Sr. Engineering Generalist

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. We currently have studio locations in Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand, and a new campus in 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 necessary to overcome challenges and believe in consistent collaboration. 

This is a full-time position based in Auckland, NZ with a full-time onsite requirement at the studio. 
 

Sr. Engineering Generalist’s at BSG: 
 

• You have a deep understanding of the Engineering pipeline, complemented by a refined skillset, honed through experience on numerous AAA titles. You're recognized as a dependable developer with the insight to know when to seek feedback. You welcome challenges, setting high standards for yourself and delivering high-quality work consistently. 
  

• While your influence is vital to the department's success and you provide mentorship to junior developers, programming remains your core focus. You excel in independent work but also value collaboration through teamwork.  

Role and Responsibilities 

• Create high-performance, robust, maintainable code in a cross-platform environment. 

• Evaluate existing technology architectures. 

• Extend existing systems to meet long-term needs of ongoing development. 

• Integrate physics engines and simulate realistic behaviors for game objects. 

• Implement animation blending, state machines, and IK systems for character animation. 

• Apply linear algebra concepts for tasks such as collision detection, ray tracing, and matrix transformations. 

• Design and implement efficient data structures for storing game objects, scenes, and AI behavior trees. 

• Develop server-side systems for handling player interactions, game state synchronization, and anti-cheat measures. 

• Implement client-server communication protocols and network prediction techniques. 

• Develop strategies for compensating network latency in multiplayer games. 

• Implement rendering pipelines, shaders, and post-processing effects using graphics APIs like DirectX, Vulkan, and OpenGL. 

• Design and implement decision-making algorithms, and sensory systems for NPCs. 

• Use debugging tools like PIX, RenderDoc, and Visual Studio to diagnose and fix issues in game code and assets. 

• Analyze core dumps and crash reports to identify memory leaks, null pointer dereferences, and other runtime errors. 

• Profile and optimize CPU, GPU, and memory usage to maintain target frame rates and minimize load times. 

• Optimize rendering techniques and shaders for different hardware configurations and rendering APIs. 

• Design and implement asset pipelines for importing, processing, and exporting game assets. 

• Work with external development partners. 

• Other relevant duties and responsibilities as assigned to help complete company or department objectives.. 

• Fluent in C/C++. 

• Familiar with C#, HTML, Java, or HLSL/GLSL. 

• Solid understanding of multi-threaded programming. 

• Experience with the current PC development process. 

• Familiar with contemporary engines and platforms. 

• Experience with animation systems, including motion capture data integration and procedural animation techniques. 

• Strong understanding of linear algebra and trigonometry for game development. 

• Proficiency in designing and optimizing data structures and algorithms. 

• Familiarity with server and multiplayer functionality concepts, including latency compensation strategies. 

• Skilled in graphics programming and optimization techniques. 

• Proficiency in analyzing core dumps and implementing crash reporting systems. 

• Experience with performance optimization concepts and tools like NVIDIA Nsight and AMD GPU PerfStudio. 

• Knowledge of pipeline development and automation using scripting languages like Python and PowerShell.   

Qualifications and Education Requirements 
 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a similar field or equivalent professional experience. 

• 4+ years of industry  experience. 

• Credited on at least two AAA titles as a programmer. 

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.       

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