Lead Ai Designer

Company Description

People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA games development studios with an international team of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices located in Poland, UK, US, and Canada, and from all over the world thanks to our remote work programs.

Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. We are one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry and we are expanding it with in-house solutions called PCF Framework.

Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gemini is our new project being developed with Square Enix; Bifrost, Victoria and Dagger are projects we're growing in the self-publishing model. We also have one project in the concept phase – Red; as well as two projects in VR technology – Green Hell VR and Thunder - a new project based on one of the IPs from the Group’s portfolio.

With over 20 years of experience, PCF sets out to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talents in the industry to work together on the new generation of action games for the global gaming community.

If you decide to accompany us on this journey, you’ll have a chance to perfect your craft and expand your knowledge, working alongside leaders in the industry on bringing a brand-new unique experience to the players worldwide.

Project Dagger is a yet unannounced AAA action- adventure game developed by our North American team supported by PCF’s European studios.

Job Description

• Provide mentorship, direction and best in class engineering principles to ensure quality results and efficient working practices
• Mentoring, managing and leading the AI Design department
• Creating, pitching, and prototyping gameplay ideas for core combat and moment-to-moment mechanics and systems, combat characters, their feel, behavior, abilities, and encounters in various settings
• Implementing combatant character with animations and behavior using state machines, behavior trees, visual effects, sound effects & combat encounters with arena layouts and pacing using provided level design tools and various other scripting systems
• Creating designs documents, content briefs, system outlines, and other means of sharing all the necessary information with involved teams
• Collaborating with multiple disciplines, ensuring the correct partners are involved and informed throughout the development process
• Remaining current on industry trends, including new game genres, new game design methods and techniques, and trending audio-visual excellence

Qualifications

• ​​​​At least 5+ years of experience in the production of games for consoles and PC
• 2+ years of experience shipping AAA TPP / shooters titles in combat or systems design roles
• At least 1 shipped title in a combat designer role, with a history of successful features
• Good knowledge of Unreal Engine 4
• Working proficiency with Unreal Engine Editor
• Exceptional ability to conceptualize, pitch, and implement game systems and features using various tools, technology, and visual language
• A Clear understanding of creative and game development processes
• Experience with online action games
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English
• Open-minded team player attitude
• Strong work ethic and self-motivated
• Passionate about playing and making video games

Nice to have

• Familiarity with scripting languages and a strong foundation in math
• Good understanding of systems design, player psychology, and emerging industry trends
• Experience with versatile game development tools such as Unity and Unreal.
• Experience with Atlassian software (JIRA, Confluence)

Additional Information

What we offer:

U.S.

• 100% group health insurance benefit premiums paid by PCF (Medical, Dental, Vision, Group Life, and Supplemental Live) and start on day 1 of employment.
• 401K with 100% match, up to 3% of employee salary, and vested immediately.
• Paid week off during Winter Holidays.
• 20 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• A competitive salary and performance-based annual bonuses.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.
• Long term disability, short term disability, travel insurance, as well as other benefits provided. 

Canada

• Benefit package 100% paid by PCF. Insurance company reimburses 100% of claims (Up to $500 per service a year, as well as individual family coverage).
• Full Dental coverage, including major dental and orthodontics.
• 4% RRSP matching before tax deductions, 100% vested on day 1.
• Paid week off during Winter Holidays.
• 20 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.
• Free virtual health and mental wellbeing sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• A competitive salary and performance-based annual bonuses.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.