Technical Director - Studio Elevation (Remote within the UK)

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Requirements:

• Advanced knowledge of C++ including high-performance programming.
• An advanced understanding of several specialist area of game development – for example Gameplay/UX (user experience), Animation, Networking, UI (user interface), Tools, AI (artificial intelligence).
• A baseline comprehension of many other specialist areas of game development, sufficient to plan projects and system interoperability.
• A thorough understanding of Unreal Engine’s C++ extensions, game framework and blueprint scripting.
• Knowledge of Unreal Engine’s project structure, settings, cook/build systems, and plugin architecture.
• Ability to debug the most complex issues with real-time 3D applications, both at a code level and using visual tools.
• Fluent in applying 3D math principles to real-time programming – matrices, quaternions, vectors etc.
• Ability to profile/optimise code to improve performance.
• Good English communication skills with an ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical staff.
• Awareness of their own management style, techniques for managing performance, coaching and mentoring.
• Programming in the games industry in a professional context, working on at least three titles that are released on a current-generation console, PC, VR (Virtual Reality) headset or mobile.
• Personal responsibility for the technical design, implementation and maintenance of entire game projects, or areas of a large project that required multiple staff to implement.
• A leadership role on at least one Unreal Engine 4 or 5 project.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee technical implementation
• Own the overall architecture for a game project, including middleware, asset pipelines, tools, system interoperability, etc.
• Promote efficient development. Identify opportunities for code reuse. Engineer for straightforward reuse in future.
• Support an agile, fail fast methodology when discovering and exploring technical solutions.
• Balance product quality, performance and development resources.
• Plan and estimate effectively
• Evaluate product requirements, raise potential risks, and propose solutions.
• Influence high-level product roadmaps, setting suitable technical milestones and gates for development. Input to the studio resourcing plan.
• Own and communicate the technical approach for a studio, aligning it with the company-wide strategy.
• Direct technical priorities for the studio. Interleave company, studio and project-level priorities.
• Give feedback on and influence the business-wide technology strategy. Collaborate with the central Shared Technology group to ensure Elevation is contributing to and benefitting from company-wide development.
• Document and communicate information
• Ensure the quality and accuracy of technical documentation for each project and the studio.
• Communicate the architecture of game projects, describing how systems interact. Tailor information for technical or non-technical audiences.
• Work with the Code Manager to support an effective and scalable programming team
• Empower staff with appropriate context, achievable goals, and honest, timely feedback.
• Create scope for senior staff, delegating areas of responsibility and mitigating single points of failure.
• Manage and interleave processes and workflows across the studio. Identify blockers and inefficiencies in development and help to solve them.
• Encourage collaboration in the programming staff. Instil a truly cross-discipline mentality. Make time for them to exchange information and techniques with other studios and shared nDreams functions.
• Act as the hiring manager for technical staff. Conduct interviews, effectively evaluating technical and behavioural competencies. Check bias (self and others) and make balanced hiring decisions.
• Mentor Senior and Principal-level staff, helping to expand their scope and influence