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Principal Gameplay Animation Engineer
2K Games
Job Summary
2K Games, headquartered in Novato, California and a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., is a global video game company publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Located in Vancouver, BC, 2K Sports Lab is a small collective within 2K Games driving research and development of future sports interactive entertainment programs.
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to contribute to the development of core runtime animation technology and features at our new studio. In this role, you will work closely with Animators, Design, and Production to develop nuanced and sophisticated animation behaviors that authentically replicate sport. You will help build the foundation, then iterate, innovate, and polish world-class gameplay for what will be the next massive sports franchise in our industry.
Key Responsibilities
- Research, develop and implement new industry leading animation technologies.
- Collaborate closely with gameplay engineers/designers to identify and develop new animation features.
- Support requests and features for content creation tools, and animation review/analysis.
- Keep up to date with the latest industry and academic work for consideration in our animation toolset.
- Mentor engineers on programming techniques and robust engineering practices.
- Partner with studio leadership to define engineering standards and direction for animation technology development.
- May assume a tech lead role for game components, including system responsibility and technical leadership of other specialists.
- Write and maintain robust and performant code.
- Optimize code and debug animation issues as they arise.
Required Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
- Excellent 3D math and linear algebra skills.
- Advanced expertise with C++.
- 7+ years of proven experience working on computer animation.
- Implementation experience in one or more of the following areas: inverse kinematics techniques, ragdoll and physics-based character animation, procedural animation techniques, cloth/hair animation, keyframe animation and forward kinematics, motion matching, machine learning driven animation techniques.
- Ability to explain technical topics to people of varying levels of expertise.
- Dedicated and self-motivated with an ability to identify areas for research and development.
- An eye for detail in creating dynamic, authentic, and responsive character animation.
- Love for video games (not just ours!).
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing and shipping AAA games on Unreal Engine 4 and 5.
- Master’s or PhD in a related field with a focus on animation related topics.
- Familiarity with Python and/or C#.
Benefits & Compensation
The pay range for this position in British Columbia at the start of employment is expected to be between CAD $139,400 and CAD $223,000 per year. Actual pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.
If hired, the company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
Application Process
As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.
Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews. When emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.
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