Technical Game Designer

Location: Hybrid role based in Santa Monica, California, United States. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. Temporary engagement through DZConneX Services.

Salary: $58.03–$72.55 per hour.

Company

hirify.global's Naughty Dog studio develops narrative-driven, technically innovative AAA games, including The Last of Us series, and is working on a new single-player game.

What you will do

• Prototype, implement, own, and polish gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors using in-house tools and scripting.
• Conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems with the Design team.
• Collaborate with animation, programming, and art departments to produce required assets and code support.
• Iterate rapidly on creative gameplay solutions and bring prototypes into production.
• Take on additional responsibilities as needed.

Requirements

• Significant programming ability; a Computer Science undergraduate degree is preferred.
• Knowledge of 3D mathematics.
• Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or another scripting language.
• Broad understanding of the gaming landscape.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to communicate and work effectively in a team.
• Willingness to take design direction, brainstorm, iterate, and develop fun and creative solutions.

Nice to have

• Experience developing AAA third-person action games.
• Experience with 3D level editors.
• Understanding of narrative principles and conveying emotion through gameplay.
• Experience with behavior trees, melee, combat systems, character animation, and enemy and boss design.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive environment focused on diversity, innovation, and collaboration.
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits are available.
• Background checks are conducted at the offer stage for new employees.