We are looking for a Technical Director to lead the engineering team for Undead Labs, and help us build the next hit in the State of Decay game franchise. This role will set the technical direction and engineering standards for the studio and products and manage the activities of multiple teams. The successful candidate will bring their leadership and craft expertise to help shape the player experience and the engineering discipline.
Core Responsibilities & Objectives
- Design an engineering approach for the studio that is delivered through product development
- Operate as key liaison for Undead Labs within the XGS engineering ecosystem
- Lead strategy for studio technical investments, budget, and decisions (e.g., middleware, tools, systems, etc.)
- Collaborate with the executive team to align technical plans and roadmaps to studio strategy
- Provide technical expertise to strategy, planning, and leadership of engineering work
- Oversee the creation of high-level technical design from product plans, including key bodies of work, interdependencies between work, guidelines for application lifecycle and data flow, and development processes and constraints
- Validate time, budget and software functionality trade-offs
- Lead the culture of engineering discipline and create a vibrant team environment where your colleagues can do their best work
- Motivate and inspire a team of internal / external engineers
- Set quality standards for the engineering discipline and participate in reviews and feedback to ensure build stability, effective code review, performance, and application of suitable engineering practices.
- Help drive decision-making, even when disagreements exist.
- Evangelize the goals and support the team in understanding context for decisions
- Champion, mentor and grow the engineering team’s capabilities and skills
Core Traits (Skills, Knowledge, Experience)
- Expertise with C++ and various software development methodologies
- Shipped multiple, high-budget titles across a range of platforms
- Experience developing and shipping on Unreal
- Experience leading a larger multi-feature team
- Led co-development engagements
- Experience as a technical leader on a live service game
- Highly skilled in solving problems and bring others together around solutions
- Strength in understanding product strategy, sizing the work, and evaluating risks
- Commitment to mentorship, learning, and exchanging knowledge, advice and best practices with colleagues
- Skilled in empathetic communication with technical and non-technical audiences, one-to-one or one-to-many settings
- Ideally brings 10+ years of experience in a software engineering role and 5+ years of management experience
Bonus Traits and Experience
- Experience with an external co-development partner
- Passion for quality
- Highly skilled in managing team dynamics
Physical Requirements
Close vision to monitors and screens, consistently working on computer equipment such as keyboards and monitors, long periods of sitting. Noise levels are low to moderate in the work environment. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Undead Labs is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.