Ubisoft

Gaming

R&DDirector

Shanghai, Shanghai, China FULL TIME
Market Sentiment
HIGH DEMAND

Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for director candidates.

The Brief

“R&D Director at Ubisoft. Skills: technological prototyping, R&D, generative AI, academic partnerships, technology transfer, leadership, communication. Operations related to prototyping and La Forge’s R&D activities in China. Identifying current production technologies”

What You'll Achieve.

Ensure coherent, relevant, and agile R&D efforts; Ensure the production ecosystem is taken into account during prototype execution; Maintain a high level of research excellence (publications, student supervision, Ubisoft visibility); Maintain a high level of technology transfer to production departments (MVPs, knowledge transfer, resource transfer, etc.)

Industry & Context.

Gaming
Problems you'll solve

analytical and synthesis abilities

What They're Looking For.

Must Have

Minimum of 10 years of experience in software development, At least 4 years of experience managing multidisciplinary teams, Knowledge of second- and third-cycle academic environments and how they operate, Excellent leadership and communication skills in an interdisciplinary environment, Positive leadership in changing or uncertain contexts, Ability to delegate and empower others, Analytical and synthesis abilities, Adaptability to change, Results-oriented mindset, Fluency in English

Nice to Have

PhD in a relevant discipline is an asset, University degree in Management/Administration is an asset, Experience in game production is an asset, French & Mandarin are an asset

What You'll Do.

Operations related to prototyping and La Forge’s R&D activities in China

Identifying current production technologies

Articulating potential future technological solutions

Proposing and leading academic partnerships

Transferring resulting innovations to production teams or core technology teams

Establishing relevant academic collaborations

Defining relevant topics for production technologies

Managing the transfer of prototypes

Facilitating their industrialization

Contributing to Ubisoft’s research strategy

Identifying relevant universities and researchers

Recommending appropriate scientific publication strategies

Supporting the dissemination of research outcomes across Ubisoft

Contributing to change management driven by Forge innovations

Proposing and maintaining an R&D roadmap

Developing and monitoring the budget for each domain

Leveraging appropriate financial mechanisms to establish academic

Ensuring the full lifecycle management of research projects

Contributing to the evolution of Forge processes

Managing and communicating the team’s operational follow-up

Ensuring the recruitment of suitable profiles

Performing any other related duties

Coaching and managing teams

Monitoring and optimizing allocated budgets

How You'll Work.

Team & Collaboration

Work closely with colleagues from La Forge’s other entities; Collaborate with the Executive Director; Influence technological choices within production teams; Connect multiple disciplines; Mentor their team; Maintaining collaboration with other laboratories (France, Canada) and local studios; Facilitating cross-functional collaborations across services and production teams; Ensuring that the appropriate departments effectively contribute to industrialization

Communication Scope

Excellent leadership and communication skills in an interdisciplinary environment; Demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively at multiple management levels, including executive leadership, teams, and peers

Process & Methodology

Project Management Certificate, Ensuring the full lifecycle management of research projects in alignment with Forge processes, Contributing to the evolution of those processes

Full Job Description

About Ubisoft & Shanghai Studio: Ubisoft is a global leader in gaming with teams across the world creating original and memorable gaming experiences, from Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six, to Just Dance and more. We believe diverse perspectives help both players and teams thrive. If you’re passionate about innovation and pushing entertainment boundaries, join our journey and help us create the unknown! Created in 1996, Ubisoft Shanghai studio, is a vibrant and exciting place where our 600+ talents get opportunities to either co-develop great AAA blockbuster games, create cutting-edge online games or produce fun mobile games. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com Overview : The mission of La Forge is to facilitate technological prototyping based on the most recent academic research. The incumbent is responsible for the operations related to prototyping and La Forge’s R&D activities in China. They work closely with colleagues from La Forge’s other entities and with the Executive Director to ensure coherent, relevant, and agile R&D efforts. In this role, the incumbent is responsible for identifying current production technologies and articulating potential future technological solutions, supported by the specialists within their team. The position requires strong leadership skills to influence technological choices within production teams. The incumbent leverages their technical profile and experience across multiple disciplines relevant to video game development. They are able to connect these disciplines, propose relevant solutions for production pipelines and workflows, and mentor their team to ensure the production ecosystem is taken into account during prototype execution. La Forge China has developed recognized expertise in generative AI for asset creation (textures, 3D models, etc.) in a game production context. The incumbent will be responsible for defining the research and partnership strategy while maintaining strong collaboration with other laborato

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