Sr AI Game Designer

Haven Studios; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Haven Entertainment Studios is seeking an experienced Senior AI Game Designer to join the project team. You will help shape the AI and emergent systems that translate the vision into a playable experience, collaborating with the Game Director and a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality features that meet consumer needs.

You will report to the Production Director and work on AI-driven gameplay across PvE/PvP elements, ensuring the AI behaves coherently with evolving gameplay mechanics

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in game design with at least one shipped title.
• Strong understanding of game design principles, focusing on AI behaviours and emergent systems.
• Experience with Unreal Engine AI systems and data tuning to communicate expected behaviours to programmers.

Responsibilities

• Shape direction with Game Director and break it into features, deliverables and tasks.
• Design, implement and tune AI systems and gameplay ingredients across production stages.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to ensure cohesive work and clear communications across the project.

Skills

Game design

AI behaviours

Unreal Engine

Emergent systems

Communication

Collaboration

Tools

Unreal Engine Editor

Job description

We are looking for an experienced AI Game Designer to join the Haven Entertainment Studios project team. The Sr AI Game Designer will work closely with the Game director to help shape the creation and development of the game design direction for the next generation of games. They will develop and design AI and emergent game systems that translate the vision into a playable experience. They will work within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment to ensure the delivery of high quality features with the consumer needs always at the forefront.

Reporting Line

The Senior AI Game Designer will report to the Production Director.

Role and Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Game Director to shape the direction and break it down into a clear set of features, deliverables, and tasks
• Develop the vision for AI systems and Game play Ingredient, create emergent experiences between the AI and the player, while coherently integrating the PvE and PvP dimensions of the gameplay experience
• Design, implement, and tune AI systems, behaviours and game play ingredient throughout all stages of production to create exceptional player experiences
• Work with an interdisciplinary team and act as a regular point of contact within that team, as well as with leadership and other creative and technical co-owners, to ensure cohesion across the work
• Communicate game design through multiple means to effectively ensure that gameplay intentions and the work to be done are understood by all team members
• Collaborate with the Pod Producer to define a clear product vision that supports the identification and prioritization of features to be developed for each production milestone
• Adapt features and systems based on player feedback, while ensuring the coherence of AI systems in relation to the evolution of gameplay mechanics and the addition of new game modes

Required Experience and Skills

• Extensive experience in game design, with at least one shipped title in this field
• Strong understanding of game design principles, with a focus on AI behaviours and emergent systems
• Strong Understanding of core game AI systems — navigation, perception, awareness, state machines, Behavior Trees / State Trees, and AI data tuning in Unreal — to effectively design, adjust, and communicate expected AI behaviours with programmers.
• Strong ability to work directly in the Unreal Engine editor to tune parameters, identify issues through configuration analysis, and create rapid prototypes to support the initial validation needs of new features
• Understanding and experience in effectively integrating player data and metrics into the design process
• Excellent ability to organize and structure one’s own work and communicate effectively with a diverse audience

Assets

• Experience with Shipping AI systems as a Game Designer on at least one title
• Experience as a Game Designer on an online game, with an understanding of best practices for this type of game
• Good knowledge of all aspects and dependencies of game design, including level design and narrative systems
• Experience in another related field such as Level Design, Industrial Design, or Scripting

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