Technical Director

Technical Director, Auckland, New Zealand

Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is a proud, independent studio that joins forces with developers and publishers seeking an innovative partner in creating quality games. At BSG, people are our purpose, so we prioritize an inquisitive, proactive, and collaborative work environment for all our squirrels. Blind Squirrel Games currently has locations in Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand, and Manizales, Colombia. Skills and experience are highly valued at BSG, but we recognize that talent is a product of hard work, resilience, and a growth mindset. We champion individuals who have demonstrated they have the grit to overcome challenges and subscribe to the notion that inclusion breeds synergy and innovation. To us, diversity isn't a metric—it's a must!

TECHNICAL DIRECTORS AT BSG…

You've left no stone unturned when it comes to programming and know that the secret to creating great games is by nurturing the talent behind them and giving them the tools to thrive within their own disciplines. As an industry veteran, you are credited in multiple AAA titles in senior roles or above and have a proven track record of building successful foundations and strategies. You are one of the department's top decision-makers when it comes to the creation and amendment of a project's engineering pipeline and the studio looks to your direction to mitigate risks. Your level of accountability goes beyond feedback and design as you are also responsible for orienting your department's resources, staff, and tools to perform optimally. You are accustomed to maintaining schedules and budgets; keeping yourself abreast of project status, industry trends, and emerging technology; and managing overall team health.

Role and Responsibilities

Blind Squirrel Games (BSG) is looking for a Technical Director to join us in building game systems and technologies using Unreal Engine 4/5 and C++. Supported by the Director of Engineering and the Director of Tools and Technology, the Technical Director will work alongside a team of talented engineers to rapidly prototype new gameplay features and help develop approved prototypes into fully featured games.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical foundation for the project, including the technical design and implementation of core gameplay systems and ensuring reliability across all platforms.
• Evaluate and propose enhancements to C++ and UE libraries, advocating for changes to enhance user experience and reduce technical debt.
• Review detailed designs, aligning them with the technical vision, and providing technical leadership within the team.
• Provide production and integration support for our partner’s games and services, championing client relationships.
• Serve as the main technical point of contact between BSG and our publisher, and as an expert leader for best practices in Unreal Engine development, contributing to the development of standards and solutions.
• Participate in code reviews, daily scrum meetings, weekly leads meetings, and biweekly sprint retrospectives.
• Manage internal programming leads to help guide their engineering teams towards their goals.
• Develop and implement various features and systems such as gameplay mechanics, AI algorithms, audio processing, networking infrastructure, and other game development systems, scripts, and tools.
• Collaborate with production and team leads for milestone and sprint planning, contributing to project bids and providing technical insight.
• Determine and maintain CPU performance and memory budgets across platforms, assisting with critical technical decisions and debugging complex issues within Unreal Engine.
• Contribute to current and new project bids by offering technical insights and expertise as needed.
• Other relevant duties and responsibilities as assigned to help complete company or department objectives.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Engineering.
• 6+ years of professional experience in game development.
• 3+ years of experience leading and mentoring engineering teams.
• At least two shipped titles.

Preferred Skills

• Outstanding communication skills.
• Excellent collaboration skills.
• Fluent in C/C++.
• Expert UE 3, UE4, and UE 5 experience.
• Deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, design patterns, debugging and performance optimizations.
• Familiarity with consuming RESTful backend services.
• Ingrained proficiency in scheduling new feature development vs. bug-fixing/optimization.
• Strong knowledge in software engineering/architecture and design patterns.
• Solid understanding of multi-threaded programming.
• Strong 3D skills and low-level engine experience.
• Passion about games and game development.

Pluses

• Previous experience with rendering, graphics, or optimization.

Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Eligibility to participate in benefits and perks may vary depending on position term and location. We share personal information collected internally, with affiliates and with service providers for the purposes set forth by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and with your consent. For the avoidance of doubt, Blind Squirrel Games does not sell your personal information to third parties, as those terms are defined in the CCPA. #J-18808-Ljbffr