Principal AI Programmer - Elevation (Remote within UK)
ApplyDescription
Elevation is re-establishing the boundaries of VR. We’re looking for a talented Principal AI Programmer to help us explore, create, and deliver world-leading innovation in VR games. Become one of the founding members of Elevation, pathfinding a remote first studio, crafting a new generation of VR development and bringing core VR games to fruition..
As the Principal AI Programmer, you will be responsible for architecting and leading the development of AI systems that interpret the world and control the actions of our characters and creatures in Unreal 5. Your work will help us provide a level of immersion that has not yet been seen in VR games while ensuring our games are fun, engaging and satisfying. You will be working in collaboration with a diverse team to create genre-leading titles, driving the discovery, implementation and refinement of intuitive and aspirational VR games.
Key Responsibilities:
- Take ownership of our AI systems, pipelines and set-ups, delivering cutting-edge AI character behaviour in VR.
- Develop the perception, behaviour and planning systems that underlie NPC and creature AI, integrating with Unreal 5 and custom code.
- Develop the controlling logic for NPC character behaviour, utilizing standard Unreal AI systems, your own code and new UE5 AI tech like Mass Entity and State Trees.
- Ensure AI systems and data are robust, maintainable and well documented, and AI workload is consistently performant for a stable VR framerate.
- Work alongside other disciplines, planning AI alongside animation, gameplay, art, audio and design requirements for best player experience.
- Help guide the design teams when making combat areas and other AI-driven experiences.
- Help with project planning for your areas of work, liaising with project management for best outcomes and predictable timely feature delivery.
- Self-develop your own knowledge of state-of-the-art AI techniques and the inner nuances of Unreal 5’s AI systems.
- Be a positive behavioural and mental role model for the team and studio.
- Help with staff development, departmental structure, mentoring and hiring.
Requirements
Essential capabilities:
- 5+ years of professional AI programming experience, with a minimum of one shipped title on a current-generation console, PC, VR headset or mobile.
- A thorough knowledge of C++ including high-performance programming and good 3D maths skills.
- Thorough knowledge of underlying AI systems including state machines, behaviour trees, perception/navigation systems and animation/physics requirements.
- Experience delivering compelling AI combat with believable navigation, cover, tactical enemy squad coordination, and strategic high-level AI planning.
- Shipped game title(s) with believable and engaging AI behaviour using a modern game engine, delivering a balanced, enjoyable player experience.
- A passion for working with level design, animation and other disciplines, clearly communicating AI needs and best practice, enabling the creation of challenging and satisfying player experiences.
- Strong English communication skills with a focus on positive cross-discipline teamwork and an ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical staff.
- A committed team player, recognizing the importance and value of people within a technology environment.
Desired experience:
- Professional experience of VR game development.
- Professional experience developing AI using Unreal 4 or 5.
- Prior experience with Perforce and Visual studio
- Experience developing for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam or Oculus
Benefits
Who are we?
nDreams Studio Elevation is bringing the evolution of VR development to core gamers.
This is an all-new studio seeded by the creative talent that brought you the innovative, genre-defining award-winning VR title Phantom: Covert Ops.
We are looking for exceptional talent to help pave the way forward with fresh innovation for the next generation of VR hardware and software.
Why nDreams Elevation?
This is the opportunity to build upon an already proven, world-class foundation of VR expertise, to further shape and mould a new way of working, that continues to deliver and innovate for the next generation of core VR games.
We are a remote-first studio, with all the perks that come with it. Work from anywhere to help us push the boundaries of VR, with cutting edge technology and the support of our established VR expertise from the wider nDreams group.
Rapidly growing to support a variety of genres, nDreams is one of the world’s leading developers/publishers focused on VR games, creating multiple studios dedicated to making the best games out there.