Associate Technical Director, World Systems - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 159,000 - 293,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Irvine, CA is seeking an Associate Technical Director to lead World Systems for STARCRAFT. You will shape the vision, drive architecture, and partner with gameplay teams to deliver a cohesive, story-driven open-world shooter.

This role requires 10+ years in game engineering, strong C++ and real-time systems expertise, and a proven ability to lead engineers and managers. The position offers a hybrid work model with on-site collaboration at our Irvine studio.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in game engineering, with leadership in teams.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire a team and manage multiple projects.
• Experience shipping large AAA games with long-term maintenance and quality focus.
• Proactive mindset with emphasis on quality and pragmatic planning.
• Strong C++ programming, debugging, profiling, and optimization expertise.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with discipline directors to drive World Systems vision and roadmap.
• Support cross-functional gameplay teams to bring their vision to life.
• Prioritize and direct work of World Systems team daily.
• Drive architecture and toolsets to improve productivity and quality.
• Ensure engineering and content teams align on technical approach.
• Hire and grow engineers and engineering leaders; foster collaboration.

Skills

C++ proficiency

Leadership

Real-time systems

Gameplay architecture

Performance optimization

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

Team Name: StarCraft Job Title: Associate Technical Director, World Systems - STARCRAFT | Irvine, CA Requisition ID: R028070

Job Description: Your Mission Blizzard Entertainment is assembling a team to build the next chapter of STARCRAFT, returning to a universe forged in interstellar war. This mission offers something new: crafting an original story-driven, open-world shooter while honoring the legacy of one of Blizzard's most beloved games. We are here to reignite this universe alongside you. We are here to make STARCRAFT, and it's about damn time. We are looking for an Associate Technical Director to help craft this new game for Blizzard. As a key member of the development team, you will be responsible for delivering. If you are excited to build pragmatic technology that enables the team to produce unforgettable high-quality experiences at scale, we need you! This role offers a hybrid work week, with a mix of work-from-home and on-site days, based out of our Irvine studio.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with other discipline directors to establish, drive and deliver on World Systems vision and development roadmap
• Support cross-functional gameplay and content teams in bringing their vision to life, creating an interesting, complex, and challenging world
• Prioritize, review and direct work of a cross-disciplinary World Systems team on a day-to-day basis
• Drive architecture and content creation toolset to ensure team productivity and high quality of results
• Ensure engineering team is collaborating with content creators and other gameplay teams to understand their needs and develop an aligned technical approach
• Hire and grow engineers and engineering leaders, providing guidance and fostering a collaborative, innovative environment
• Direct responsibility for technical quality, stability and performance of World Systems implementation
• Partner with other leads and directors to improve team culture, align technical approach and provide direct support when needed

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in game engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial role within the gaming industry or a related field
• Proven ability to lead and inspire a team, manage multiple projects, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience shipping large game systems and content workflows for a modern, large-scale AAA game with focus on long-term maintenance, efficiency and quality
• Proactive mindset focused on quality, continuous improvement, and stewardship driving development with clear requirements and pragmatic plans
• Advanced proficiency in C++ programming, debugging, profiling, and performance optimization
• Strong understanding of gameplay architecture, real-time systems, and modern software engineering practices
• Experience finding success and alignment when faced with uncertainty and conflicting or evolving priorities
• Communicating ideas clearly, learning from others, and giving meaningful feedback
• Experience with performance analysis and code / content optimization workflows

Extra Points

• Experience working with Unreal Engine
• Shipping games on multiple platforms, including consoles
• Familiarity with Blizzard games and Blizzard's approach to gameplay quality

Your Platform

At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we've been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We're on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences...ever. Hard work, iteration, and polish go into the Blizzard "secret recipe," but the most important ingredients come from talented people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us. Our World Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry's most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others
• Relocation assistance may be available if the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job

Compensation

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $158,500.00 - $293,226.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Blizzard Entertainment is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. After establishing the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, the company quickly became one of the most popular and well-respected makers of computer games. By focusing on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard Entertainment has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception.