Top Tech Jobs & Startup Jobs in San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Lead the multiplayer game's creative vision and live-service strategy from Early Access through ongoing operation. Own progression, pacing, co-op balance, post-launch roadmap, live-ops cadence, and cross-discipline execution while converting player feedback into a prioritized backlog and guiding design documentation and stakeholder communication.

Contract Gameplay Systems Engineer responsible for designing, implementing, optimizing, and stabilizing data-driven gameplay AI systems in Unreal Engine. Collaborate with designers, animators, and QA to build enemy behaviors, navigation, perception, and decision logic; profile and optimize performance; document systems; write clean C++/Blueprint code; participate in reviews and sprints to move systems from MVP to production quality.

Implement and iterate in-engine static and animated UIs in Unreal using Blueprint scripting. Collaborate with designers and engineers to ensure readable, accessible, optimized, and consistent interfaces across platforms, document Blueprint architecture best practices, and deliver under production constraints.

Lead cross-functional engineering, QA, and production teams to deliver narrative-driven games on schedule and budget. Define project plans, manage budgets, mitigate risks, oversee quality and certification processes, coordinate launches and post-launch support, and translate creative vision into actionable technical development plans.

Operate as the GM of Games' right hand: run division operating rhythm, manage GM calendar and meetings, aggregate cross-functional status and risks, track decisions and actions, produce executive briefing materials, and lead division-wide operating projects and process improvements.

Lead narrative design for rapid-prototype game concepts: refine backlogged concepts, define plot/theme/tone/characters, storyboard story beats, advise co-dev teams, and organize voice recording to support episodic storytelling potential.

Lead the game's design vision through pre-production: define gameplay systems, prototype in Unreal/Blueprints, lead a small design team, run playtests, iterate mechanics, collaborate cross-functionally, and scope features for production while mentoring designers.

Design, sculpt, model, and texture high-quality 3D characters for real-time engines. Produce high-poly sculpts and optimized low-poly game-ready models, collaborate with rigging/animation/tech art, maintain visual standards, mentor junior artists, and improve character pipeline and performance across platforms.

The role involves crafting engaging real-time cinematics in Unreal Engine, collaborating with various teams to enhance storytelling and gameplay integration.

Create high-quality real-time VFX (particles, shaders, lighting) in Unreal Engine to enhance gameplay, atmosphere, and player feedback. Iterate quickly with art, design, and engineering, optimize performance across platforms, and maintain organized VFX assets and documentation on a contract timeline.