Technical Director

Job Description

Technical Director

Job Description :

We’re EA—the world’s largest video game publisher. You’re probably familiar with many of our titles—Madden, FIFA, The Sims, Need for Speed, Dead Space, Battlefield and Star Wars, to name a few. But maybe you don’t know how we’re committed to creating games for every platform—from social to mobile to console—to give our consumers that anytime, anywhere access they demand. What does that mean for you? It means more opportunities to unleash your creative genius, be inspired by those around you and ignite your path in any direction you choose.

The EA Central Development Services group is a critical partner of EA game development teams and a driver for quality and productivity within those teams.

Come and join us for an opportunity to work with the best game development teams in the world in a challenging yet fun and creative environment.

Innovate to keep EA at the bleeding edge of the industry standards for quality and processes to make a difference for thousands of employees and millions of gamers in the world.

We are looking for a Technical Director with a focus on development processes improvements leading the Tiburon studio CDS Technical team to champion change, innovation and quality.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS :

Strategy & Planning

Provide strategic planning and direction in the area of integrating, testing, and releasing the tools and infrastructures for the Tools group

Lead the development of tools and release strategy
Drive innovation and manage opportunities
Be accountable for the technical proficiency of the tools team
Assist Game Testing owners to understand the technology requirements of their product and plan for service and strategies

Implementation & Deployment

Conduct code reviews, and establish a robust quality assurance process, including integration and system testing.
Review and approve proposed development releases and oversee the release process for tools products.
Monitor tools usage, performance and resolve any failures.
Provide consulting to game teams and central technology providers on strategies at the component, sub-system, system level and services.
Provide technical oversight and direction to the embedded and distributed tools development teams responsible for developing and supporting products.
Oversee internal and external project dependencies, risks and critical paths; ensure contingency plan is in place; recommend solutions and approve plan & timelines; understand overall impact on all stakeholders.
Drive solutions deployment and collect customer feedback.

Operational Management

Ensure technical problems are resolved in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Ensure that internal technological processes and customer-facing services comply with expectations.
Promote achievement of the tools team business goals and develop policies for sharing software code, technological innovation and business processes, and other intellectual property.
Help create a strong and coherent technical community by developing excellent relationships with technical peers in game development teams and other groups throughout EA studios.
Participate in recruitment, training & coaching of engineers to enhance individual effectiveness and professional growth.

Job Requirements

Technical Director

REQUIREMENTS :

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering or Software Engineering or equivalent
A minimum of 6 years software industry technical experience working on tools, test automation and/or development process improvements.
4+ years experience working with databases and good knowledge of SQL. MySQL or Oracle experience preferred.
Solid experience with Test Driven Development is required; be able to explain where you have used TDD before on projects.
Excellent organizational communication and management skills with a strong desire to contribute to a unique creative environment by utilizing world-wide talent.
Project management skills demonstrated by the ability to define tasks in a well organized manner, based on proper resource and time management.
Training and presentation skills

ADDITIONAL SKILLS :

Experience with Video Game development a plus
Knowledge of performance and code optimizations techniques
Experience using configuration management and software management suites and tools
Performance Competencies (Non-Technical Skills)
Passion for the entertainment industry and distributed development.
Excellent communication skills, including verbal, face-to-face, written and presentation.
Excellent detail-oriented, problem solving skills
Experience of customer service
Able to quickly assess situations, troubleshoot complex problems and keep a calm head under tight time constraints and high pressure.
Self-starter and ability to quickly learn and apply new concepts, principles and solutions with little supervision.
Ability to review, evaluate and qualify technical skills
Ability to mentor, coach and develop technical staff
Ability to travel

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About Electronic Arts

In 1982, Electronic Arts was founded by Trip Hawkins who considered interactive games a new art form and their creators, artists. Trip and a group of visionary friends established EA on the principle that interactive media was more interesting than passive formats and that one day “software worthy of the minds who use it” would be more important than traditional media like films and television. “We see farther,” we proclaimed, with faith that Moore’s Law, the engine of Silicon Valley, would one day provide the power to put “real life in a box.” We asked, “can a computer make you cry?” and invited the new faithful to “join us.”

Thirty years have passed, and many of the dreams have come true. Video games are now one of the most influential forms of media and have surpassed traditional media like music and box office film in revenue. Game designers are renowned worldwide as creative leaders. Top universities have pioneered successful degrees in game development. Video games are enjoyed at home on gaming consoles and PCs and on-the-go on smartphones, tablets, laptops and handheld gaming devices. Video games have also become highly social activities, not the single or two player experiences from so many years ago. In short, video games, once considered a passing fad, are here to stay.

Alex Howell, Associate Designer

NCAA Football, Tiburon – Orlando FL

“If you are looking to land an amazing, life‑fulfilling, fun job, look no further. EA is more than a company, it allows you to explore opportunities that you didn't know existed. It has changed my life, and if you are passionate enough, it will change yours too! Come join the fun!”