GAMEPLAY SYSTEMS PROGRAMMER

Giant Squid is looking for an experienced programmer/designer hybrid to help drive the creation of core gameplay features for our new exciting projects. This role will also participate in the design and implementation of core game systems.

We will depend on your natural sense for interactive experience design and your ability to apply advanced mathematics, physics, and code to make our gameplay designs a reality. Examples may include player movement and controls, dynamic camera logic, AI behaviors, interactive objects, and environmental player feedback, among many others. We value intuitive, immersive gameplay that rewards input with rich, fluid feedback for even the most minute interactions. You will be brainstorming these gameplay ideas with the team and then prototyping variations in engine.

In addition, you will be asked to collaborate with our programmers to implement lower level game systems. Examples might include advanced terrain functionality, global weather systems, foliage instancing logic and management, level-wide mesh data baking processes and dynamic textures, custom shader functionality and inputs, or character animation systems. Understanding the needs of our designers who end up using these systems will be crucial to developing intuitive, efficient tools and workflows, maximizing the versatility and use of these features.

Beyond a deep understanding of programming and an eye for design, we are looking for a thoughtful collaborator who shares our excitement for learning, researching new techniques, wearing multiple hats and stepping outside of regular workflows to innovate and make things happen. A multi-disciplinary approach will be crucial as you help us find solutions to unforeseen challenges that we discover as we bring our next project to life.

Responsibilities
- Prototype, implement and polish gameplay interactions, character actions, camera and game systems
- Ensure gameplay delivers rich feedback for player input by collaborating with animators and artists
- Iterate on design based on user playtesting and feedback
- Participate in the construction of larger underlying game systems, and help create efficient tools and explore new workflows to expose them to designers

Requirements
- Wide breadth of game-specific programming knowledge and experience
- Mastery of programming in C++ and other high-level programming language features
- Deep understanding of mathematics for game systems (calculus, linear algebra, trigonometry, etc.)
- An eagerness to collaborate closely with artists
- Knowledge of game design principles and patterns
- At least one title shipped in a gameplay programming related role or equivalent experience

Bonus
- Experience with writing domain-specific tools and web interfaces to facilitate game-specific analysis and development
- Experience with Unreal Engine 4