Senior Expert Gameplay Engineer - Raven Software - Middleton, WI

Job Title:

Senior Expert Gameplay Engineer - Raven Software - Middleton, WI

Requisition ID:

R028063

Job Description:

Your Mission

Your mission is to create, implement, and refine highly cinematic, player-first experiences that will be enjoyed by millions of gamers worldwide as a Senior Expert Gameplay Engineer.

Thriving in a dynamic and often ambiguous environment is essential. This role requires agility and flexibility, as you'll collaborate closely with a variety of internal and external partners. Through prototyping, iteration, and a commitment to high-quality standards, you'll craft engaging and rewarding player experiences.

This position demands a balance of creativity, technical expertise, leadership, and a deep understanding of player motivations to develop unforgettable in-game moments. Above all, we seek an innovative and dedicated engineer who will help bring our game to life—setting a new standard for excellence in the competitive AAA FPS space.

This role is based in our Madison, WI office and follows an onsite work schedule of four days per week. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs. 

What you bring to the table 

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners. Therefore, this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities: 

• Develop, modify, and debug gameplay and related engine C/C++ code
• Develop, modify, and debug gameplay code in proprietary scripting language                   
• Deploy, evaluate performance, optimize and test software on PC client and server platforms
• Collaborate with other internal departments (art, design, audio, animation, QA, etc.)
• Co-develop and collaborate with other Activision studios
• Document software and features for internal and external engineering teams
• Participate in the scheduling, design, performance and code review process

Player Profile

Minimum requirements

Experience

• Shipped at least one game title
• 13+ years of experience in software engineering
• Experience in gameplay related fields like AI, physics, animation, weapons, scripting, networking
• Background in working in multi-threaded code
• Extensive experience working with C/C++ programming

Knowledge & Skills 

• Proven ability to collaborate, coordinate, communicate and support other team members
• Strong 3D math skills
• Comprehensive understanding of object-oriented programming

Key Attributes 

• Creative, motivated, focused, passionate, results-oriented
• Demonstrated ability to write efficient, clean, readable, portable, and reliable code
• Passion for games

Extra Points

Experience

• Experience working with first-person shooter gameplay
• Experience with working with networking services like PSN, Xbox Live, or Steam

Your Platform 

Founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel in Middleton, Wisconsin, Raven Software began as a small studio focused on crafting fantasy and role-playing games. Since then, our award-winning portfolio has grown to include beloved titles such as Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and - for the past 15 years - major contributions to the critically acclaimed Call of Duty® franchise. As the lead developers behind Call of Duty: Warzone and the force behind the campaigns of the Black Ops series, most recently Black Ops 6, we have established ourselves as a key player in shaping the FPS genre and pushing the boundaries of what games can achieve.   

Our motto, “Our Work Speaks For Us,” symbolizes the dedication and passion that drives everything we do. We’ve built a team rooted in respect, collaboration, and a shared focus on what’s best for the game. We prioritize ambition balanced with care, direct communication, and a culture free of egos. By fostering innovation and owning our mistakes, we continually push boundaries to create unforgettable games for our players. As a studio located in Middleton - a suburb of Madison consistently ranked among the best places to live - we offer a thriving, supportive environment paired with exceptional quality of life.  

As we grow and enter the next chapter of our journey, we’re looking for talented individuals eager to pave new ground in our industry. If you’re ready to work with a world-class team, we’d love to hear from you.   

Job Opportunities: https://careers.ravensoftware.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raven-software/ 

Our World   

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.  

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization. 

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.   

Ready to Activate Your Future?   

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.      

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.    

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [email protected]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. 

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $149,100.00 - $275,876.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.