Associate Game Designer (Technical) (Contingent)

Naughty Dog•Santa Monica, CA

1d•$37 - $57•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner DZConneX. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position. Ability to work hybrid from our Santa Monica, CA based studio is required. For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us. Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together. In this role you’ll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We’re looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly.

Requirements

Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
Knowledge of 3D math
Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
Broad understanding of gaming landscape
Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions

Nice To Haves

Experience developing third-person action games
Experience with 3D level editors
Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
Experience with the following areas of design
Behavior Trees
Melee
Combat Systems
Character animation
Enemy & boss design

Responsibilities

Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you’re owning
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed