Lead Character Tools Engineer

PlayStation; United States; Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Sony Interactive Entertainment is seeking a Lead Character Tools Engineer to join the PlayStation Central Technology team. You will work on character creation, rigging, and animation pipelines, developing tools to streamline production and integrate new tech.

The role requires strong C++ and Python, extensive Maya experience, and collaboration with engineers, artists, and researchers. Exciting opportunities exist to leverage AI/ML to improve workflows and tooling.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of game development pipelines and run-time workflows.
• Experience developing artist-facing tools in a production environment.
• Ability to prototype, create, and deploy technical tools for character creation, rigging, and animation pipelines.
• Familiarity with agentic AI models and shader/graphics workflows.

Responsibilities

• Prototype and harden tools for character creation, rigging, animation, and runtime integration.
• Set up and maintain project environments and automation opportunities.
• Support multiple client environments, assets, and tools.
• Write, maintain, and customize internal tooling and workflows.
• Create and maintain technical documentation.
• Participate in internal demos and conferences; travel as required.
• Collaborate with teams and stakeholders to ensure cohesive pipelines.

Skills

C++ programming

Python scripting

collaborative teamwork

AI/ML exploration

Education

BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Graphic Art, or related field

Tools

Maya

MotionBuilder

Houdini

PyQt/PySide

HLSL

MaterialX

Perforce

Git

Job description

Why Sony Interactive Entertainment?

Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting‑edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity.

Why PlayStation?

PlayStationisn’tjust the Best Place to Play —it’salso the Best Place to Work. Today,we’rerecognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4,PlayStation®VR,PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.

We are seeking a Lead Character Tools Engineer to join the PlayStation Central Technology team focusing on Character technology from creation, rigging, and animation.Developing and distributing tools and optimizing for making the best characters in games more efficiently and integrating emergent technology into the future of game making.

Candidateexpected to prototype,create, and collaborate to deploy andmaintaintechnicaltools andpractices from experience on traditional game development and run-time workflows with internal teamsandseek new opportunities for bringing increased usage of AI and ML to make those processes more efficient.

Thisinternalteam of artists, engineers, and technical artistspartnerwith engineering teams, studio stakeholders,research engineers,and other Central Technologygroupstoprovidecohesionand standardization across PSS activities.

This position requiresa demonstratableunderstanding ofgame development pipelines, extensive experience with Autodesk Maya software, and strongprogramming skills.Familiarity withleveragingagentic workflows to accelerate code creation and testing.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate withinternal teammembersand studio stakeholderstoprototype and hardencreate toolsconsideringcontemporarydevelopmentworkflows,data management,artcreation,animation, and game engine integration

• Setting up andmaintainingproject specific environments and automationopportunities

• Learning and supporting varying client working environments, assets, and tools

• Writing,maintaining, and customizing internal tools and workflows

• Building andmaintainingtechnical documentation

• Willingness to attend andparticipatein PlayStation internal demonstrations and conferences, travelrequired

• Ability to work in a collaborative team environment as well as self-driven experimentation and research

Core Experience:

• Experienceas technical artist or engineer to develop and deploy tools to support charactercreation, rigging, simulation, oranimation pipelinesin a run-time environment

• 10+ years in agame development studio orpreviousexperiencecreating artist-facing tools ontechnical art or engineeringteam ina production environment

• BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Graphic Art, or a related field, or equivalent experience

• Extensive experience in working with game editors and excellent working knowledge of technical specificationsof workflow from DCC tocomplexreal-time environments

• Capable of writing and debuggingC++

• Excellent knowledge of Maya with general knowledge of Maya rigging

• Developing ormaintainingproject pipeline tools and system environments

• Excellent troubleshooting skills and the ability to creatively solve problems

• ExperienceleveragingAgentic AI models

• Strong understanding of deformationand mesh processing

• Familiarity with industry trends in character rigging, gameplay animation, cinematic animation,deformationand simulation usage in character animation pipelines

• Decent sense of humor

Extended Experience:

• Strong Python programming skills and experience withPyQt/Pyside

• Motionbuilder, Maya, Houdini,experience

• Experience with HLSL,MaterialX

• Experience with other programming languages, especially C++.

• Experience withPerforce, Git, Confluence

• Exposure to photogrammetry, motion capture/performance capture

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.$143,700—$215,500 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.