Careers

___ CURRENT JOBS

UI/UX Designer

Responsibilities

  • Establish UX workflow and drive best practices with an eye toward consistent design patterns, localization, scalability, integration, and ease of maintenance across a variety of consumer touchpoints and platforms - game, web, mobile applications, etc
  • Develop detailed wireframes, flowcharts, mockups, prototypes and other IA deliverables to effectively communicate design direction
  • Take ownership of entire process from conception through final deliverable
  • Write easy-to-read, but thorough, documentation. Candidates must provide writing samples, preferably design documentation/GUI specification
  • Work with cross-functional teams  (customer service, marketing, game design, QA, etc.) to find balanced solutions to user, business and technical challenges
  • Participate in the definition of new features and products
  • Produce remarkable assets and visual collateral with strong thematic consistency for various web and marketing needs
  • Educate peers, stakeholders, and teammates on user-centered design principles and methodologies
  • Perform/utilize user research including heuristic/competitive analyses, surveys, contextual inquiries and field observations to inform design strategies
  • Observe usability testing and focus groups to validate interaction design and product direction, revise and update designs based on research and testing
  • Special projects as assigned 

Requirements & Skills

  • 3+ years experience as a UX designer for video game interfaces and/or consumer facing, social networking websites
  • Proficiency in user experience design tools (Adobe Creative Suite)
  • Excellent organization, self-motivated and excellent communication skills
  • Strong analytic abilities. This position requires the ability to evaluate complex technical, business and user requirements and create practical solutions
  • Comfortable working in a rapid, highly interactive work environment
  • Intense Curiosity, creativity and the keen ability to stay abreast of positive trends in design
  • Fearless and creative approach to solving challenging, complex problems
  • Burning desire to break the mold to push interfaces innovative directions
  • BS/MS preferred in a design or UI/UX discipline (industrial, information architecture, in Interaction Design, graphics) or demonstrated proficiency and experience in the field of software user experience/interaction design
  • Submission without portfolios of previous UI/UX design work cannot be considered

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Game Designer

Responsibilities

  • Provide creative and technical planning, level layout, setup and tuning of single-player video game levels, from high concept to object placement and scripting. 
  • Design and produce engaging and fun third-person action game play and levels using Maya, 3DS Max and other 3D packages. 
  • Script (programming) the set-up for third-person action games.   
  • Provide production direction for game levels designed, and other levels as needed, including collaboration across multi-disciplines to ensure deadlines are met without sacrificing overall game play. 
  • Work directly with artists, programmers, animators and other game designers to contribute to the vision of the game. 
  • Maintain responsibility for game level layout by creating simplified level geometry and performing extensive play testing and iteration. 
  • Effectively troubleshoot issues as they arise with a focus on creative, fun and innovative solutions. 
  • Work with programmers to develop effective software tools to streamline game design efforts on an ongoing basis.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent * in Computer Science, or related
  • Five (5) years of experience in the job offered, or as a  Lead or Senior Designer in video game industry
  • Experience/knowledge in PS3, Xbox 360 and Unreal 3 Engine required.
  • A master’s degree in Computer Science, or a related field, plus one year of experience in the job offered, or as a Lead/Senior Game Designer in video game industry can substitute bachelor’s degree, plus 5 years of experience.
  • * A foreign degree adjudged as a similar U.S. degree by an authorized U.S. credential evaluator.

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Tools Programmer

Responsibilities

  • Designing, developing and supporting tools in our production pipeline
  • Work with our artists and designers  to ensure tools are functioning properly
  • Continuously improve the user experience and performance of our tools

 

Requirements/Skills

  • Excellent 3D math skills (especially linear algebra and  vector math)
  • Strong graphics background
  • PS3, Xbox 360, PC or other related programming experience
  • Good oral and written skills
  • Experience with a shipped product from start to finish
  • B.S. in Computer Science and/or Mathematics or equivalent work experience
  • Self-motivated individual with excellent problem solving skills
  • Experience in creating one or more of the following PC applications: level editor (actor placement, navigation meshes, particles, boundary regions, etc), art prototype catalogue/database, animation/cinematic editor, material/shader editor, plug-ins, build tools, data messaging tools, lighting tools
  • Experience in using one or more of the following technologies: Maya Plug-in API, SQL, OpenGL, CG/HLSL
  • Ability to design, author, and maintain complex tools used in different parts of the production pipeline
  • Knowledge of scripting languages (Python/MelScript/Lua/VBScript.) *Preferred *
  • Experience using DCC applications (3DStudio/Maya/Photoshop/XSI/...) *Preferred*  
  • GUI art/design skills *Preferred*

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Network Programmer

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to the design, documentation, and deployment of new networking technologies
  • Design and implementation of high level network code for next-generation console title
  • Participate in feature testing, configuration testing, and play testing
  • Maintain the existing code base and fix bugs as necessary
  • Identify and work with external technology as needed to improve the game's functionality and/or productivity

Requirements and Skills

  • Exceptional problem-solving ability
  • Great low level socket implementation and C/C++ are required
  • Good communication skills
  • Passion for playing and developing exceptional games
  • Experience with building parallel or distributed algorithms
  • Thorough understanding of server architecture and TCP/IP networking
  • Previous console experience preferred
  • Experience working in a team environment
  • Knowledge of networking protocols and patterns use for online games
  • Experience in client, server, web and database programming technologies

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Audio Programmer

Responsibilities

  • Work with the Audio Department and Advanced Technology Group to extend and enhance the audio capabilities for titles currently under development
  • Contribute to the design, documentation, and deployment of new audio technologies
  • Create custom tools to unify the audio pipeline across multiple titles
  • Participate in feature testing, configuration testing, and play testing
  • Main tain the existing code base and fix bugs as necessary

Requirements and Skills

  • Extensive C++ programming skills with an in depth understanding of object oriented design and programming
  • Strong understanding of software engineering principles such as coupling and cohesion
  • Experience implementing audio-related game features that interact with game systems
  • Experience with existing audio engines such as the Miles Sound System, FMOD, etc...
  • Experience with game development for PC and consoles
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively
  • Excellent 3D math skills (especially linear algebra and vector math)
  • Strong graphics background
  • PS3, Xbox 360, PC or other related programming experience
  • Good oral and written skills
  • Experience with a shipped product from start to finish

Pluses

  • Familiarity with automated build techniques, tools, scripts, and XML
  • Distributed system development experience; understanding of client/server model

Required Experience/Education

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science of equivalent
  • 4+ years' experience

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Art Director

You must play and have passion for video games, and understand the role Art plays in the overall experience we're creating for the player. You'll need to show a proven track record of working with a team to create beautiful art in a Triple A title. We expect you to have a sound fundamental knowledge of art history, art styles, and artistic principles, as well as an intimate knowledge of photography, film, and cinematic principles. You must have an intimate knowledge of the current aesthetics in game and film, and contain a personal desire to evolve the medium visually. You cannot fear technology, but embrace it. To fit in here, you'll need to gain a quick familiarity with the rendering engine, the art pipeline, and core technologies used to create the final image, and contain the ability to communicate a larger artistic vision to both the technical staff as well as the art staff.

Responsibilities

  • Understands and can communicate the technical implementation of the visual design
  • Researches and encourages the team to develop new technologies and pipelines necessary to achieve a greater visual aesthetic
  • Produces artwork and pushes for technologies based on current trends in game visuals and other runtime mediums
  • Acts as a bridge between the technical staff and art staff
  • Interacts with management to keep abreast of the objectives of assigned processes/projects
  • Provides input to strategies and objectives of major processes, projects, and milestones
  • Reviews work and makes informed decisions regarding priorities based on current milestones
  • Provides technical and aesthetic guidance to Artists and Programmers throughout the product development process
  • Ensures that the end product meets defined technical, aesthetic, and quality standards
  • Recommends tools, workflow, pipelines, and runtime components relevant to implementing the art direction of the game (includes research and development on commercially available tools)
  • Help resolve art pipeline issues (build systems, batch files, file conversions)
  • Encourages resolution to conflicts through identifying positive steps and responsibilities

Requirements and Skills

  • At least 3 years experience as a Lead Artist or Art Director
  • Recognized as a resource in art and related design technologies used in product development
  • Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
  • Working knowledge of 3DStudioMax, Maya, or an equivalent 3D package. 
  • At least one published game holding the role of Lead Artist or Art Director

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Graphics Tools Programmer - ICE

What is the ICE Team? 
Naughty Dog is home to the ICE Team, one of Sony’s World Wide Studios central technology groups. The ICE Team focuses on creating core graphics technologies for Sony’s worldwide first party published titles, including low level game engine components, graphics processing pipelines, supporting tools, and graphics profiling and debugging tools.  
The ICE Team also supports third party developers with a suite of engine components (PlayStation®Edge), and our graphics analysis, profiling, and debugging tool (PlayStation®3 GPAD) for the RSX™. Both enable developers to get better performance out of the PlayStation®3.

Responsibilities

  • Create clean, efficient, and well tested code
  • Working on core functionality of our graphics performance, analysis, and debugging tool for use with the PlayStation 3 (GPAD)
  • Analyzing, organizing, and optimizing code

Requirements and Skills

  • Strong 3D math and graphics background
  • Strong knowledge of C and C++ programming languages
  • Good oral and written skills
  • C# .NET (C++/CLI a bouns)
  • HLSL/CG
  • Networking
  • Self-motivated individual with excellent problem solving skills
  • Excellent 3D Math Skills (linear algebra, vector math)
  • Experience with PS3 development
  • Understanding of procedural, object oriented, and aspect oriented programming paradigms
  • Console programming experience
  • B.S. in Computer Science and/or Mathematics or equivalent work experience

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Character Artist

Responsibilities

  • This digital sculptor will be responsible for making million poly models game ready, and support highest-res characters for renderings
  • This individual will create clean, deformable and efficient models, extract normal maps from high-res version and sculpt morph targets for use within a Maya/ZBrush pipeline

Requirements & Skills

  • Prior professional experience with normal map extraction of human models for next-gen games
  • An advanced knowledge of human anatomy is required
  • This position is best suited for modelers who prefer to sculpt and paint texture for their models as well
  • Candidates should be able to work with minimal input and be comfortable working in a team environment
  • Candidates could expect to take an offsite test

 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Character TD/Rigger

Responsibilities

  • Design, create, test and maintain character rigs/setups
  • Work with the modelers to create a model that meets technical needs
  • Collaborate with animators to design motion controls
  • Develop and maintain character motion and deformation systems
  • Develop secondary dynamics systems
  • Develop new techniques and processes to solve character production challenges
  • Capable of writing pipeline tools to streamline the setup process
  • Work with production management to prioritize tasks

Requirements & Skills

  • In depth knowledge of Maya, preferabley 3+ years of production experience. No cross training availabe due to the timeframe
  • Strong understanding of both Figure and Facial Anatomy
  • Complex character/vehicle rigging experience in Maya in film/broadcast or games environments
  • MEL, Python
  • Experience with setting up production pipelines while being able to follow guidelines
  • The ability to support himself and take initiative 

Bonus Skills

  • C++ experience


 

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Game Designer

Responsibilities

  • Responsible for the planning, level layout, setup and tuning of multi-player and single player levels, from high concept to object placement and scripting
  • Responsible for designing and producing engaging and fun third-person action gameplay and levels
  • Act as producer for levels you design, as well as other parts of the game, collaborating across disciplines to get work done and clear dependencies, ensuring deadlines are met, and championing aspects of the gameplay
  • Work directly with artists, programmers, animators and other game designers to contribute to the vision of the game
  • Responsible for level layout by creating simplified level geometry and performing extensive play-testing and iteration
  • Work with programmers to develop tools on an ongoing basis

Requirements & Skills

  • Experience designing single-player levels for console games
  • Minimum 3 to 5 years of games industry experience
  • Strong methodology and problem solving ability and with a focus on creative, fun and innovative solutions
  • Strong and effective communication skills
  • Exceptional team player with the ability to collaborate without losing sight of the gameplay vision
  • Willingness to take design direction when offered
  • Experience playing 3rd person action games
  • Very good working knowledge of Maya, 3DS Max or similar 3D package
  • Experience of developing third-person action games a bonus
  • Experience of scripting set-up for action games a bonus
  • Desire to be a part of the Naughty Dog team

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Technical Director/Lighting Artist

Naughty Dog Inc. an independent subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment and maker of the 2009 Game of the Year title “Uncharted-2, Among Thieves” is seeking skilled Technical Directors/ Sr. Technical Directors and/or traditional Lighting Artists to help develop and elevate the look of their current and future projects.

We are seeking professional artists/engineers that can start with an unlit 3-D environment and bring it to life with minimal reference and supervisory input. If you can start with a textured yet unlit environment model and over the course of few days to a few weeks make that environment look incredibly realistic or beautifully stylized we want to hire you. You will collaborate and work concurrently with modelers, texture/shader artists, and real-time programmers.

You might be a Sr. Technical Director in the VFX industry that has deep skills in all aspects of VFX production and can take a shot from previz to final composite. Or, you might be a traditional Video Game Lighting Artist that has delivered multiple titles and knows the challenges of generating baked lighting and meeting real-time performance constraints. You might be a Shader Artist with a true understanding of Color and Lighting. Or a Lighter that Composites your own shots but wants more creative freedom and technical challenge.

You must be comfortable in a technical pipe-line, have excellent work ethic and professional character, be really good with color/lighting and know how to light environments using global illumination and traditional CG light types.

If this sounds of interest to you: Please send your resume, credit list, demo reel/breakdown or portfolio/work samples as soon as possible.

Responsibilities

  • Develop the lighting scheme, color-palette,  post-processing-fx, and general visual mood that turns unlit 3-D environment models into awesome looking and visually compelling 3D game environments
  • Work with modelers and texture/shader artists to optimize the visual look and run-time performance of the Environments

 Requirements and Skills

  • Proven industry experience in Film or Games generating final picture
  • General competency in Autodesk Maya and knowledge of Global Illumination
  • Excellent problem solving skills and the ability to work with minimal supervision
  • Thorough understanding of direct/indirect light, luminance/exposure and color-theory
  • Some experience with generating light-maps, pre-lighting or baked lighting is desired

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Graphics Programmer - ICE

What is the ICE Team? 
Naughty Dog is home to the ICE Team, one of Sony’s World Wide Studios central technology groups. The ICE Team focuses on creating core graphics technologies for Sony’s worldwide first party published titles, including low level game engine components, graphics processing pipelines, supporting tools, and graphics profiling and debugging tools.  
The ICE Team also supports third party developers with a suite of engine components (PlayStation®Edge), and our graphics analysis, profiling, and debugging tool (PlayStation®3 GPAD) for the RSX™. Both enable developers to get better performance out of the PlayStation®3.

Responsibilities

  • Design and program low level graphics engine components to be used by development teams around the world
  • Create clean, efficient, and  well tested code
  • Support development teams across the world
  • Collaborate with our sister technology groups on global projects
  • Write high quality user documentation

Requirements and Skills

  • Excellent 3D math skills (linear algebra, vector math)
  • Strong graphics background
  • Strong knowledge of C and C++ programming languages
  • Strong knowledge of industry standard graphics APIs (DirectX, OpenGL, libGCM)
  • Console programming experience
  • Desire to understand hardware at a low level
  • Good oral and written skills
  • Knowledge of shader programming languages (HLSL/Cg) *Preferred*
  • Self-motivated individual with excellent problem solving skills
  • Understanding of procedural, object oriented, and aspect oriented programming paradigms
  • B.S. in Computer Science and/or Mathematics or equivalent work experience

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Graphics Programmer

Responsibilities

  • Create clean, efficient, and well tested code
  • Working on core functionality of our graphics performance, analysis, and debugging tool for use with the PlayStation 3 (GPAD)
  • Analyzing, organizing, and optimizing code

Requirements and Skills

  • Strong 3D math and graphics background
  • Strong knowledge of C and C++ programming languages
  • C# .NET (C++/CLI a bonus)
  • HLSL/CG
  • Networking
  • Self-motivated individual with excellent problem solving skills
  • Good oral and written skills
  • Excellent 3D Math Skills (linear algebra, vector math)
  • Experience with PS3 development
  • Understanding of procedural, object oriented, and aspect oriented programming paradigms
  • Console programming experience
  • B.S. in Computer Science and/or Mathematics or equivalent work experience

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Environment Texture Artist

Responsibilities

  • Develop textures for in-game environments including color maps, normal maps, speck maps, height maps, AO maps, detail maps and transparency maps
  • Work with the graphics programmers to support the development of new shaders and looks
  • Follow the established style set forward by the provided concept art and maintain visual consistency
  • Collaborate with the tools team in order to communicate needs, generate tool requests and initiate support designed to facilitate the artists’ workflow
  • Create simple as well as complex shaders
  • Collaborate with 3D modelers and game designers to create levels
  • UV map textures to polygonal surfaces

Requirements and Skills

  • Great traditional drawing/painting skills
  • A strong understanding of UV layout and texturing for games
  • Proficient at texturing surface details and material effects on a wide variety of subject matter
  • Excellent eye for filling in missing detail from concept art, and extracting key features from real world reference
  • Comfortable with minimal direction and be flexible with realistic rendering styles
  • Experience with shader networks
  • Strong Maya skills
  • Ability to sculpt and paint highly detailed 3D and 2D images
  • Ability to troubleshoot and adapt to new technologies/software quickly
  • Obsessive attention to detail

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com

Gameplay Programmer

Responsibilities

  • Create clean, efficient, and well tested code
  • Programming content like enemy AI, weapons, character controls, and other functionality within an established framework
  • Create technical specifications for gameplay systems that meet the requirements of the design and art teams
  • Implement game specific engine systems and gameplay support systems that meet requirements
  • Fleshing out, expanding, and implementing game designs
  • Analyzing, organizing, and optimizing code

Requirements and Skills

  • Strong 3D math and graphics background
  • Strong knowledge of C and C++ programming languages
  • Good oral and written skills
  • Ability and drive to contribute and advance all aspects of a game
  • Excellent math skills
  • Experience with PS3 development
  • Understanding of procedural, object oriented, and aspect oriented programming paradigms
  • Console programming experience
  • B.S. in Computer Science and/or Mathematics or equivalent work experience

Email your resume or contact us about this position here: jobs@naughtydog.com