Associate Game Designer, Technical

Associate Game Designer, TechnicalThis position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position. This is a hybrid / onsite position.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. 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.What you will doPrototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviorsCollaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systemsCommunicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owningAdditional responsibilities may be assigned as neededWhat skills will you useSignificant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)Knowledge of 3D mathExperience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting languageBroad understanding of gaming landscapeSelf-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skillsWillingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutionsAdditional responsibilities may be assigned as neededBonus SkillsExperience developing third-person action gamesExperience with 3D level editorsUnderstanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplayExperience with the following areas of designBehavior TreesMeleeCombat SystemsCharacter animationEnemy & boss designAs part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview