Expert Physics/Animation Engineer

Job Title
Expert Physics/Animation Engineer

Requisition ID
R025833

Job Description
Your Mission
Responsibilities
We are seeking an experienced Engineer with either a physics or animation emphasis. Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Develop, design, modify, optimize and debug physics or animation pipeline and engine systems
• Communicate features and collaborate with engineering, design, art and productions teams
• Participate in the design, performance and code review process
• Contribute to design and roadmap of industry-leading AAA engine

Your Platform
Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III." We combine cutting-edge technology with creative vision to produce games that resonate with players worldwide. With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters.

We are looking for a talented Physics or Animation engineer to join us as part of the Gameplay Team within our Melbourne Studio.

Sledgehammer Games is wholly owned by Activision. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform. Want to hear what it's like at the studio directly from current employees? Check out our developer profiles:

Player Profile
Minimum Requirements
Common

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics or Maths related field
• Strong maths skills
• Knowledge of CPU and memory architectures
• Familiarity using modern CPU performance analysis tools
• Strong background in C/C++
• Solid debugging skills including ability to debug at an assembly-level when necessary
• Good communicator that enjoys collaboration with other programmers, artists and designers
• Passion for code and data optimization
• Development experience with a current generation platform (console, PC, and/or mobile)
• Support and proactively collaborate with team members at Activision studios across the world

Physics

• Experience working with physics simulation and/or other game-related technologies
• Drive our collision data pipeline to create the highest fidelity scalable environments and assets
• Architect and support simulation and query behaviors to maintain our position at the cutting edge of FPS physics related gameplay and visuals

OR

Animation

• A strong interest in crafting high fidelity, scalable animation systems and behaviors
• Work with animators and other engineers to design, prototype, and implement new features to continuously improve our character fidelity and believability at ever increasing scale and complexity
• Develop and upgrade workflows to allow the efficient building, improvement and debugging of animation behaviors by animators and engineers alike
• Understanding of animation systems, including state machines, blend trees, and low-level playback

Bonus XP

• Experience with game physics middleware APIs (Havok, PhysX, etc.)
• Background with parallel programming and multi-threaded code
• Experience with rigid-body dynamics, collision detection, contact/collision resolution
• Experience with rag-doll technologies and IK systems
• Experience with vehicle physics simulation

Our World
At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our "press start" is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?
The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.