Character Behavior Developer- Generative AI Experiences SW

Apple; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple in Cupertino, CA seeks a Character Behavior Designer to craft how a character responds to people and its environment, focusing on expression, responsiveness, and timing to push interactive computing.

You will author complete interactions, drive animation and speech from contextual input, and collaborate with designers, animators, and engineers while exploring new techniques for believable social behavior.

Qualifications

• Experience authoring and tuning NPC/companion behaviors using trees, state machines, utility systems, or visual scripting.
• Knowledge of interactive animation, including idles, reactions, look-ats, and additive layers.
• Experience with real-time game engines such as Unity or Unreal.
• Understanding of technical constraints in real-time environments.
• Great at providing and receiving feedback in a cross-discipline team environment.

Responsibilities

• Author complete character interactions, from first pass through final tuning.
• Drive animation, expression, speech, and timing from contextual input so each response feels intentional.
• Design interactions that stay believable across a range of social contexts.
• Collaborate with animators and engineers on the animation each interaction requires.
• Collaborate on tool design and development with the engineering team.
• Explore emerging techniques for interactive character behavior.

Skills

Behavior authoring

Real-time engines

Collaboration

Feedback culture

Tools

Unity

Unreal Engine

Job description

Summary

At Apple, we strive to make great products that empower people and improve their lives. We are looking for a great Character Behavior Designer to join our diverse team of engineers, artists and designers and help us take character interaction to the next level. This position focuses on the design of a character's responses to people and to its environment, with emphasis on expression, responsiveness, and timing, to push the limits of the next generation of interactive computing.

Description

This role requires a deep understanding of social interaction, technical proficiency in behavior authoring tools, and the ability to work within real-time constraints while maintaining high creative standards. The emphasis is on how expression, animation, and speech combine in performance, with dialogue authored in partnership with writers.

Responsibilities

• Author complete character interactions, from first pass through final tuning
• Drive animation, expression, speech, and timing from contextual input so each response feels intentional
• Design interactions that stay believable across a range of social contexts
• Collaborate with animators and engineers on the animation each interaction requires
• Collaborate on tool design and development with the engineering team
• Explore emerging techniques for interactive character behavior

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience authoring and tuning NPC or companion character behaviors using tools like behavior trees, state machines, utility systems, or visual scripting
• Working knowledge of interactive animation, including idles, reactions, look-ats, and additive layers
• Experience with real-time game engines like Unity, Unreal, or others
• Understanding of technical constraints in real-time environments
• Great at providing and receiving feedback while working in a collaborative, cross-discipline environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in animation, acting, physical comedy, or improvisation
• Familiarity with conversational systems, including latency and failure modes
• Solid grasp of the traditional principles of animation and performance
• Prototyping, iterating, and evaluation skills
• Experience with themed entertainment, animatronics, or interactive installation work