Company Description
We are looking for a highly talented, motivated, and experienced person to work with us on XDefiant, a new multiplatform online multiplayer action game based in our San Francisco studio. XDefiant is a free-to-play, fast-paced arena shooter that combines intense gunplay with personalized loadouts and specialized factions, as teams of gunfighters battle for domination.
Job Description
Ubisoft San Francisco is looking for a Principal Technical Artist, focused on Performance Optimization, to join our Technical Art team. As the Performance Senior Technical Artist you will be responsible for analyzing game content and levels from a performance standpoint and setting budgets, standards, and best practices for cutting edge real-time projects resulting in the highest quality content running at target framerates on target hardware.
You’ll also be part of the diverse Ubisoft San Francisco team. We embrace a variety of work situations based on what is best for the team, and we welcome people working in our SF office, remotely within the continental US, or some combination of the two. We put a priority on supporting our team members and what makes them happiest and most productive.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
– Create performance benchmarks tests, analyze the data resulting from them, and provide actionable tasks to optimize content while maintaining visual quality.
– Work closely with rendering engineers and quality assurance to monitor and debug performance related bottlenecks and overages
– Ascertain potential automation opportunities in our performance analysis pipeline
– Plan, enact, and enforce the best practices for authoring optimized content given specific hardware targets
– Provide discipline performance budgets and content targets specific to target hardware, software
– Write technical documentation clearly and precisely for different audiences
– Maintain a clear & precise communication chain between all stakeholders (Artists and Programmers)
– Drives the standardization of tools, workflows, project templates, and best practices in the realm of real-time optimization
– Assess, alter, and integrate assets (eg. Meshes, Textures) to diagnose how to improve memory footprints and/or decrease performance cost.
– Working closely with various art departments to guide them through creating art assets optimized to our game engine.
– Work with engine team to manage and improve our performance/optimization feature set.
– Provide and maintain tools to empower artist guided real-time performance monitoring, best practices, and transparency
Qualifications
WHAT YOU’LL BRING
– Strong knowledge in Maya, 3DS Max or similar 3D program.
– Experience creating performant game assets inside of a game engine.
– Ability to grasp new programs and systems quickly.
– Self-motivation and excellent problem-solving skills.
– Strong communication and time management skills.
– Ability to work with multiple development disciplines effectively.
– Ability to work with both Artists/Programmers to achieve standards set by Directors
– Ability to debug non-performant game scenarios and art content in engine
– Strong grasp of real-time rendering engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, their provided profiling tools, and their optimal configurations related to the performance needs of the target hardware, software, and distribution.
– Good knowledge of real-time rendering rendering pipelines and be able to troubleshoot and diagnose performance bottlenecks
– Strong grasp of real-time content creation pipelines and the impact of well authored assets on runtime performance
– Good knowledge of content optimization techniques, strategies, and engine configurations.
– A passion for creating efficient and stable workflows that allow artists to focus on content creation
– Ability to read/write HLSL/GLSL/Node Based Shader Graphs
– Ability to profile Shaders, Materials and generic Art Assets
– Experience using a profiler to pinpoint and optimize problems in game assets
– Ability to explain the passes in a rendered frame
– Understanding of how a pixel is being rendered on screen
– Knowledge in at least 1 programming or scripting language (C#, Python, C/C++)
– Experience developing and shipping a professional game project start to finish
BONUS
– Knowledge of software development tools such as visual studio
– Console development experience on any platform of Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo (handheld consoles)
– Good knowledge of tool development either using Python, C#, C++, or visual scripting tools like Unreal Engine Blueprints
– Experience using Houdini or other Procedural content pipelines
Learn more about XDefiant here – https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/xdefiant
Learn more about the Snowdrop engine here – https://www.ubisoft.com/snowdrop
Additional Information
WHAT YOU’LL GET
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Employer HSA contribution to fully cover your deductible (with enrollment in a HSA eligible medical plan)
- 401k match
- Paid vacation, holiday and wellness time
- Fitness, physical challenge, and eSports competition reimbursements
- Ginger emotional support app for you and your adult dependents with up to 10 sessions per year of video-based therapy and psychiatry services
- Membership to One Medical
- Rocket Lawyer online legal service membership
- Paid parental leave
- Paid time off to volunteer
- Pawternity – paid time off to bond with a newly adopted pet
- Sabbatical leave available after 5 years of employment
- Access to all of the latest Ubisoft games for PC
- Generous discount on new Ubisoft games
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guideline
MORE ABOUT US
Ubisoft is composed of over 21,000 talented people located in 45+ development studios and offices across the globe. With more than 80% of our teams dedicated to creation, Ubisoft is the biggest in-house creative force in the industry.
Ubisoft’s worldwide network of video game development studios and business offices work hand-in-hand each day to deliver rich and innovative gaming experiences that reflect the creativity and diversity of their teams. This cross-studio collaboration model means every team member has the opportunity to participate in challenging projects based on iconic brands including Assassin’s Creed®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege®, Tom Clancy’s The Division®, For Honor®, Rabbids®, Rayman®, Watch Dogs®, Far Cry®, The Crew®, Just Dance® and more. Ubisoft is a global leader in the video games and entertainment software industry.
We are committed to enriching player’s lives with original and memorable gaming experiences. We create worlds where people can express themselves, explore and discover new possibilities.
Are you looking to work with enthusiastic experts who are tackling game-changing challenges in entertainment and beyond? At Ubisoft, we offer an open environment where bright ideas are given a chance to shine, and everyone is eager to share knowledge.
The San Francisco base salary range for this full-time position is $136,000 – $169,000. The base pay offered may vary based on a candidate’s geographic region, qualifications, skills and experience among other factors. Compensation details reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, stock options, or benefits.
Skills and competencies show up in different forms and can be based on different experiences, that’s why we strongly encourage you to apply even though you may not have all the requirements listed above.
At Ubisoft, you can come as you are. We embrace diversity in all its forms. We’re committed to fostering a work environment that is inclusive and respectful of all differences. Ubisoft is committed to creating an inclusive work environment that reflects the diversity of our player community. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability status.
Take entertainment to the next level. Join us and create the unknown.
We do not accept any unsolicited resumes submitted by staffing or placement agencies or recruiters.