The CHEKOFV project (Crowd-sourced Help with Emergent Knowledge for Optimized Formal Verification) is a DARPA funded research effort to transform the problem of proving software correct into a crowd-sourced game. The overall system will input unverified code from vendors, distribute that code to several crowd-sourced games, then collect and employ the results of game play to improve the performance of a formal verification engine. UCSC is one of several performers contributing games to address subtasks in software verification that appear easier for people but difficult for machines. The goal of the UCSC game is to define loop invariants; algebraic/logical conditions that remain true across the execution of a loop. A prototype is available on the web at http://www.lucidbard.com/cyphrseekr/. Our approach invites players to experiment with the data generated by the loop, without ever viewing the source code itself.

The UCSC team will include ~10 people (students, faculty, and staff), and will coordinate with other teams providing application expertise, a front-end portal with a game/level server, plus the back-end software verification engine. The project as a whole includes two 18-month development cycles, spanning two design, development and deployment cycles for crowd-sourced verification games.

UCSC seeks a Lead Game Programmer to drive the implementation of a novel game for crowd-sourcing software verification. The Lead Game Programmer will have primary responsibility for developing the game engine and web service infrastructure required to support the game, and will author game content and contribute to game design. The Lead Game Programmer will manage scrum development of the game across a small implementation team composed of ~4 graduate students and a Lead Game Designer. The Lead Game Programmer will receive direction from faculty. Work will begin with an existing game prototype, and follow it through development, testing, deployment, maintenance, data collection and analysis. The Lead Game Programmer may also participate in academic publications based on the game.

A successful Lead Game Programmer will be comfortable developing software in a face-paced team environment composed of students and faculty, and will be capable of working from partially defined statements of tasks and objectives common to research settings. The candidate will have strong communication skills, be able to learn and integrate complex technical information quickly, and have a strong commitment to quality and best engineering practices. The ideal candidate will have an abiding interest in developing novel games, especially games with a puzzle-like flavor.

Apply to job #1203954 at https://jobs.ucsc.edu

This job listing originated on Gamasutra.com, the game industry's leader.

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Demonstrated 5+ years of game development experience

Demonstrated to have created one or more shipped game titles

Demonstrated proficiency with the following software; web application programming in PHP, Node.js and related languages, HTML5/Canvas, Javascript, Flash/action script

Demonstrated competency developing puzzle-oriented, logic-based, or educational games

At least one project implemented using an agile software development methodology

Demonstrated ability to work well within small development teams of 5-10 people

Demonstrated commitment to software quality and engineering best practices

Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with a diverse population

Ability to communicate effectively across a population with varying degrees of technical background

Ability to write clearly using correct English grammar and punctuation

Ability to work from partially defined statements of tasks and objectives common to research settings

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and deadlines

Demonstrated ability to work in a self-motivated manner with a minimal amount of supervision

Ability to work independently and in a team environment

Preferred qualifications:
Masters or Ph.D. in computer science, or equivalent experience
Demonstrated creation of multiple shipped titles
Demonstrated proficiency with: Web services programming, mobile application development for games, game user metric collection and analysis, game testing and C++, Java
Knowledge of formal software verification