Tools Engineer

The Tools Engineer creates tools and applications to facilitate the work of artists, producers, and game designers on Stardock projects. Tool work covers the entire gamut of improving the game development process from pipeline development, data editors, and debugging information. The ideal candidate isn't just satisfied that tools merely "work", but that the tool creates an ideal experience for its user. This is a full-time, salaried position that reports to our Plymouth, MI office.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Apply solid UI/UX principles to ensure tools are intuitive, efficient, and well-received by end users
• Evaluate artists’ needs, identify issues, and create tools, scripts, and documentation to support the art creation and implementation process using our proprietary engines
• Collaborate with different teams to gather requirements, develop designs, and ensure tools meet real user needs
• Support the art team with tool setup, deployment, troubleshooting, and keeping pipelines operational
• Exhibit a strong understanding of current industry content workflows, tools, and pipelines
• Work with producers to accurately schedule, coordinate across teams, and deliver polished, user-friendly tools

Education and/or Experience Desired:

• 4+ years of professional C++ experience
• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• Knowledge of Qt, WPF, C#, LUA, JSON, XML/XSD, and any games or simulation experience are a plus
• Effective communication, teamwork and collaboration skills with different audiences: artists, engineers, managers, designers, etc.
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and balance priorities with good time management
• Familiarity with tools commonly used in art production pipelines (e.g., Maya, Blender, Substance Painter) to better understand and support their integration
• Experience developing tools for proprietary game engines