Team Description:

The BCI Applications Team is responsible for building Telepathy.app—software which enables people with paralysis to use computing devices with precision and ease, via thought alone. Our team spans a wide range of disciplines, from neuroscience and machine learning to software engineering and interface design.

Job Description:

We’re looking for an experienced UI Design Engineer to conceptualize, prototype, and ship novel computing interfaces tailored for BCI. Our ideal candidate will possess the following qualities:

• Passion to explore an open-ended, multi-disciplinary, constrained space where design choices are informed by neural structure, model architecture, radio bandwidth, and more. For instance, a slight difference in an animated spring coefficient can change perceptual response time, shifting the alignment of labels and the performance of our decoders. You will actively collaborate with domain experts within and outside the team to understand these constraints and design your way around them
• An intuitive sense for what level of fidelity to reach for when navigating this space, be it a conversation, a rough sketch, or a testable prototype
• Excitement to work within and push the boundaries of an entirely new medium of interaction without the traditional sensory feedback of existing physical input devices (e.g., the kinetic friction of glass along the surface of a trackpad, or the resistive pressure of a spring during a keypress)
• The ability to empathize with and design for people with a sensory experience that differs from your own, and ambition to build something that feels magical, beyond the local minima of that which “works.” You’ll do whatever it might take to deliver that experience, be it a highly optimized vertex shader or a custom property animator, while maintaining an extremely high bar for fluidity and detail throughout
• A strong point-of-view, without ego—you may occasionally pursue a hunch that not everyone on the team agrees with, but are relentless about testing, deleting, and learning from ideas that don’t work

Job Responsibilities:

• Design, prototype, build, and ship novel computing interfaces for BCI
• Work with study participants to iterate on and further refine these interfaces
• Collaborate with domain experts in neuroscience, machine learning, and implant engineering to maximize the precision and fluidity of these interfaces within our constraint-space

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or related field; or equivalent experience
• A portfolio of demonstrated experience designing and shipping features end-to-end (i.e., initial conceptualization → nth prototype → initial release → nth iteration)
• Proficiency in Apple frameworks (i.e., SwiftUI, UIKit/AppKit, and/or Metal) or an equivalent and transferable stack (i.e., React, Three.js, WebGPU). 
• Familiarity with Objective-C, C, and/or C++

What's the one game you couldn't put down? The game that connected you with friends, and made you feel like you belonged? If a game has ever defined a chapter of your life, then you already know the spark we’re chasing. Our mission is to ignite that same feeling for players; the thrill of competition, the joy of community, and the belonging of finding your own corner of a larger world.

Great games begin with people who dare to dream big. If that sounds exciting, you might be exactly who we’re looking for.

Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP: Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PVP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.

The best way to understand our Art team is in their own words — here’s how they describe their work.

Our goal is to immerse players in an extraordinary and haunting realm. From initial concept art to final in-game elements, we are crafting a compelling aesthetic experience that seamlessly blends with and brings to life the game’s narrative, level design, combat and audio. We play the game daily and our deep understanding of it allows us to deliver visuals that put the player experience first, while still pushing artistic boundaries to fully capture the unique tone and unforgettable atmosphere of the Arkheron’s world.

As our Lead Animator, you’ll be accountable for how our game moves and how our animation discipline grows. You’ll set vision, mentor artists, evolve pipelines, and hold the quality bar high for a competitive, combat-driven multiplayer experience. At the same time, you’ll stay close to the craft, guiding combat feel and gameplay clarity from prototype through polish, helping ensure that every movement in our world carries intention and that the team behind it continues to level up.

YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE BY:

• Inspiring and guiding the animation discipline, setting the creative vision and quality bar for characters and combat in a competitive multiplayer game.
• Leading and mentoring a lean animation team, fostering autonomy, accountability, and growth through clear expectations, constructive feedback, and thoughtful development.
• Balancing leadership with hands-on creation, contributing directly to gameplay animation while setting standards and pushing ideas forward independently.
• Partnering with cross-discipline leads (design, engineering, art, production) to align animation with gameplay systems, technical realities, and the overall player experience.
• Owning combat feel and moment-to-moment gameplay expression, ensuring characters are readable, responsive, expressive, and impactful.
• Driving production clarity and execution, prioritizing animation goals, pipelines, and team focus while balancing fidelity, performance, and schedule.
• Evolving animation systems and workflows, including thoughtful use of motion capture, keyframe techniques, and external partnerships.
• Guiding and reviewing external animation partners, maintaining a high craft bar across both internal and outsourced work.
• Contributing to studio-wide hiring, onboarding, and team-building efforts to grow and strengthen the animation discipline.
• Fostering accountability and self-sufficiency, empowering the team to solve problems proactively while maintaining strong collaboration.

WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU:

• Have proven experience creating high-quality, in-game animations, ideally across multiple shipped titles.
• Are energized by competitive multiplayer combat and understand the critical role animation plays in readability, feel, and fairness.
• Bring a strong understanding of combat systems and how animation drives responsiveness and player satisfaction.
• Have experience developing animation systems, ideally in new or evolving engines.
• Are comfortable owning features end-to-end, from early exploration through final implementation.
• Are highly skilled at conveying character through gameplay animation, not just cinematics.
• Push for animation excellence while always putting gameplay quality first.
• Thrive in tight-knit, highly collaborative teams and communicate clearly across disciplines.
• Are self-directed, adaptable, and able to focus on what matters most for the game right now.
• Believe great games are built by great teams that put people first.
• Value trust, openness, humility, curiosity, and enjoy learning alongside others.
• Have a growth mindset and care deeply about helping teammates develop.
• Want to make a meaningful impact on a new IP and shape both the role and the studio as we grow.

THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF:

• You prefer to focus solely on individual contribution and don’t enjoy coaching, mentoring, or guiding others.
• You’re looking for a role where the animation vision is already fully defined and doesn’t require iteration or collaboration.
• You’re uncomfortable balancing creative ambition with gameplay, tech, and production realities.
• You prefer rigid role boundaries and aren’t excited by wearing multiple hats in a small, evolving team.
• Competitive multiplayer games—or the tradeoffs they require—don’t genuinely excite you.
• You’re seeking a highly siloed environment rather than a studio where cross-discipline collaboration is constant and expected

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT BONFIRE BECAUSE WE:

• Embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making the tough calls to build a game we’re proud to play every day.
• Keep fun at the core: we play Arkheron daily, staying grounded as players. If it’s not more fun than yesterday, we fix it. We don’t chase trends; we listen by playing.
• Stay truly independent, with decisions driven by the team — not by investors or a board.
• Thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership; where transparency matters and egos don’t.

The base salary range for this role is $196,500 - $247,133. Depending on your experience and level (whether you’re closer to mid-level or principal), your offer may land above or below that range. We don’t just look at years on a résumé — we think about the impact you can have on the team and the game. Of course, compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary. Every new teammate receives equity, plus a full benefits package and some extra perks to make work (and life) better. When we connect, we’ll happily walk you through the full details.

Want to get a feel for what it’s like to work here? You can check out more about our culture, team, benefits, and perks at www.bonfirestudios.com. And don’t worry — anything you share with us in the application process is just for recruiting and won’t be shared. You can read more in our privacy policy.

What's the one game you couldn't put down? The game that connected you with friends, and made you feel like you belonged? If a game has ever defined a chapter of your life, then you already know the spark we’re chasing. Our mission is to ignite that same feeling for players; the thrill of competition, the joy of community, and the belonging of finding your own corner of a larger world.

Great games begin with people who dare to dream big. If that sounds exciting, you might be exactly who we’re looking for.

Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP: Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PVP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.

The best way to understand our Art team is in their own words — here’s how they describe their work.

Our goal is to immerse players in an extraordinary and haunting realm. From initial concept art to final in-game elements, we are crafting a compelling aesthetic experience that seamlessly blends with and brings to life the game’s narrative, level design, combat and audio. We play the game daily and our deep understanding of it allows us to deliver visuals that put the player experience first, while still pushing artistic boundaries to fully capture the unique tone and unforgettable atmosphere of the Arkheron’s world.

We’re looking for a Senior/Principal Animator who understands that every frame communicates something: timing, weight, threat, opportunity. You’ll help define the animation language of a competitive experience, shaping clarity and responsiveness from the earliest stages of development. On a small team, your work will directly influence the feel of every ability, encounter, and moment of impact. If you care about animation as gameplay (and want real ownership over the result) we’d love to see your reel.

YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE BY:

• Creating high-quality, in-game character animations that bring combat, movement, and moment-to-moment gameplay to life.
• Collaborating closely with designers, engineers, and tech artists to develop combat that feels responsive, readable, and satisfying in a competitive multiplayer environment.
• Partnering with animation, engineering, and tech art to help shape rigs, tools, and animation systems that improve workflows and elevate quality.
• Owning animation features end-to-end, from early exploration and iteration through polish and final implementation.
• Aligning with the animation team on style, quality bar, and execution, while contributing your own ideas, taste, and problem-solving.
• Participating actively in playtests, evaluating your work through the lens of the player experience and iterating based on feel, clarity, and gameplay impact.
• Balancing animation fidelity with gameplay needs, making smart tradeoffs that serve performance, readability, and fun.
• Wearing multiple hats in a small, focused team and using your experience to contribute beyond your core lane when it helps the game or studio.
• Helping shape a new IP, contributing creatively and thoughtfully as the game, systems, and pipelines evolve.

WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU:

• Have strong experience creating high-quality gameplay animation, ideally across multiple shipped titles.
• Are genuinely excited by competitive multiplayer combat and understand how animation affects feel, fairness, and clarity.
• Bring a deep understanding of combat systems and how animation drives responsiveness and player satisfaction.
• Have experience working with or helping develop animation systems and tools, including in new or evolving engines.
• Are comfortable owning work independently, seeing features through from concept to completion.
• Are highly skilled at conveying character through gameplay animation, not just cinematics.
• Push for animation excellence while prioritizing gameplay quality first.
• Are self-motivated and good at identifying what matters most right now for the game.
• Thrive in highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams and communicate clearly with partners in all disciplines.
• Value trust, openness, and diverse perspectives, and enjoy learning from others.
• Have a growth mindset and care about raising the quality bar for both yourself and the team.
• Are passionate about the creative process and excited to help build something new together.

THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF:

• You’re primarily looking for a people-management or team-lead role rather than a hands-on IC position.
• You prefer working in a highly siloed environment with minimal cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• You’re uncomfortable iterating based on playtests or adjusting work to serve gameplay needs.
• You’re looking for a role with narrowly defined responsibilities and little room to explore beyond your lane.
• Competitive multiplayer games (and the tradeoffs they require) don’t genuinely excite you.
• You prefer fully established pipelines and systems over building and evolving things as you go.

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT BONFIRE BECAUSE WE:

• Embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making the tough calls to build a game we’re proud to play every day.
• Keep fun at the core: we play Arkheron daily, staying grounded as players. If it’s not more fun than yesterday, we fix it. We don’t chase trends; we listen by playing.
• Stay truly independent, with decisions driven by the team — not by investors or a board.
• Thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership; where transparency matters and egos don’t.

The base salary range for this role is $196,500 - $247,133. Depending on your experience and level (whether you’re closer to mid-level or principal), your offer may land above or below that range. We don’t just look at years on a résumé — we think about the impact you can have on the team and the game. Of course, compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary. Every new teammate receives equity, plus a full benefits package and some extra perks to make work (and life) better. When we connect, we’ll happily walk you through the full details.

Want to get a feel for what it’s like to work here? You can check out more about our culture, team, benefits, and perks at www.bonfirestudios.com. And don’t worry — anything you share with us in the application process is just for recruiting and won’t be shared. You can read more in our privacy policy.