- Company Name
- Certain Affinity
- Job Title
- Senior AI Gameplay Engineer
- Job Description
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**Job title**: Senior AI Gameplay Engineer
**Role Summary**: Lead architect and developer responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing AI systems that give characters, creatures, and monsters believable behavior and navigation in a high‑fidelity game world. Collaborate with designers, animators, and other engineers to translate creative concepts into scalable, performance‑centric solutions.
**Expectations**: • 6+ years of software engineering in the games industry, with a proven record in core AI and navigation systems. • Expert‑level C++ development, including memory profiling, performance tuning, and debugging. • Deep knowledge of 3D math, physics‑based character motion, root motion, procedural animation, and inverse kinematics. • Ability to convert high‑level creative objectives into technical design documents and executable code. • Strong communication skills to explain technical constraints to non‑technical stakeholders and to mentor junior team members.
**Key Responsibilities**:
1. Design, build, and maintain robust AI frameworks (decision trees, sensory systems, spatial reasoning).
2. Partner with designers and animators to implement expressive and responsive character behaviors.
3. Develop and refine tools that streamline content creation and reduce implementation friction.
4. Diagnose cross‑cutting technical issues spanning AI, animation, physics, and gameplay logic.
5. Lead code reviews, author technical documentation, and elevate engineering standards.
6. Ensure AI systems run within CPU budgets, optimizing performance at scale.
**Required Skills**:
- C++ (expert proficiency, performance profiling, memory management).
- AI architecture and navigation systems in a modern game engine.
- 3D math, physics simulation, character movement, root motion, procedural animation, IK.
- Data structures, algorithms, and architectural patterns for game engines.
- Strong debugging, systematic problem‑solving, and long‑term stability focus.
- Experience with Unreal Engine 5 AI systems (preferred).
- Familiarity with systemic AI or “living world” simulations (extra credit).
**Required Education & Certifications**:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Game Development, or a closely related field.
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