Sinn Studio Careers
Senior Programmer - Animation (Gaming)
Description
Sinn Studio Inc. is leading the charge in VR combat games! Our debut game, Swordsman, is a physics-based combat game where you can slash your way through medieval earth to become the ultimate Swordsman. Having won multiple and been nominated for awards like Game of the Year in 2022, Best Swordfighting Game in 2020 and more. Swordsman also boasts top best seller in Quest and PSVR/2 platforms.
We’re looking for a Senior Programmer [Animation] experienced with the Unreal Engine and proficient in C++. The successful candidate will collaborate with fellow programmers and AI engineers- specializing in animation systems, custom tools for advanced XR combat technologies. This programmer has a robust capability to work with specifications given to game-ready requirements. They are effective in rapid iteration while always ensuring technical quality for exciting content. The team works hand-in-hand together to meet technical needs, resolve blockers, and the evolution of quality features to push our product further. We are looking for someone who will enrich us through your vantage point and skillset, all in a space where you can thrive.
Responsibilities
- Hands-on in programming animation features and systems in C++ and Blueprints.
- Help develop back-end systems for games, services, and tools.
- Engage in all facets of animation systems, covering engine features and gameplay integration, animation trees and graphs, dynamic objects, etc.
- Prototype and deliver on areas such as: combat, character locomotion, auto to facial synthesis, and movement mechanics.
- Support of integration and systems into engine such as APIs connecting industry standard software (may work with motion capture data).
- Building and maintaining any tools for animation related systems in Unreal (ie. with nodes, Animation Blueprints and Sequencer).
- Collaborate and communicate with a cross-disciplinary team to iterate on existing tools and features.
- Collaborate closely with other departments to implement essential components and ensure seamless integration.
- Liaise as a communication touch point for technical and non-technical translation within animation.
- Have a people-first approach, acting as a mentor for fellow programmers and encourage a support system that is task-forward.
- Maintain high-quality, clean code and documentation (including logging) throughout work.
- Maintain best practices and sustainable standards in coding.
- Actively contribute to the animation design and production of the game's technical aspects.
- Think from both player’s and the game developer’s perspective for high impact throughout the production lifecycle.
- Demonstrate proactive initiative and an in-depth understanding of animation techniques.
- Help carry out the animation pipeline in a programming lens from concept to realization, adapting existing systems and pioneering new technology within Unreal Engine 5.
- Develop innovative animation technology and techniques, conducting research and sharing insights across teams.
- Explore coding techniques and algorithms, identify technical risks, and coordinate the implementation of new animation systems.
- Regular technical validation as well as testing between systems and modifications to respect conventions used.
- Champion streamlined best practices between animation and programming that produces quality results.
- Apply new techniques to increase team skill and output.
- Understand and analyze new industry practices and tooling.
- Navigate the unknown, tackling sophisticated problems and finding solutions adapted to the needs of the studio and its projects.
- Plan effectively for aligned progress to production needs and providing realistic updates.
- Proactively identify issues/risks, test, and debug often to mitigate their impact.
- Work with and help develop the interface to be used within Unreal Engine ( this may includes areas such as Blueprints).
- Ensure that solutions are intuitive, streamlined, and cross-platform.
- A focus to improve bandwidth via tools, memory consumption, performance and draw/API calls.
- Understand key learnings of XR elements for animation such as eye or finger tracking.
- Other related duties as required.
Qualifications
If the following sounds like you, and you’re interested in joining a growing start-up, we want to hear from you! Not sure that you meet all qualifications? Cast those doubts away - we strongly welcome you to apply. We love to hear from people who are ecstatic about working in the XR industry and where it will evolve to.
- 5+ years of experience as a programmer in the games industry.
- 3+ years of proficient experience with C++ and Blueprint.
- 1+ years in mentorship (and/or leadership) capacity.
- Deep understanding and experience working with Unreal Engine 4 / 5.
- Ownership of modern techniques like Animation Layers and IK.
- Experience with animation techniques such as rigging, state machines, physics ragdolls, compression, and facial animation, cinematics, as well as motion matching.
- Proficient in hair simulation, cloth, soft body, and GPU compute.
- Demonstrated ability and proficient grasp of animation related systems in Unreal (ie. node-based, Animation Blueprints and Sequencer).
- A good understanding of cross-platform game development requirements.
- Self-motivated to take initiative to obtain results.
- Ability to write robust, maintainable code.
- Reliable with strong attention to detail and problem solving abilities.
- Creative, excited about innovation with a growth mindset.
- Agile and able to quickly iterate in a fluid environment.
- Ability to do code-review and debugging.
- Extensive experience in writing, debugging, and optimizing C++ for real-time animation systems.
- Strong knowledge in game knowledge and design/animation principles.
- Knowledge of game pipeline lifecycle with experience working on at least one shipped game.
- Passion for creating immersive gaming experiences and delivering high-quality systems.
- Collaborative with technical and non-technical team members.
- Comfortable being in a virtual environment for varying times wearing a VR headset.
Added Advantages:
- Experience with VR / MR.
- Experience in a variety of game systems such as developing gameplay, player, and AI mechanics.
- Experience with R&D and machine learning in animation.
- PC and console experience preferred over mobile.
- Proficiency in Python.
- Passionate about games and working in the industry.
- Education in Computer Science, Animation, related fields or equivalent experience.
Additional Information
Salary Range: $105,000 -120,000 CAD annually + 3 weeks vacation, sick days, employer paid benefits (except LTD), Employee Assistance Program, wellness days, birthday day off, a Group Retirement Savings Plan (GRSP), Employee Stock Options (ESOP) [coming in 2024], and more.
As of the time of this posting, Sinn Studio lists the projected base salary range in good faith. A salary offered will be determined upon several factors such as: relevant experience, skillset, geographic location, and organizational critical needs.
Office Location: Liberty Village, Toronto
Work Structure: Preference will be given to local candidates or those who are willing to relocate to the Greater Toronto Area to work in a hybrid model with two days in office collaborating with local team members and our founders.
Sinn Studio is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusion and diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability or any other basis forbidden under federal, provincial, or local law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment process. If you require accommodation, or if you have any additional questions about the role, please contact us at talent@sinnstudio.com.
The Sinn Studio Talent team will communicate with you only through official email addresses and connected Linkedin profiles. We do not use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. Our team will not ask you to send us money or technology through our processes.
No agencies or external recruiters please.
Compensation
$105,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year