Lead AI Designer; Apex Legends

Locations
:
Los Angeles - Chatsworth, California, United States of America

• Vancouver - Great Northern Way
• Canada

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide.

Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi:
Fallen Order, Star Wars™ Jedi:
Survivor and Medal of Honor:
Above and Beyond. Join us for the opportunity to create groundbreaking games with some of the best developer talent in the industry.

We are seeking a Lead AI Designer to join our veteran team at Respawn Entertainment. This is an opportunity to define, drive and own the vision for AI systems and behaviors and help craft the future of Apex Legends.

In this role, you will be responsible for shaping how AI enemies, allies, and the world itself react to players — delivering combat experiences that are intelligent, challenging, and immersive. As the bridge between design, animation, and engineering, you’ll lead a small team of AI designers and collaborate closely with AI engineers, using the Source engine to take your ideas from paper to production and work directly in-engine with your team to help implement gameplay experiences and bring your vision to life.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Define the creative and technical vision for AI design (enemy, ally, training and NPC behaviors) across all modes of Apex Legends

Lead the cross-disciplinary AI team to execute that creative vision across all Apex gameplay experiences and modes

Design and tune AI systems including perception, combat logic, navigation, coordination, and decision-making frameworks.

Establish reusable AI archetypes, behavior trees, and encounter templates that support a range of combat scenarios.

Lead, mentor, and grow a team of AI designers; provide clear goals, feedback, and support career development.

Collaborate cross-discipline with engineering, animation, and level design to ensure AI systems integrate smoothly into the overall player experience.

Own the quality of AI combat and systemic behaviors, ensuring they meet performance, difficulty, and fun targets.

Collaborate with partner teams (User Research/Analytics/Playtests) to optimize the AI experience

Work in a live game environment partnering with production to plan and manage a live service development schedule and release plan.

7+ years of professional game design experience, with at least 2 shipped AAA titles (preferably shooters or action games).

Live service development experience is an asset but not required

Deep understanding of combat AI, behavior systems and group coordination in shooter gameplay.

Proven experience designing AI for FPS or third-person shooters

Experience with AI scripting tools, visual behavior trees, and debugging environments.

Strong cross-disciplinary communication skills and a track record of collaborating effectively with engineering and animation teams.

Passion for emergent gameplay, player agency, and creating AI that feels alive and reactive.

Quality-first mentality. No ego, just a commitment to get to the best quality experience in-game.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education,…