Lead Multiplayer Engineer

Spark is looking for a lead Multiplayer Gameplay engineer for a 3rd Person Action/Adventure title in a high-profile science fiction franchise currently in development for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC markets.  You will be tasked with providing leadership and direction in all aspects of multiplayer gameplay engineering for a AAA next-generation project.  With input from team engineers, artists, designers in an agile development (SCRUM) environment, oversee and supervise core multiplayer and network game technologies within the Unreal 3 engine for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC markets..

Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive multiplayer ready infrastructure to allow Engineers to seamlessly and easily create multiplayer ready code in order to minimize multiplayer re-coding development time during production.
• Assist in reviewing all design and code implementations to ensure that it meets multiplayer/coop functionality and requirements in regards to client/server state replications, latency, synchronization, interrupted connections, cheating, etc. etc.
• Guide and train Engineers on creating multiplayer ready code.
• Work with designers to help guide the design of multiplayer features ensuring that content is created appropriately to support multiplayer games.
• Implement systems for online game sessions and other forms of player persistence (lobbies, match-making, leaderboards, etc. etc.).
• Ensures that all aspects of the game meets networking technical requirement certifications for all platforms.
• Write well architected, robust, and maintainable code with good coding standards for all platforms with an eye towards usability for multiple games.
• Participate in the development of core disciplines (gameplay, UI, graphics or multiplayer)

Requirements

• C/C++ proficiency and design skills.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Software Engineering.
• Experience building mulitplayer implementation for complex game systems, including AI and navigation systems, physical simulation, FX and game object management.
• Experience with online game service APIs, particularly Xbox Live, Sony NP, GameSpy, and Games for Windows Live.
• Familiarity with the impact of networking systems and their components including: DNS, NAT, firewalls, security methods, peer-to-peer and client server models. 
• Experience with client-server and peer-to-peer architectures, network security, basic network protocols (e.g. TCP/IP and UDP), concurrency and synchronization.
• Experience with memory management, multi-threading, cross-platform development and a working knowledge of 3D math
• Must be comfortable working within, and enhancing, an established code framework
• Creative, focused, results-oriented, self-motivated, resourceful problem-solver with excellent debugging and strong communications skills

Desired Skills and Pluses

• Unreal Engine 3 experience or experience in maintaining/extending an existing network framework for a AAA game.
• PC, Xbox360, PS3 development experience.
• Agile development methodologies (SCRUM, RUP, XP, etc.)

• Applicants must be able to work at our Sherman Oaks, California studios and be authorized to work in the United States.
• Email only. No visits or phone calls, please.
• The Subject line of your email must reference the job title and your name, like this: Lead MP Engineer: Last name, First name
• Include your resume as an email attachment, preferably as a PDF or in Word 2003 or later format.
• Make sure your resume also includes your name, address, phone, and email.
• Send email to eng-jobA2280@sparkunlimited.com*

*principle applications only.  no recruitment firms please.

Download Spark Non-Disclosure Agreement