Research Associate, Graphics

Job Title:

Research Associate, Graphics

Requisition ID:

R025004

Job Description:

Your Mission   
We are looking for a talented and innovative software engineer to join our team. You will receive a meaningful project and an unparalleled experience. We’ll provide the tools and resources you need to learn new skills/technology while you collaborate with some of the best in the gaming industry. The challenging and creative work you do throughout your internship will directly impact the team you are contributing on. In addition to your day-to-day work, you’ll participate in intern exclusive.

This internship is located in Los Angeles, CA. All employment will be conducted in person. Hosting managers will determine when and how often employees work in the office.

Available to participate in a 12-week internship starting in May/June. Currently residing in the US or open to relocating oneself to the US.

What you bring to the table

The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners. Therefore, this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:  

• Participate in R&D projects related to performance capture, cloth capture and character animation.
• Assist in developing, maintaining, and supporting asset creation pipelines and tools which integrate with different specific studio pipelines.

Player Profile  

Minimum requirements:

Experience  

• First-authored publications at peer-reviewed conferences (e.g. CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, WACV, and SIGGRAPH)
• Demonstrated solid understanding and previous experience in machine learning and computer vision concepts like Gaussian Splatting, Differentiable Rendering, Transformers, Generative Adversarial Models.
• Experience implementing state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms from research papers and optimizing models for real-world applications.
• Ability to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including engineers, designers, and researchers, to integrate ML solutions into production environments.

Knowledge & Skills  

• Possess a Ph.D. or be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Computer Science, with a proven track record of engineering expertise.
• Solid understanding of Computer Graphics concepts like 3D Morphable Models, Inverse Rendering.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with expertise in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch and TensorFlow.

Key Attributes  

• Exhibits learning agility; has the ability to think differently, and/or grasp and apply new skills and concepts
• Approaches problems in a clear, well-organized, and solutions-oriented manner
• Able to effectively communicate problems, solutions, needs, or priorities
• Is engaged, seeks to learn, and is able to manage time effectively
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document research findings and present technical content effectively.

Your Platform

Activision Central Tech works to support our development studios and their titles. Comprised of seven main teams, we have many specialties including big data, privacy and security, motion capture and animation pipeline technologies, graphics, build and infrastructure for studio development and data centers, optimization, systems programming and online services including matchmaking and networking. Central Tech is distributed globally with offices across the U.S., and in Canada, England, Ireland and Japan.

Most of our teams are comprised of both engineering and research talent, allowing us to always have an eye on the future. Our talented engineers help with title development and provide valuable knowledge sharing between studios while our researchers are action-oriented and keep a strong connection with the needs of the game studios.

Central Tech is part of Activision. To learn more about us and our research, please visit us at https://research.activision.com/.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization. 

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up. 

Ready to Activate Your Future? 

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.  

  

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics. 

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest. 

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $19.71 - $36.42 Hourly. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.