Senior Gameplay AI & Pathfinding Engineer (Hybrid)

Placements24; Randburg; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Hybrid work arrangement

Conferences & training

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Gameplay Programmer specializing in AI and Pathfinding for our Randburg, Gauteng office. You will design and optimize complex AI systems, including behavior trees, GOAP, and advanced pathfinding, to deliver engaging player experiences.

You will collaborate with designers and other programmers, mentor juniors, and push the boundaries of intelligent systems using C++ in Unreal Engine or Unity.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in gameplay programming.
• Expert proficiency in C++ and experience with Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Strong understanding of AI concepts, data structures, and mathematics.
• Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize AI systems, including behavior trees, state machines, GOAP, and utility AI.
• Develop and refine advanced pathfinding algorithms (e.g., A*, navigation meshes) for complex environments.
• Collaborate with game designers to translate gameplay requirements into functional AI behaviors.
• Integrate AI and pathfinding systems into the game engine, ensuring smooth performance and scalability.
• Profile and debug AI and pathfinding code to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks and logic errors.
• Contribute to the overall architecture of game systems, ensuring robustness and maintainability.
• Mentor junior programmers and contribute to code reviews, maintaining high standards of code quality.
• Research and implement cutting-edge AI techniques relevant to game development.

Skills

AI concepts

C++ programming

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Gameplay Programmer specializing in AI and Pathfinding for our Randburg, Gauteng office. You will design and optimize complex AI systems, including behavior trees, GOAP, and advanced pathfinding, to deliver engaging player experiences.

You will collaborate with designers and other programmers, mentor juniors, and push the boundaries of intelligent systems using C++ in Unreal Engine or Unity.