplaces that encourage collaboration. Our culture is based on principles of respect, inclusion, and fair treatment and we welcome anyone into our family without regard to race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.

Our diversity fuels our innovation and inspires us to create game worlds that bring us closer to the global community of players we serve.