Senior Gameplay AI Engineer

1 Month ago • 5 Years + • $138,000 PA - $170,000 PA

Gameplay

Job Description

Striking Distance Studios is seeking a Senior AI Engineer to join a collaborative, cross-disciplinary team. This role involves implementing gameplay features and systems, prototyping AI behaviors, and developing enemies and NPCs. The engineer will also optimize perception and decision-making systems, work on navigation and pathfinding, and integrate AI middleware. Responsibilities include reviewing code, mentoring, and creating technical design documents, ensuring high-performance and maintainable code.

Good To Have:

Preferably 3 years or more in a similar role.
Advanced ability to be self-directed, focused and detail oriented.
Advanced verbal and written communications skills.
A demonstrable love / passion for playing and making video games.
A highly communicative and collaborative disposition.

Must Have:

Implement gameplay features and systems.
Build, refactor, and maintain robust AI features.
Prototype and implement AI behaviours.
Implement enemies, NPCs, or AI managed characters.
Integrate developed AI systems with gameplay engineers.
Optimize AI perception and decision-making systems.
Work on navigation & pathfinding systems.
Debug complex AI issues.
Integrate and maintain AI middleware across all platforms.
Review work of other engineers and provide mentorship.
Create and maintain technical design documents.
Take ownership of existing systems.
Research and develop coding techniques and algorithms.
Collaborate on technical design and feature roll out.
Write clear, maintainable, portable, and highly performant code.
Communicate accurate status updates to leads, producers, and QA.
Adhere to team coding standards and best practices.
Foster open, honest, and respectful communication.
Bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or equivalent.
At least 5 years of games industry experience.
At least 3 years of experience with Unreal Engine.
Experience shipping games on current generation consoles (PS5 or XSX) and PC.
Advanced C++ skills.
Advanced knowledge on blueprints and AI decision making tools.
Advanced knowledge of navigation and pathfinding systems.
3D math skills.

Add these skills to join the top 1% applicants for this job

team-management

cpp

unreal

data-structures

game-texts

quality-control

blueprints

3d-math

algorithms

THE OPPORTUNITY

Striking Distance Studios is looking for a Senior AI Engineer to work in a cooperative, cross-disciplinary team environment to implement gameplay features and systems within our games.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Work across disciplines to build, refactor and maintain a variety of robust, flexible, and well-architected AI features.
Work with design team to prototype and implement AI behaviours that empower the fun.
Implement enemies, NPCs or any kind of AI managed characters.
Work with gameplay engineers to integrate developed AI systems.
Implement optimizations in perception systems and decision-making systems to make the AI performant.
Work on navigation & pathfinding systems and demonstrate the ability to debug complex AI issues.
Integrate and maintain AI middleware across all platforms.
Review the work of other engineers and provide mentorship on your area of knowledge.
Create and maintain technical design documents.
Delve into code written by other engineers and take ownership of existing systems as needed.
Keep current on technological developments and advancements.
Research and develop coding techniques and algorithms.
Collaborate with technology director on technical design and feature roll out.
Write clear, maintainable, portable, and highly performant code.
Communicate accurate status updates to your team leads, producers, and QA regarding tasks/features you are responsible for.
Adhere to team coding standards and best practices.
Foster a culture of open, honest, and respectful communication across all disciplines.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or equivalent.
At least 5 years of games industry experience and preferably 3 years or more in a similar role.
At least 3 years of experience with Unreal Engine.
Experience shipping games on current generation consoles (PS5 or XSX) and PC.
Advanced ability to be self-directed, focused and detail oriented.
Advanced C++ skills.
Advance knowledge on blueprints and AI decision making tools (Unreal behaviour trees, utility AI, etc.).
Advance knowledge of navigation and pathfinding systems.
3D math skills.
Advanced verbal and written communications skills.
A demonstrable love / passion for playing and making video games.
A highly communicative and collaborative disposition.