Senior Gameplay Engineer

Sky Dance; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Skydance is seeking a Senior Gameplay AI Engineer to design, implement, and own core AI systems for NPCs. You will partner with Design, Animation, and Audio to deliver responsive, believable characters in a production environment.

The role requires 7+ years in gameplay/AI, deep Unreal Engine experience, and strong collaboration skills. Remote eligibility is available for candidates in eligible states; base salary ranges between $150k and $180k with standard benefits.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional gameplay/AI engineering experience.
• Own large gameplay or AI systems in production.
• Experience with AI simulation systems and features using C++, Blueprints, and other tools.
• Knowledge of common AI frameworks (Behavior Trees, FSMs, Utility AI).
• Collaborate with designers, artists, and audio to iterate AI behaviors.
• Own major systems, maintain schedules, drive tasks.
• Experience with Unreal Engine gameplay AI tools and custom tech.
• Experience with animation-driven AI (Animation Blueprints, Montages, Control Rig).
• Self-motivated, willing to contribute across development areas.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of core gameplay AI systems.
• Drive technical direction for NPC gameplay systems and AI frameworks.
• Own large-scale AI features from concept through ship.
• Identify and resolve performance, scalability, and design challenges.
• Partner with Design, Animation, Audio, and Production to define AI goals.
• Provide technical leadership across cross-functional initiatives.
• Help establish engineering standards and improve AI workflows.

Skills

C++

Unreal Engine

Behavior Trees

FSMs

Animation Blueprints

Montages

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Problem Solving

Tools

Unreal Editor

Job description

Position Overview

Skydance is looking for a Senior Gameplay AI Engineer skilled in working with creative teams to build key NPC gameplay features and frameworks.

Remote Eligibility: This role can be hired for remote candidates with legal residence in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of core gameplay AI systems
• Drive technical direction for NPC gameplay systems and AI frameworks
• Own large-scale AI features from concept through ship
• Identify and resolve performance, scalability, and technical design challenges across gameplay systems.
• Partner closely with Design, Animation, Audio, and Production to define and drive AI feature goals
• Provide technical leadership and guidance across cross‑functional gameplay initiative
• Help establish engineering standards and improve team‑wide AI development workflows

Requirements/Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional gameplay/AI engineering experience
• Proven experience owning large gameplay or AI systems in a production environment.
• Experience architecting and implementing AI simulation systems and features from scratch using a combination of C++, Blueprints, and other tools.
• In‑depth knowledge of industry standard gameplay AI simulation systems, techniques and frameworks (e.g., Behavior Trees, FSMs, Utility AI)
• Demonstrated collaboration with designers, artists, and audio developers to iterate on and refine key AI behaviors and system tunings.
• Ability to take ownership of major systems, maintain development schedules, and drive major implementation tasks.
• Extensive experience with Unreal Engine, using and understanding the different gameplay AI authoring tools, modifying and creating custom tech to extend the base engine feature sets.
• Experience with animation techniques driving AI characters (e.g., Animation Blueprints, Montages, Control Rig, MotionMatching)
• Self‑motivated and self‑directing, willing to pitch in areas of development beyond direct responsibilities.
• A passionate eye towards delivering quality and highly‑tuned game feel.
• Experience mentoring and supporting other engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and best practices – helping them stay on track and true to the overall vision of the game.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong problem‑solving skills.

The annual salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $150,000 – $180,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.