Please note: We welcome applicants who prefer to work from home; however, we cannot offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity at this time.

Role:

We are looking for a talented and passionate NPC AI Engineer to help create believable, responsive and engaging AI behaviours for video game projects, both for Flix’s own proprietary projects and high-profile clients.

You will work closely with Design, Engineering, Animation and other disciplines to develop AI systems and behaviours that bring game worlds and their characters to life. We are looking for someone who is passionate about video games, enjoys solving complex problems and is excited by the challenge of creating AI that makes players feel like they are interacting with a living world. 

Responsibilities:

• Design, implement and iterate NPC AI behaviours and systems, from initial prototype through to production-ready implementation. 
• Develop systems for NPC decision-making, navigation, perception, combat, reactions and other gameplay behaviours. 
• Work closely with Designers and other disciplines to translate gameplay requirements into robust and engaging AI systems. 
• Debug, profile and optimise AI systems, identifying and resolving issues that affect behaviour, performance or player experience. 
• Playtest and iterate AI behaviours to ensure they are fun, believable, readable and appropriate to the intended gameplay experience. 
• Contribute to the development of reusable AI tools and systems that can support multiple features and projects. 

Essential:

• Strong programming skills and experience developing gameplay or AI systems. 
• Good understanding of game AI principles, including behaviour trees, state machines, navigation, perception and decision-making. 
• Experience implementing, testing and debugging NPC behaviours within a real-time game environment. 
• Good understanding of gameplay systems and how AI contributes to the overall player experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with an ability to break down complex technical challenges and develop practical solutions.
• A genuine passion for video games and the games industry, with an interest in how AI can create compelling player experiences.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with Design, Engineering, Animation and other disciplines.
• Think critically about AI behaviour from both a technical and player perspective.
• Create AI that is not only technically robust, but also fun, readable and believable.
• Prototype ideas quickly, test them in-game and iterate based on playtesting and feedback.
• Diagnose difficult technical problems and develop practical, maintainable solutions.
• Communicate effectively with both technical and creative disciplines.
• Learn new technologies and proprietary systems quickly and adapt to changing project requirements. 
• Take ownership of your work while maintaining a high standard of quality. 

Desirable:

• Experience with Behaviour Trees, EQS, State Machines, Utility AI or similar AI technologies.
• Experience developing combat AI, squad behaviours, companion AI or complex NPC interactions.
• Experience working on AAA, co-development, multiplayer, open-world or live-service projects.
• Experience with AI optimisation and profiling within large or complex game worlds.
• Experience developing reusable AI frameworks, tools or debugging solutions.

What We Offer:

Based just outside Birmingham, Flix is made up of welcoming, passionate, active gamers who support one another in all aspects of development. We offer you to:

• Join a friendly, nurturing work environment with the opportunity to build games as part of an extremely talented, ambitious studio.
• Work on market-leading AAA titles and IP with globally reputable studio and publisher partners.
• Be part of a sustainably growing game developer studio as we consciously expand our team and projects on a case-by-case basis.
• Learn within an independent studio across a wide range of projects and opportunities both internal and external.