Senior Writer

We are seeking an experienced Senior Writer to join the Human Head team! The Senior Writer will report directly to the Executive Producer and will be responsible for creating the project's narrative (plot, world and character fiction, and dialog) and working with the Design, Art, and Audio departments to guide the synthesis of story and interactive experience.

The Senior Writer will be responsible for research, world-building, character design and development, plot development, and script-writing. The Senior Writer will work in close collaboration with the Art Director and Lead Designer to realize the creation of a unique game universe, compelling characters, and engaging narrative events.

The role will guide contributing writers and researchers to support narrative development, maintain the project's evolving narrative documentation, and work closely with the EP to support a parallel project as needed.

Working closely with other departments, the Senior Writer will ensure that the narrative weaves brilliantly with game-play and that the overall experience is engaging and rewarding for the player.

The Senior Writer will also need to have a substantial knowledge of--and ability to analyze--competitive marketing-leading product. The role will involve consuming large amounts of inspirational and research media related to the product.

Other than overseeing narrative-specific cabals, the Senior Writer will have no direct personnel supervision responsibilities.

Primary Job Functions

• Co-Develop the narrative vision for the Project in conjunction with the Lead Designer and EP
• Co-Develop the key themes of the World with Lead Designer and Art Director to craft a rich and unique experience
• Develop unforgettable lead Characters and Supporting Characters appropriate for the project's genre and time period
• Craft compelling episodic-style plots and dialog that tell reveal a larger narrative
• Develop and maintain all documentation pertaining to the Project's narrative design
• Consult with the EP, Art Director, and Lead Designer in evolution of game systems concerned with expression of the Project's narrative vision
• Oversee cross-departmental cabals that focus on implementing particular narrative features or systems
• Work with technology department to ensure narrative techniques work within technical constraints
• Playtest and revise narrative elements and dialog based upon user testing and feedback
• Guide and mentor staff members regarding narrative needs
• Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise and construct solutions to unforeseen design problems and game risks
• Create and meet project deadlines and milestones as determined by EP
• Consume vast amounts of media (interactive and linear) related to the product
• Make amazing stories!

Requirements

• Ability to envision interactive experiences beyond the printed word.
• Demonstrate understanding of the integration of writing and design with regard to a compelling interactive experience
• Involvement in at least one full development cycle from conception and brainstorming through pre-production, planning, production, and finalizing the product. Preferably a game product, but a graphic novel or other visual media product would apply.
• Proven World Development, Character Creation, Plotting and Scriptwriting skills
• Self-directed, capable of working independently
• Strong work ethic, self-motivated, demonstrates initiative, and a powerful creative drive.
• Good communication skills, able to work well under pressure.
• Knowledge of current and past AAA products in company's/project's market space

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Experience crafting stories in the mystery genre
• Experience writing for video games, including Open World games
• Experience working with teams
• Knowledge of/experience in organizational development and motivation

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Senior Writer Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Senior Game Designer

We are seeking Sr. Game Designers to join the Human Head team! These designers will report directly to the Lead Game Designer and be responsible for guiding the creation and implementation of gameplay.

Sr. Game Designers will oversee creation of prototypes, write design documents and specs, review gameplay and assets, and tune gameplay. This role will also run small cross-departmental cabals focused on prototyping and developing a part of the game.

Sr. Game Designers will work closely with other departments to ensure the design is implemented correctly and feedback is clear, juicy, and rewarding.

This role needs substantial knowledge of competitive leading products and will need to analyze competitive products to stay current with industry standards and direction.

Other than overseeing design-specific cabals, Sr. Game Designers will have no direct personnel supervision responsibilities.

Primary Job Functions

• Prototype key game mechanics as necessary to demonstrate their entertainment value
• Oversee cross-departmental cabals that focus on implementing particular features or systems
• Work with technology department to ensure game works within technical constraints
• Play test and revise designs based upon user testing and feedback
• Guide and mentor junior members on staff with design skills and sensibilities
• Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise and construct solutions to unforeseen design problems and game risks
• Create and meet project deadlines and milestones as determined by Project Lead, Lead Game Designer, and Production team
• Consume vast amounts media (interactive and passive) to stay current on industry standards and trends
• Make amazing things

Requirements

• Expertise in game design and the ability to abstract and apply game principles
• Ability to envision market-leading game experiences, and the understanding of how to create them (both individually and scaling for the team)
• Demonstrates understanding of clever and efficient design to optimize for experience, development time and technical constraints
• Extensive knowledge of current and past AAA products in company's/project's market space
• 8+ years of relevant design experience with multiple shipped AAA console titles
• Involvement in at least one full development cycle from conception and brainstorming through pre-production, planning, production, and finalizing the product.
• Proven design skills, self-directed, capable of working on projects independently.
• Strong work ethic, self-motivated, demonstrates initiative, and a powerful creative drive.
• Good communication skills, able to work well under pressure.

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Experience designing Open World Games
• Programming experience, especially in C++ or scripting languages such as Lua
• Knowledge of/experience in organizational development and motivation

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Senior Game Designer Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Rendering Lead

Human Head Studios, Inc. is seeking Technology Programmers for our Madison, Wisconsin video game development studio. This position will be responsible for contributing to our existing code base to continue to push the gaming envelope for our current AAA title in cooperation with a dedicated team of developers.

Primary Job Functions

• Develop a state of the art rendering pipeline
• Working with programmers, designers, artists to best utilize the technology
• Contribute ideas towards game production and development
• Mentor other members of the development team

Requirements

• Strong team leading skills
• Expert in GPU shading techniques
• Excellent 3D math skills
• Comfortable working within an established code framework / engine.
• Demonstrated knowledge of software engineering practices.
• Self-motivated individual passionate about video games.
• Expertise in C/C++ and object-oriented design principles.
• Thorough knowledge of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 rendering capabilities
• Multiple shipped game titles to your credit
• Ability to write clear, maintainable, portable code.
• Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Rendering Lead Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Technology Programmer

Human Head Studios, Inc. is seeking Technology Programmers for our Madison, Wisconsin video game development studio. This position will be responsible for contributing to our existing code base to continue to push the gaming envelope for our current AAA title in cooperation with a dedicated team of developers.

Primary Job Functions

• Working with programmers, designers, artists, and QA.
• Development of technical design specifications and implementations.
• Contributing ideas towards game production and development.

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• Excellent debugging skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Comfortable working within an established code framework / engine.
• Demonstrated knowledge of software engineering practices.
• Self-motivated individual passionate about video games.
• Expertise in C/C++ and object-oriented design principles.
• Expertise on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or both
• Multiple shipped game titles to your credit
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  • Rendering
  • Threaded Programming
  • Threaded Programming
  • Tools
  • Console optimization

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Experience with cross-platform development.

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Technology Programmer Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Level Scripter

Human Head Studios is seeking a qualified Level Scripter for our current AAA title.

The Scripter works in tandem with Level Designers to create effective mission arcs and the moment-to-moment encounters to support and enhance the game's vision. This person is responsible for initial scenario concepts and prototyping, to gameplay scripting, through to polish and bug-fixing.

The Scripter collaborates with members of all other departments to implement designs and solve problems. Excellent communication, giving and receiving feedback, plus a critical eye for producing creative, fun, and innovative solutions are required to succeed in this role.

Candidates must have a strong sense for game design and the narrative of player experience in First- or Third-Person games, and be well-versed in modern design techniques.

Candidates also need to demonstrate that they can write efficient and clean scripts. ["Efficient" includes structuring script functions for use in multiple scenarios.]

A passion for creating quality game designs and game logic is a must, as is the ability to work in a dynamic environment with creative people and to manage goals within tight deadlines.

Requirements

• Experience with object-oriented scripting in Lua (or equivalent language)
• Able to identify, recognize, and create exciting gameplay moments
• Able to work independently, capable of handling sub-projects with moderate supervision
• Good communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong work ethic, proven initiative, and a powerful creative drive

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Extensive game knowledge
• Artistic skills (audio, visual, writing)
• Level design experience
• Programming experience (C++, etc.)
• Experience with a 3D modeling packaging (3DS Max, Lightwave, Maya, etc.)

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Level Scripter Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Game Programmer

We're seeking talented, passionate Game Programmers to join our team! At Human Head, Game Programmers are expected to design, create, maintain and modify innovative and industry-leading game features, systems and experiences.

Under the supervision of the Lead Game Programmer, Game Programmers will be required to regularly collaborate with other programmers, designers, scripters, animators and artists to implement and polish gameplay features, systems and assets from beginning to end. An understanding and interest in what it takes to make juicy gameplay is critical as Game Programmers focus largely on player-facing systems.

Game Programmers are responsible for working within an existing code base and improving or replacing code, and a solid grasp of optimization, profiling and debugging are also expected.

The production work of a Game Programmer is routinely evaluated by the Lead Game Programmer and CTO to ensure proper quality and implementation, and to ensure that it supports the overall game design requirements.

Game Programmers have no direct personnel supervision responsibilities.

Primary Job Functions

• Work in cooperation with other Game Programmers, technology programmers, artists, animators and level designers to design, implement, polish, debug and optimize high quality gameplay features and systems
• Quickly prototype gameplay experiences as requested by Senior or Lead Game Designers
• Take ownership (in collaboration with the team) to ensure that features and systems implemented are presented at quality within in the game experience
• With the Lead Game Programmer, determine tasks to implement features and systems, and accurately determine associated timelines
• Meet project deadlines and milestones as determined by Lead Game Programmer
• Implement features in C/C++ that are CPU, GPU and memory efficient
• Demonstrate and apply strong problem-solving and debugging skills in C++
• Write clean, professional, and maintainable code
• Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise, construct solutions to unforeseen design problems in a timely manner
• Proactively problem-solve performance and stability issues when necessary
• Learn and master proprietary tools and technology
• Use, debug, and modify the tools pipeline, as necessary

Requirements

• 2-5 years of relevant programming experience, with demonstrated understanding of software engineering practices and proven coding skills
• Proficient in C/C++ and object-oriented programming
• Game knowledge and passion and an understanding of the design principles behind games
• Expertise and passion in one or more of the following areas:
  • AI
  • User Interfaces
  • General Gameplay
• Able to work independently and learn new skills, self-motivated able to handle sub-projects with moderate supervision
• Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve
• Strong work ethic, self-motivated, demonstrates initiative, and a powerful creative drive
• Good communication skills, able to work well under pressure
• A strong grasp of signs and feedback in player-facing systems (aka juiciness)

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Involvement in at least one full development cycle from conception and brainstorming through pre-production, planning, production, and finalizing the product.
• Experience with open world and third-person games
• Experience with game scripting languages such as Lua
• A passion for playing games with an eye toward analyzing and breaking them down

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Game Programmer Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704

Senior Game Programmer

We're seeking talented, passionate Senior Game Programmers to join our team! At Human Head, Senior Game Programmers are expected to design, create, maintain and modify innovative and industry-leading game features, systems and experiences.

With limited supervision from the Lead Game Programmer, Senior Game Programmers will be required to regularly collaborate with other programmers, designers, scripters, animators and artists to implement and polish gameplay features, systems and assets from beginning to end.

Senior Game Programmers should be excellent rapid prototypers who are capable of quickly taking a design spec and fleshing it out into a usable game system for further iteration. Senior Game Programmers are expected to understand game design well enough to make adjustments and iterations "in stream" with their prototyping. As such, an understanding and interest in what it takes to make juicy gameplay is critical as Senior Game Programmers focus largely on player-facing systems.

Senior Game Programmers are responsible for working within an existing code base and improving or replacing code. A deep understanding of optimization, profiling and debugging difficult problems (such as memory corruption) are also expected.

Although Senior Game Programmers have no direct personnel supervision responsibilities, they will be expected to assist less experienced Game Programmers and to collaborate directly with Senior Game Designers and other high level positions.

Primary Job Functions

• Work in cooperation with other Game Programmers, technology programmers, artists, animators and level designers to design, implement, polish, debug and optimize high quality game-play features and systems
• Quickly prototype gameplay experiences as requested by Senior or Lead Game Designers
• Take ownership (in collaboration with the team) to ensure that features and systems implemented are presented at quality within the game experience
• With the Lead Game Programmer, determine tasks to implement features and systems, and accurately determine associated timelines
• Meet project deadlines and milestones as determined by Lead Game Programmer
• Implement features in C/C++ that are CPU, GPU and memory efficient, and with an eye to a quality end-user experience
• Write clean, professional, and maintainable code
• Accurately schedule tasks and complete them on time, with an understanding of and appreciation for milestones, schedules, deadlines and efficient development processes
• Guide and mentor junior engineers on the team, consistently provide leadership and innovation
• Proactively problem-solve performance and stability issues when necessary
• Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise and construct solutions to unforeseen design problems in a timely manner
• Create/meet project deadlines & milestones as determined by Game Programming Manager
• Learn and master proprietary tools and technology

Requirements

• 6+ years of relevant programming experience with multiple shipped AAA console titles
• Proficient in C/C++ and object-oriented programming
• Game knowledge and passion and an understanding of the design principles behind games
• Expertise and passion in one or more of the following areas:
  • AI
  • User Interfaces
  • General Game-play
• Involvement in at least one full development cycle from conception and brainstorming through pre-production, planning, production, and finalizing the product
• Game programming discipline mastery, able to produce high quality and high volume work
• Proven coding skills, self-directed, capable of working on projects independently
• Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve
• Strong work ethic, self-motivated, demonstrates initiative, and a powerful creative drive
• Good communication skills, able to work well under pressure
• A strong grasp of signs and feedback in player-facing systems (aka juiciness)

Other Helpful Skills/Abilities

• Experience with open world and third-person games
• Experience with game scripting languages such as Lua
• A passion for playing games with an eye toward analyzing and breaking them down
• Knowledge of debugging/profiling tools like Watson, Pix, etc.

Submission Info

E-mail (preferred)

Email to: jobs@humanhead.com with the subject line Senior Game Programmer Position.

Mail

Human Head Studios, Inc.
1741 Commercial Ave, Suite 200
Madison, WI 53704