Studio Technical Director

Posted 3 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Amsterdam, NLD
In-Office
111K-195K Annually
Expert/Leader
Gaming • Sports • Esports
The Role
Lead the studio's technical vision and execution across game teams, overseeing code, Decima engine extensions, graphics, AI, tools, and optimizations. Define architecture, engineering standards, evaluate technical risks, contribute to hiring and team development, and collaborate with creative and production leadership to align technology with creative goals.
Summary Generated by Built In

Guerrilla, the Amsterdam-based developer of Horizon Zero Dawn and Killzone Franchises, is looking for a Technical Director for the studio to drive the technology of Guerrilla's current and upcoming projects.

Our Technology Platform 

Guerrilla uses the award-winning Decima engine which was originally developed here. It’s now managed by the in-house Decima team that works alongside Guerrilla. The same engine is used by other Sony and external studios. Guerrilla is a world-class game development studio known for creating ambitious, visually stunning, and technically advanced games. We are passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology, gameplay, and artistic quality to deliver unforgettable games to players worldwide.

Overview

We are looking for an experienced Technical Director to provide technical leadership across our game development teams. Key responsibility for this role is guiding the studio’s technical vision and execution, overseeing development of all code written on the game teams, and the use and extensions to the Decima engine. Core expertise areas are game code, entity AI, game-specific tools and pipelines, graphics, and optimizations for all target platforms.

What you will do

As the Technical Director for the studio you will:

  • Provide leadership and direction to engineering teams across multiple disciplines and specializations;
  • Partner closely with engineering, art, design, production, and studio leadership to ensure our technology strategy supports the creative ambitions of the team;
  • Help define long-term technical direction and support day-to-day execution;
  • Be a key stakeholder in the Decima roadmap, providing feedback, requirements, and insights to the development of the shared engine;
  • Evaluate technical risks and opportunities, together with production and the Decima team;
  • Contribute to hiring, team development, succession planning, and organizational design within the technology group;
    - Ensure technical solutions are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with both short-term project needs and long-term studio goals.
  • Guide architectural decisions and establish engineering best practices, coding standards, and quality benchmarks;
  • Mentor senior engineers and technical leads, helping grow leadership capability across the studio;
  • Analyze technology shortcomings and dependencies with internal or external partners and help mitigate those risks;
  • Be an inspiration to the team, bring an energy and technical vision that continues the legacy of creative and technological excellence in Guerrilla’s games.

This is a key leadership role for someone with deep games industry experience, strong technical judgment, and a proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams through complex development challenges.

Who you are

We'd love to hear from you if:

  • You have held a senior technical management position in the video games industry;
  • You are living in the Amsterdam area or are capable of relocating;
  • You have proven experience shipping AAA games or large-scale, technically ambitious interactive projects;
  • You have strong programming skills in C++ that you may not flex very often anymore, but are strong enough to guide the team where needed;
  • You have a strong background in multiple of the following:
    • Gameplay systems
    • Engine development
    • Online game technology
    • Managing and growing teams
    • Rendering/graphics programming
    • Low-level systems or platform engineering
    • Tools and pipelines
    • Collaboration with other creative teams and Directors
  • You have demonstrated experience overseeing broad technical areas beyond an individual specialization;
  • You have a strong understanding of modern game engine architecture, performance optimization, memory management, and platform constraints;
  • You have the ability to translate creative and production goals into clear technical plans and priorities;
  • You have a passion for online as well as single-player gaming;
Interested?

If you think you’re up for the challenge, we’d love to hear from you! You can apply by hitting the “apply now” button. Be sure to submit your CV and cover letter.

Please note: This position is based in our studio in the heart of Amsterdam. Guerrilla offers relocation and immigration support.


At Guerrilla, we believe that our team’s varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives help us create games that resonate with a diverse audience.

As an equal opportunities employer, we strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity.

We encourage everyone to respond as we consider all candidates on the basis of their merit, unique strengths, and perspectives they will bring to the role.

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. 
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
€111.200€195.000 EUR

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Skills Required

  • Held a senior technical management position in the video games industry
  • Living in the Amsterdam area or capable of relocating
  • Proven experience shipping AAA games or large-scale, technically ambitious interactive projects
  • Strong programming skills in C++
  • Strong background in gameplay systems
  • Strong background in engine development
  • Experience with online game technology
  • Experience managing and growing engineering teams
  • Experience in rendering/graphics programming
  • Experience in low-level systems or platform engineering
  • Experience with tools and pipelines
  • Demonstrated experience overseeing broad technical areas beyond an individual specialization
  • Strong understanding of modern game engine architecture, performance optimization, memory management, and platform constraints
  • Ability to translate creative and production goals into clear technical plans and priorities
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The Company
HQ: Amsterdam
413 Employees
Year Founded: 2003

What We Do

As one of Europe's leading game development studios, Guerrilla has continually pushed the boundaries of technical and artistic excellence since its inception in 2003. Today, the studio employs 400 professionals from 25 different nationalities. Guerrilla’s state-of-the-art offices are located in the cultural and historical heart of Amsterdam, The Netherlands — a great place to work and play. Guerrilla was founded as the result of a merger between three smaller Dutch studios: Lost Boys Games, Orange Games and Digital Infinity. In 2005, it was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment after the release of Killzone on PlayStation 2. In the decade that followed, Guerrilla expanded Killzone into a successful franchise with a handheld spin-off and three sequels. Guerrilla's next title, released for PlayStation 4 in 2017 and for PC in 2020, is the critically and popularly acclaimed open world action-RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. The studio released its sequel Horizon Forbidden West in February 2022, with the Burning Shores expansion in 2023. This year, Guerrilla also released the PSVR2 title, Horizon Call of the Mountain

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