Lead AI Designer

Founded in 2020, Gunzilla Games is the independent AAA video game developer and publisher behind the free-to-play mobile game TECHNOCORE, the gamer-first blockchain GUNZ, and the upcoming next-gen battle royale Off The Grid, in three metropolitan locations: Frankfurt, Germany (HQ); Kyiv, Ukraine; and London, UK. The company is helmed by CEO Vlad Korolov and CSO Alexander Zoll. Gunzilla is built on the desire to innovate and push the limits of the games industry.      
Gunzilla’s formidable team of talent comes from a variety of industry-leading studios and publishers (Ubisoft, Electronic Arts (EA), THQ, etc.) as well as Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer Neill Blomkamp, Chief Visionary Officer, and the author of the Altered Carbon series, which has been adapted into a popular Netflix show, Richard K. Morgan, Script Writer.     

The Gunzilla Leadership team includes well-known industry professionals like Timur Davidenko, Chief Technology Officer (Far Cry, Warface, and Crysis), Dmitriy Markov, Technical Director (Metro Exodus, ARKTIKA.1), Volodymyr Savin, Audio Director (Cut the Rope, Metro Exodus, HBO’s Chernobyl series), Krasimir Nechevski, Animation Director (Adam, Book of the Dead), Nikolas Gekko, Lead Art Director, (Call of Duty: WWII, Halo Infinite, Destiny) and Kiran Pulicheri, Technical Art Director (Control, Far Cry 6).

• Players First & Foremost. We aim to create titles that players love and get lost in, so our games are developed with them in mind from the start.
• We Believe in Our People. We believe in building strong teams of self-motivated individuals empowered to work at their best in a supportive environment; when we’re strong together, we thrive together.
• Commitment to Engagement & Quality. We are deeply passionate about what we do, ensuring we produce next-generation experiences of the highest caliber.
• Make Bold Moves & Innovate. We strive to make bold moves and push technology to its limits; there are no wrong steps if the outcome redefines the boundaries.
• Open & Honest. We believe in building trust through transparency and honest communication. We’re proud of who we are, what we stand for, and what we’re building.

Gunzilla Games is looking to recruit a Lead AI Designer to join our design team working on our game OTG (Off The Grid), an all-new AAA Extraction Battle Royale shooter, available as Early Access on PlayStation®5, Xbox® Series X|S and PC now.

As a Lead AI Systems Designer, you will:

• Lead a cross-discipline team to build core AI systems that bring our NPCs to life and make them behave authentically
• Design and implement one or several parts of the game's AI systems, controls, and interfaces
• Maintain clear design and technical documents using Confluence, JIRA, and Microsoft Office tools alongside other disciplines
• Collaborate on the game systems from conception to release with the entire development team
• Mentor other less experienced AI designers

• Hands-on Unreal Editor experience of implementing core gameplay systems
• Manage AI animation needs and behavior using state machines and behavior trees for a variety of combat encounter experiences
• Work closely with our Directors to understand the overall game design vision
• Join the Engineering team to design and implement systems in the Unreal Editor that support the creative and game directions (e.g., artificial intelligence behaviors, etc.)
• Adapt or rework designs when needed to meet any technical or production constraints
• Collaborate with designers, programmers, and artists to ensure across-the-board consistency
• Develop flexible systems that can be expanded upon during post-launch
• Stay up to date on best practices to keep up with the industry, develop your skills, and refresh your knowledge

REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years experience as a AI Designer with at least 1 in a lead position.
• Shipped at least one AAA title as a Senior or Lead AI designer, ideally FPS or Multiplayer.
• Experience working with AI visual scripting tools and working with AI Behaviour Trees
• Knowledge of and experience with Unreal Engine 4 or 5
• Ability to breakdown and analyse mechanics to understand what key elements make for fantastic game design.
• Experience in leading and mentoring a team, fostering a collaborative and inclusive working environment.
• Clear understanding of the different areas of the production pipeline and how they collaborate to form intuitive and engaging moment-to-moment gameplay.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex concepts, including experience in creating detailed project documentation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  

• Flexible Working & Work from Home
• Health Insurance
• Revenue Based Bonuses
• English / German Courses
• 25 Annual Paid Vacation & Sick Days
• Public Transportation
• Relocation & Accommodation Support
• Office Perks & Gym Membership

*Some benefits may vary depending on Location & position

Videogames are for everyone, so everyone should have the opportunity to create them. We’re looking for a huge variety of unique life experiences to help shape the worlds we’re developing, so promise your application will be given the same consideration as everyone else’s, regardless of your background.

Here’s what you can expect when applying at Gunzilla.

• Click on "Apply Here" on the page of the role and send us your CV via email.
• If selected to move to the next stage, you’ll be contacted by a member of our recruitment team.
• Some roles require a competency test, which the recruitment team will support you on.
• Zoom interviews will be conducted by your hiring manager, or you’ll be invited to meet us at our recruiting studio.
• Following your interview, we’ll contact you either way.
• If the interview went well but we feel you aren’t suited to the specific role, we’ll retain your details (with your permission) for future consideration.