Tools Software Engineer-Destiny: Activision

Tools Software Engineer-Destiny

As a Tools Engineer you will be one of a team of specialists developing an in-house suite of tools used by designers, artists and engineers developing the next generation of the award-winning Destiny franchise.  Interested?  Keep reading…

If you have impacted the design and development of UX and workflows, we’re eager to hear from you.  Experience in video game development is a plus, but not required.  You need to have very strong software engineering and debugging skills, and longstanding experience with Microsoft’s .NET Framework.  Experience in WPF is strongly desired. You need to be able to present and discuss examples of completed software, and contributions to applications used by non-technical users are especially interesting.

We're looking for candidates who appreciate the value of bringing great user experiences to sophisticated tools, and can provide unique value to a small team of talented engineers. We want to help content creators be really creative, really fast.  What can you offer?

In 2016, Vicarious Visions celebrated its 25th year in the industry. Over the years, we have made hundreds of games, in every genre, on every conceivable game platform in the known universe.   We are a studio that is built to last, and now we are embarking on a brand new chapter.

We are currently partnering with Bungie to further expand the award winning Destiny universe.

Our philosophy of combining cutting-edge tech with creative innovation is evidenced in all of our products – from Skylanders to Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to our recent contributions to this year’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.  We apply the same dedication to excellence to every video game franchise we’ve worked on over the years and we are bringing that same philosophy to the Destiny franchise.

We thrive on a culture of collaboration, respect and fun. We have built a welcoming and relaxed workplace that invites creativity and encourages individual voices. We not only give our developers a safe and warm place to incubate and grow their ideas but the tools and support necessary to turn those ideas into impactful and memorable experiences.

Your responsibilities will include:

Creating, maintaining and improving content development tools used for Destiny development across several studios.

Collaborating closely with artists, designers and other engineers as we iterate on the tools.

Producing mockups, participating in design discussions, and gathering feedback from content creators to make sure they’re getting what they really need.

Following and contributing to group standards and best practices, and participate in code reviews based on them.

Building tools expertise, able to ensure the very best in the next generation Destiny releases by exposing users to all the tools’ capabilities, and ready to troubleshoot their issues in-person.

The skills & experience we’re looking for:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline or equivalent experience.

At least 3-5 years professional experience developing applications through all phases of the product lifecycle.

Relevant software tool development experience. Video Game industry experience is not required.

Strong object oriented design and development experience using managed languages in the Microsoft .NET Framework, preferably C# 5.0+. Experience in C, C++, or other languages is a plus.

Experience building UIs in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) or similar presentation frameworks is strongly desired. Experience in other windowing toolkits, e.g. WinForms, is a plus.

Experience creating GUI-driven desktop software with an emphasis on usability and architectural patterns (e.g. MVVM).

Strong communication skills, able to collaborate closely with the tools' users and discover what they need.  Great candidates will be able to provide examples of technical writing.

Knowledge of 3ds Max, Maya, and common scripting languages is a plus, but not required.

Our studio is located in Albany, NY, a thriving Northeastern city with an abundance of professional theatre, music, dance, and sports attractions, as well as a backyard full of recreational activities. (That’s a metaphorical backyard. The studio’s backyard has a patio and grill though…with seasonal awning.) And for those looking for more adventures, we’re located less than three hours from NYC, Boston, and Montreal!