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Associate Software Engineer, Engine - Art Pipeline

“Dedicated to creating the most epic entertainment experiences…ever.”

That’s our mission statement here at Blizzard Entertainment, and for an art tools engineer on the World of Warcraft (WoW) team, it’s a way of life.

In this role, you’ll improve existing (and create new) tools that will enable some of the most talented artists in the world to ply their craft freely and directly. As such, you must be proficient in developing powerful programs for art creation pipelines.

The WoW team is built on a culture of collaboration, intense creativity, and problem-solving. As a group, we are committed to pushing our exploration of Azeroth to the fullest, and in doing so creating a gaming experience like no other. As an art tools engineer, the work you do will live at the very heart of this philosophy. We’re looking for an engineer with qualities above and beyond engineering. We want a person that enjoys working in a group setting; who speaks artist and geek with equal fluency, and whose experience in creative environments has reinforced the value of communications, empathy, and knowledge sharing.

Responsibilities

• Design and implementation of new development tools for artists, including implementing features in the WoW engine when necessary.
• Communicate with other departments within the team to improve existing tools and determine new solutions.
• Maintain tools for performance, stability, and error-free operation.
• Identify and resolve pipeline issues and discover opportunities for improvement.

Requirements

• Passion for tool development and tool chains
• Passion for enabling others to have the best tools available
• Advanced understanding of C / C++
• Experience working with game engines
• Strong mathematics skills
• Able to communicate with non-technical users.
• Must love working with Artists.
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment and handling multiple projects simultaneously
• Service-oriented attitude with an eye for efficiency and workflow
• Advanced understanding of game content pipeline and tools
• Strong debugging skills
• Strong experience with 3D Studio Max, Max SDK, and MaxScript

Pluses

• Experience with modern source control system (Subversion, Perforce, etc.)
• Detailed knowledge of 3D graphics, animation, camera control, and lighting
• Understanding of STL
• Experience with SQL databases -- database design, query design, and C++ or other language bindings
• C#, Javascript, Python, or other languages
• Experience with Maya and MEL
• Experience shipping multiple game titles
• Interest in workflow automation
• UI design experience