Technical Director

Description

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Let's talk some truth: Making games is hard. It's a collision of art and technology that’s about as predictable as a tornado. There's no secret formula, no foolproof blueprint—but it certainly helps to have a reason for making games in the first place. "Every Player's Story is Unique." At Hangar 13, that's why we make games. We’re currently creating an intense action game set in an immersive world and with a strong narrative, but player agency is at the heart of everything we do. We want to give players the freedom to choose how to overcome challenges and make meaningful decisions that shape the world and characters around them.

Summary: 
Hangar 13 is seeking a seasoned Technical Director to provide technical direction and leadership for an AAA multi-platform title through all phases of development, and manage the engineering team to deliver all required tools and technology.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the project’s engineering team
• Work with the Creative Director to understand and champion the game vision
• Translate the game vision into an actionable technical design. Articulate and refine that technical design throughout development
• Work with the Art Director and Design Director to identify and define pipelines, workflows, and tools needed throughout development; and manage the effort to build, test, and improve them
• Evaluate both internal and external technology solutions to make informed recommendations for adoption, revision, and maintenance of required tech
• Maintain overall code quality, ensuring that code is cross-platform, reusable, and testable
• Manage internal and external technology dependencies and risks, and create contingency plans for all critical path technologies
• Work with the production team to revise and validate engineering estimates and production plans
• Conduct regular code reviews to ensure quality and consistency
• Define and enforce performance metrics throughout development
• Keep current with technology advances and propose new innovations that may benefit the project
• Provide mentorship, troubleshooting, debugging and problem-solving assistance to members of the engineering team 
• Proactively identify cross-discipline challenges and risks to the project, and offer solutions
• Foster a culture of open, honest, and respectful communication across all disciplines
• Write code as necessary

Qualifications: 
Education and experience:

• Master's degree in Computer Science or related discipline, or relevant work experience
• In-depth working knowledge of several core engine systems, such as graphics, animation, and audio
• 8+ years of programming experience on commercial software projects
• 2+ shipped titles with management or lead responsibilities, specifically in the game industry
• Proven commitment to code quality, documentation and sound testing procedures
• Experience developing multi-platform projects
• Experience developing FPS, RPG, or Action games
• Experience with third-party technology solutions, including the Unreal Engine or other third-party engines and toolsets

Skills:

• Excellent project management and time management skills
• Expertise with the C / C++ programming language along with a strong familiarity with OO design principles
• Strong verbal and written communication skills