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Technical Director - Sledgehammer Games Guildford (UK)

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Job Description:

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games, award winning developer of multiple titles in the Call of Duty franchise, is looking for talented developers to join our studio as founding members of our new UK team, based just south of London in Guildford. This group will partner equally with our teams in Foster City, Melbourne, and Toronto in the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world. This is an opportunity to help grow and shape a AAA team from the ground up, adding new skills to your armory while gaining the unique satisfaction that only comes from building something brand new. Join us on our quest to maintain and improve a healthy and inspiring studio culture!

At Sledgehammer Games, we recently entered our second decade of game development, focused on constant evolution, innovation and qualified risk-taking. With world-class content production and engineering teams, we’ve been able to achieve some of the highest-quality game execution of any studio in the industry. We love what we do and work hard to make sure that each new game we make is even better than the last. Creativity is key, and we’re looking for talented game developers for our exciting new projects.

Sledgehammer Games is wholly owned by Activision. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform. Want to hear what it’s like at the studio directly from current employees? Check out our #LifeatSHG developer profiles: https://youtu.be/12DUBszg-w4

Your Mission

As Technical Director, you will play a major role at a world class game development studio on a AAA title. You will work with artists, engineers, and designers in leading engineering efforts for our upcoming projects. You have attention to detail and a broad interest in leading efforts across diverse areas of development. In addition to our studio, you will closely work with multiple teams within the Activision studio network.

This role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

· Help to build an engineering team in partnership with SHG studio leadership and the recruitment team

· Lead by example and set standard for the engineering team in the pursuit of excellence

· Balance hands-on implementation with the need to manage and direct the technical team

· Provide technical insight regarding design and feature sets

· Work with designers and other engineers to prototype, develop, and refine features

· Act as a motivational force for your team as well as the wider studio

· Establish highly effective communication with other studios around the world

· Agree future mandates with SHG studio leadership for the team, based on overall studio needs against the 5-year plan.

· Rally the team and create visible, wide-spread support for direction.

· Communicate progress and resolution of issues with the ability to set guidelines for peers and support teams.

· Represent the team’s work at publisher greenlight meetings when required.

· Build effective working relationships with key technical, creative and production stakeholders across SHG, helping to ensure consistency of output from the studio.

· Over time, become a key technical leader at the studio with a highly visible presence at team all-hands and other studio events, visiting the Foster City and Melbourne teams when required.

· Promote the studio’s ‘One Sledgehammer’ philosophy, to help ensure members of the team feel truly part of the wider studio. Proactively raise any issues regarding team cohesion with studio Leadership.

Minimum Requirements:

· 10+ years of programming experience

· 5+ years of experience leading high-performing engineering teams

· Demonstrated proficiency in and knowledge of C/C++, data structures, performance, and multi-threaded programming techniques

· Knowledge of common data structures and algorithmic solutions

· Thorough knowledge of software design practices including modular architecture, event-driven architecture, software design patterns and object-oriented design

· Ability to quickly understand and work with internal and externally developed code

· Demonstrated ability to write clean, readable, portable, reliable, and optimized code.

· Experience mentoring engineers from junior to senior level

· An appreciation and basic understanding for the other disciplines, particularly game design.

· An egoless attitude that welcomes feedback and criticism, and enjoys working in a collaborative, iterative, and agile process.

· An analytical approach and the ability to break down complex problems into consumable and relevant pieces for others.

· Experience taking major AAA console and PC games from concept to completion.

Extra Points:

· Experience designing, launching, monitoring, and evolving a live service title.

· Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills.

· Experience working on projects involving multiple internal and external partners, and with established franchises where close collaboration with publishing owners is required.

· A strong passion for video games and the online experience

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty ®, World of Warcraft® , Overwatch ®, Diablo ®, Candy Crush ™ and Bubble Witch ™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

Sledgehammer Games is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.