Unknown Worlds is a creatively driven, fully remote, globally distributed studio committed to bringing players new types of game experiences. We helped pioneer the early access development model and continue to develop openly with our fans and community. Since our inception in 2001 we have created the hybrid FPS/RTS Natural Selection franchise, the underwater survival hit Subnautica (6.5M+ copies sold), and our most recent release in the Subnautica universe – Subnautica: Below Zero.
Engineering: Build Engineer
Unknown Worlds is currently seeking a Build Engineer to become a vital part of our team. The successful candidate will take on the crucial responsibility of running our TeamCity CI/CD pipelines, ensuring the stability and efficiency of our build system. You will provide support to team members facing build-related issues. A strong understanding of the Unreal Engine build ecosystem is essential for this role. As a Build Engineer, you will be expected to leverage your knowledge of cutting edge build processes to improve the quality of our game development process. You will work closely with other developers, providing valuable insights and solutions to ensure the smooth operation of our live game development processes.
This is a remote position on a fully distributed team.
Responsibilities
- Manage and maintain TeamCity CI/CD pipelines.
- Ensure the stability of our build system and troubleshoot any issues that arise.
- Provide support to assist team members with build-related issues.
- Collaborate with development teams to improve the build and deployment processes.
- Maintain documentation of build and deployment processes.
Qualifications
- In-depth experience with CI/CD systems such as Teamcity, Horde or Jenkins.
- Experience with Unreal Engine build processes, ideally BuildGraph.
- Excellent knowledge of Python scripting language.
- Experience with source control systems, especially Perforce.
- Experience working with cloud providers, preferably AWS.
- Experience with current-gen console development and SDK support.
- Ability to work in a fully remote environment.
Preferences
- Shipped at least one game in Unreal Engine.
- Experience in live game development.
- Experience working with monitoring systems such as Sentry and Datadog.
We make games that are accessible and engaging for players all over the world. We believe in hiring and supporting the most talented and creative people of diverse backgrounds. That support includes annual professional development and home office stipends, as well as paid time off for volunteer/non-profit work. Join us and be a part of our growing and innovative studio.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
Production: Senior Producer
Unknown Worlds is seeking an experienced producer to help drive development of the next game in the Subnautica series. The senior producer is a collaborator, facilitator, enabler and force-multiplier on our teams. They are highly emotionally intelligent, organized and passionate about making games. All potential candidates should be experienced in partner management, project planning, risk mitigation, and empowering teams to do their best work.
This is a remote position on a fully remote team. Our ideal candidate is situated to provide a consistent and ongoing level of support to our Western European team members.
Responsibilities
- Oversee projects of all shapes and sizes. The producer works with team leadership to establish and execute development goals
- Work closely with the Lead Producer to establish a cohesive, stable process for the game’s development in service of the creative vision and business objectives
- Build and manage schedules. The producer helps manage the project roadmap and schedule in collaboration with key stakeholders
- Coach and mentor. The producer works with individuals to establish expectations, build on areas of strength, and address necessary improvements
- Identify and address risks, staffing deficiencies, and other areas for improvement and growth across the project and studio
- Manage key relationships on the project, including development partners and publishers
Qualifications
- Deep understanding of project management methodologies and game development process
- Excellent situational awareness and judgment. The ability to demonstrate both qualities in high pressure situations
- Strong desire to coach and grow individual contributors and teams
- Strong written and verbal communication. Strong relationship skills; the ability to manage up and down, internally and with external partners
- Ability to lead and empower teams towards a set of shared and agreed upon goals
Preferences
- Experience shipping one or more games in a production role
- Experience with multi platform development, including consoles
- Experience managing external partners and vendors
- Experience supervising one or more direct reports
We make games that are accessible and engaging for players all over the world. We believe in hiring and supporting the most talented and creative people of diverse backgrounds. That support includes annual professional development and home office stipends, as well as paid time off for volunteer/non-profit work. Join us and be a part of our growing and innovative studio.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
Technical Director
Unknown Worlds is seeking an accomplished Technical Director to play a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction of our projects. The Technical Director is a studio level role responsible for the overall quality of our technology strategy, our software, and the health of our engineering teams. They focus on ensuring our teams have access to the resources and tools needed to create the most amazing player experiences imaginable.
This is a remote position on a fully remote team.
Responsibilities
- Develop and manage high level technical strategy for the studio. Work with teams on determining engine choice, tools, middleware, and centralized technology across our games.
- Research and demonstrate emerging technologies and their potential applications to our ongoing and future development projects.
- Provide project support and mentorship for engineering leads.
- Work with teams to identify and resolve challenging technical questions and problems. Assist teams with managing technical risk.
- Assist with project staffing and hiring for technical resources.
- Provide support for externally developed projects. Assist with vetting external partners and offering technical guidance.
- Work to ensure the engineering department develops a healthy work / life balance.
Qualifications
- Proven experience as a Technical Director or in a similar engineering related leadership role.
- Strong background in game development with expertise in multiple areas such as graphics, networking, AI, or gameplay programming.
- Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to articulate and drive technical vision across teams.
- Experience in recruiting and managing a diverse department of engineers.
- Deep knowledge of current industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.
- Experience shipping multiple titles across various platforms (PC, Console, Mobile, VR).
Preferences
- Experience with online or live service games.
- Experience developing on Unreal engine.
- Experience working on open world games.
We make games that are accessible and engaging for players all over the world. We believe in hiring and supporting the most talented and creative people of diverse backgrounds. That support includes annual professional development and home office stipends, as well as paid time off for volunteer/non-profit work. Join us and be a part of our growing and innovative studio.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
Who We Are
How We Work
As a fully remote studio we support a self-directed, self-managed approach to our work. We rely on real time communication tools like Slack and video chat to stay connected. We have regular team wide retreats in beautiful locations all over the world to regroup, plan, hang out and recharge. Our teams work together to set high level goals and each person determines how they can best contribute to achieving the objective.
Who you are
Our ideal candidate is passionate, self-motivated, versatile and eager to grow. We are looking for developers who are excited to be involved in their projects and take personal ownership in their work. At Unknown Worlds everyone is encouraged to collaborate on all aspects of the games we’re creating. All our team members have a strong passion for their craft, and love making games.
Diversity & Inclusion
At Unknown Worlds, we pride ourselves on being a globally based and represented team. As such, we are committed to diversity as one of our core values. However, we also have the responsibility to ensure that our values translate into concrete actions: what games we make, how we make them, and how we hire our people. We pledge to carry out this effort in earnest, with an open mind and with the intention to improve this industry for everyone. We’re dedicated to working towards that goal in many ways, and improve some things we’re already doing. We believe this is long overdue, and will ultimately broaden the perspective and creativity of our games. We understand that this means on-going commitment, education, discussion, and outside advice where necessary.
Our Commitments
The following commitments are not comprehensive (our aim is progress, not perfection!), but represent what we intend to develop, improve, and build on over time.
- We are committed to making games that speak to a diverse audience and promote shared experiences across differences in age, race, gender, sexuality, and mental or physical ability.
- We will continue to commit a portion of Unknown Worlds’ yearly profits to charitable organizations.
- We will continue to reserve time each year for full-time team members to volunteer-work of their choosing.
- We are committed to supporting policies and organizations that build equity for marginalized groups.
- We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where we combat perfectionism with a culture of appreciation, understand the connection between defensiveness and fear, and value teamwork over individualism.
- We will continue to provide an annual education budget for full-time team members for their continued development.
- We are committed to looking at our team’s diversity at all levels, including ways in which we can make the hiring and game development processes more inclusive.
- We are committed to reviewing our business network to include partners from diverse backgrounds.
Organizations We Support
We have always felt strongly about giving back to communities and causes that reflect our values, and every year our team works together to choose them. Below are some of the organizations we currently support, either through donations, sponsorship, volunteering, or partnership.
- Action Against Hunger. This donation was made possible thanks to all of the incredible members of the Subnautica community who participated in the ‘Go Play Inside’ bundle back in April 2020. The funds will be put towards expanding water, sanitation, hygiene, and health programs in hard-to-reach areas and vulnerable communities, who have been deeply affected by the pandemic.
- San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. With an office based in San Francisco, we wanted to give back to our local community, for those facing food scarcity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. As the premier legal organization in America fighting for racial justice, through litigation, advocacy, and public education, we wanted to contribute to help the LDF continue to seek structural changes and work towards their goal of equality for all Americans.
- Game Devs of Color Expo as a Collaborating Sponsor. The Game Devs of Color Expo is a space to enlighten and unite people of all genders, races, abilities, sexual orientations and religions.The 2020 Expo was fully virtual, due to the pandemic, and seeked to help new and experienced game developers share, learn and connect in unique ways.
- National Center for Transgender Equality. Working at the local, state, and federal levels to change laws, policies and society, the NCTE seeks to replace disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice for transgender people.