Software Development Engineer - Gaming

Blueprint is a technology solutions firm headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, focused on solving complicated problems through innovative technology. In this role, you will diagnose real-world DirectX 12 game performance issues by analyzing GPU and CPU behavior and collaborating with graphics engineers to improve performance.

Responsibilities:

• Reproduce reported DirectX 12 performance issues using data and scenarios provided by an internal testing lab
• Capture and analyze GPU and CPU profiles and traces using performance tools such as PIX (timing captures), GPUView/ETW, Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA/WPR), and vendor‑specific profilers (e.g., Radeon GPU Profiler)
• Identify performance bottlenecks, including GPU‑bound vs. CPU‑bound workloads, synchronization issues, shader inefficiencies, pipeline stalls, and memory bandwidth constraints
• Analyze performance counters, timing data, and traces to isolate likely root causes and form clear, testable hypotheses
• Create clear, concise performance write‑ups that include reproduction steps, captured data, key metrics, and a summary of suspected hotspots
• Collaborate closely with graphics driver and runtime engineers to validate findings, test fixes, and confirm performance improvements or regressions
• Perform first‑level performance triage and determine appropriate next steps for deeper investigation or escalation

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 2–4 years of hands‑on experience in graphics performance analysis or low‑level graphics engineering
• Solid understanding of real‑time rendering fundamentals and the GPU graphics pipeline, including draw calls, shaders, textures, buffers, and state changes
• Strong knowledge of GPU architecture fundamentals such as waves/warps, occupancy, caches, memory bandwidth, and pipelining behavior
• Practical experience with DirectX 12, including command queues and lists, descriptor heaps, resource states and barriers
• Experience working with shaders, including HLSL and SPIR‑V, and a high‑level understanding of shader ISA concepts
• Hands‑on experience using graphics and performance analysis tools such as PIX, GPUView, Radeon GPU Profiler (RGP), and ETW‑based workflows
• Proficiency in C/C++ with the ability to read, understand, and reason about performance‑sensitive code paths
• Comfortable working in Windows environments, including command‑line usage, runtime or driver builds, and debugging workflows
• Comfortable working in Linux environments, including shell usage, services, and basic scripting
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear bug reports, triage summaries, and technical findings
• Experience comparing and analyzing performance differences across multiple operating systems or graphics stacks
• Exposure to Windows graphics stack internals, including WDDM, DXGI, ETW providers, and driver symbol debugging
• Familiarity with scripting or automation using Python, PowerShell, or Bash
• Experience performing basic data analysis using CSV files, spreadsheets, or simple plots to visualize performance trends
• Prior experience partnering directly with driver, compiler, or runtime engineering teams to diagnose and resolve performance issues
• Background in game engines, graphics middleware, or real‑time rendering applications