How to Submit an Application
Send resumes and cover letters to: jobs@helixe.com and include the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line of the email.
Artists: Please send a tape, a CD, a portfolio or a URL to a portfolio web site. The most important requirements are that you are able to draw well, and that you are creative.
Programmers: Programmers will need to complete a programming test provided by us.
Designers: Designers will need to complete a design challenge provided by us.
Positions Currently Available:
Art Director
The Art Director is responsible for the visual direction on all Helixe titles as well as the management of artists on those projects. You must be able to match the visual style of Pixar Licensed properties and original THQ properties. It is essential that a candidate be able to work and effectively communicate in a team environment. The Art Director should regularly be setting examples in communication, initiative, teamwork, and productivity while working to improve the skills and knowledge of the Art group through mentoring, education, and direction.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee all aspects of the visual portion of Helixe Studio's game development.
- Recruiting/training of new art/animation talent.
- Allocate/Manage/Mentor/Review a current art/animation staff of 12 across multiple projects.
- Supervise workflow of internal artists and provide guidance, inspiration and mentoring as needed.
- Management of external contract artists as needed.
- Manage the studio's ongoing art needs for the Nintendo DS platform.
- Collaborate with producers, designers and programmers to ensure the art needs of each project are met in a timely manner.
- Oversee/review the work of the artists across multiple projects simultaneously to ensure it meets the Helixe/THQ standard of high quality art.
- Schedule resources and ensure art assets are organized and properly tracked.
- Work with stakeholders in the rest of the company to ensure proper representation of game assets in marketing materials, website, etc.
- Participate in studio steering considerations with general manager and other department heads.
Requirements:
- Experience in one of the major 3d modeling packages. Helixe currently uses 3D Studio Max.
- Drawing/painting skill with a strong emphasis on texturing.
- Bachelors degree is preferred, but not required.
- 5-10 years of game development experience and multiple shipped games as an artist.
Project Manager
This position supports development by leading a DS team through the production process. Primary accountability is for managing schedules, budgets and milestones, ensuring timely and accurate asset flow, and for team and resource coordination (rather than having accountability for overall project direction and success, which typically resides with the producer). Ensure milestones and goals are met to produce the highest quality DS games possible.
Responsibilities:
- Works closely with Lead Artist, Designer and Programmer to build and maintain project schedule, milestone schedules, deliverables for individual projects, including weekly task updates.
- Manages day-to-day workflow and data-flow between disciplines through all stages of production from concept to RTM. Works closely with Lead Artist, Designer, and Programmer to identify dependencies and possible workflow blockages, and works proactively to avoid these. Also helps to evaluate team-member performance.
- Maintains an acute awareness of the team's morale and attitude while identifying all problems or concerns to management.
- Serves as first point of contact for external agencies on project-related questions and deliverables (except for licensor issues, which may be handled by the Executive Producer, especially if multi-project scope).
- Works with Executive Producer to insure adherence to scoping and scheduling requirements for assigned Helixe projects.
- Manages internal Helixe QA team for assigned project (if applicable).
- Reports to Technical Director for high-level tasks and personnel issues. In the case where no Lead Programmer exists for the current project at hand, reports directly to the Technical Director.
Requirements:
- At least 3 shipped titles or equivalent industry experience.
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- A broad knowledge base (and interest) in handheld and console games.
- Passion for games.
Pluses:
- Experience with Nintendo platforms (DS or Game Cube).
- Three to six years of production management and coordination experience.
Senior Game Programmer
Responsibilities:
- First programming point of contact when requested new features or major changes to the project impacts the schedule.
- Responsible for creating high quality code and effectively teaching new features and functionality to programming, design, or art.
- Completes work in a timely manner.
- Test, debug and revise code, including profiling, performance analysis and performance tuning as necessary.
- Responsible for documentation of gained knowledge regarding procedures, processes, pipelines, tools, etc (ex: post-mortem).
- Works independently with supervision varying with the task at hand.
- Reports to Lead Programmer for day-to-day tasks.
- Reports to Technical Director for high-level tasks and personnel issues. In the case where no Lead Programmer exists for the current project at hand, reports directly to the Technical Director.
Requirements:
- College BS degree in CS or Engineering is preferred. Exceptions for equivalent independent experience.
- At least 4 shipped titles or equivalent industry experience.
- Passion for playing games.
System Experience:
Currently, we are seeking qualified candidates with significant experience writing one or more of the following systems.
- 3D Graphics
- 2D Graphics
- Scene Management
- Network Communications
- Tactical Unit AI
Game Programmers
Helixe Studios is looking for mid-level and entry-level programmers to work on our current and upcoming Nintendo DS project.
Responsibilities:
- Primarily responsible for creating high quality code and effectively teaching new features and functionality to programming, design, or art.
- Assist Senior Game Programmers as required per project.
- Takes initiative to be fully up-to-date and versed in relevant sections of the game design.
- Complete work in a timely manner.
- Test, debug and revise code, including profiling, performance analysis and performance tuning as necessary.
- Participate in peer level code reviews.
- Work independently with supervision varying with the task at hand.
- Report to Lead Programmer for day-to-day tasks.
- In the case where no Lead Programmer exists for the current project at hand, reports directly to the Technical Director
Requirements:
- College BS degree in CS or Engineering is preferred. Exceptions for equivalent independent experience.
- At least 1 shipped title or equivalent industry experience.
- Passion for playing games.
Pluses:
- Experience with Nintendo platforms (DS or Game Cube).
- Graphic and Physics background.