Some small business owners are finding themselves in yet another predicament as they try find new ways to keep their businesses open and comply with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness – workers are taking unemployment over returning to work. In some cases, employers are offering to match or even exceed the unemployment amounts to...

The post Businesses Get a Break on Employees Taking Unemployment Over Returning to Work appeared first on Anders CPA.

Anders tax partner Dave M. Finklang, CPA/CGMA, MBA and tax supervisor Rebekah J. Tucker, CPA have been selected to join the St. Louis Small Business Task Force. Founded by Erin Joy, CEO of Black Dress Circle, the Task Force is a new initiative to bring together leaders from varied industries to clearly define and address...

The post Dave Finklang and Rebekah Tucker Named to St. Louis Small Business Task Force appeared first on Anders CPA.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, it was apparent that there would be more assistance needed to help our nation’s small and medium sized businesses. Although the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was in full swing, it seemed to be a temporary fix for a much longer-term challenge. On April 9th, the Board of Governors of the...

The post Main Street Lending Program: Is it Right for My Business? appeared first on Anders CPA.

On November 8, 2019, Sen. Deb Fischer visited the NECA Nebraska Chapter to discuss NECA’s priority issues. Pictured from left to right are Todd Becker of Thompson Electric, Barry Mayfield of IBEW Local 22, Craig Langfeldt of Miller Electric, Anthony Varbaro of the NECA Nebraska Chapter, Dan Smith of Electric Company of Omaha, Sen. Deb Fischer, Rick Milota of National Electric, Neil Davidson of Commonwealth Electric, and NECA Nebraska Chapter Executive Allan Hale.

NECA Legislative Update for the week of November 22, 2019

On November 25, 2019, members of NECA’s Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter met with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). The group discussed small business issues, composite plans, and the importance of infrastructure investment. Pictured from left to right are PDJ Chapter’s Aaron Kelley, Dan Hahn of Furness Electric, Christine Meyer of Battaglia Electric, Rep. Blunt Rochester, and PDJ Chapter Executive Jeff Scarpello. 

On December 19, 2019, Peter Butler of NECA’s Northern California Chapter met with Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) in the district.

On December 19, 2019, members of NECA’s Penn-Del-Jersey chapter attended a holiday event in Philadelphia with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.). Pictured with Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter’s Aaron Kelley with Rep. Dean.  

On December 23, 2019, members of NECA’s Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter met with Rep. Fred Keller (R-Pa.) in the district. The group discussed NECA’s priority issues and the electrical contracting industry. Pictured from left to right are Matt Green of Appellation Construction, Rep. Fred Keller, and Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter’s Aaron Kelley. 

NECA's top three legislative items for the week of January 6, 2020.

On January 14, 2020, members of NECA’s Penn-Del-Jersey chapter had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) and the Secretary of Labor Scalia

On December 11, 2020, members of NECA’s Northern California Chapter met with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.)

On January 22, 2020, members of the Long Island Chapter NECA met with Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)

This week in NECA Government Affairs we spotlight infrastructure legislation, the new SBA Administrator and the newly signed US/China Trade Agreement.

On January 23, 2020, members of NECA’s Northern California Chapter met with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)

Top three in Government Affairs for the week of January 31.

Last week, members of NECA’s Long Island Chapter met with Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.)

NECA Government Affairs top three for the week of February 7, 2020.

On February 11, 2020, members of NECA’s Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter met with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.)

On February 16, 2020, members of NECA’s East Tennessee Chapter met with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.)

On February 24, 2020, NECA’s San Diego Chapter Executive, Andy Berg (left) met with Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.)

On February 24, 2020, a member of NECA’s San Diego Chapter met with Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.)

1. Hearing Held to Reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, the Higher Education and Workforce investment Subcommittee held a hearing to discuss reauthorizing the National Apprenticeship Act. The National Apprenticeship Act, originally passed in 1937, will be amended to expand the apprenticeship system to include broader forms of apprenticeship programs. This discussion is centered around how to modernize the Act and bring apprenticeships into the 21^st century.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: Preserving these valued apprenticeship programs is a priority. NECA continues to work closely with legislators while this bill is being shaped.

2. NLRB Chairman and General Counsel to Testify Regarding Funding     

Next week, the Chairman and General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board are scheduled to testify before the House Appropriations committee. This hearing is anticipated to be contentious with lawmakers inquiring as to the reasons behind the Trump Administration’s request to lower the board’s funding by 10%. At the same time, the NLRB’s regional offices are plagued with under-employment and the board itself is dogged with hearings and legal challenges over ethical conflicts of interest.

NECA’s Look Ahead: While historically the National Labor Relations Board has been a contentious and often politicized place, this hearing is expected to highlight the new level of dysfunction that now riddles the Board. NECA believes that lawmakers should continue to fully fund the NLRB and encourage their leadership to expedite the hiring of their regional offices.

3. Congress Passes Coronavirus Funding Bill

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, Congress passed a NECA-supported bill, H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.

NECA’s Look Ahead: This bill addresses the critical funding issues surrounding the U.S. response to the Coronavirus outbreak. The bill includes the following:

• $4 billion to make diagnostic tests more broadly available

• $2.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a robust response, including:

• $1 billion exclusively for state and local response efforts
• $300 million for CDC’s Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund
• $20 million to administer disaster assistance loans for small businesses impacted by the virus.
• $1.25 billion for the State Department and (USAID)
• $264 million to evacuate Americans and maintain consular operations overseas

On March 26, 2020, the Senate passed “Phase III” of the Coronavirus Response Package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in a 96-0 vote.

On April 8, 2020, members of NECA’s San Diego Chapter met with Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.)

1. Administration Calls for Additional Funding for PPP

One of the most popular programs created in the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has released over $70 billion to small businesses to help them remain viable during this pandemic. Due to the large demand, the Administration has requested additional funding for that program in a letter to Congressional leaders.

NECA’s look Ahead: Senate Democrats requested an additional $250 billion for hospitals and local governments in addition to funding for the PPP while Republican leaders argued that funding for the PPP is the only account that requires additional immediate funding at this time. The Senate adjourned on April 9, 2020 unable to pass additional funding for the PPP under unanimous consent.

2. Treasury Guidance Clarifies Qualifications for PPP Borrowers

With the passage of the CARES Act, many agencies have been scrambling to enact the reforms and programs developed in rapid time. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which allows substantial loans to be granted under favorable terms by the Small Business Administration, came under scrutiny for potentially requiring businesses to meet both size and revenue requirements instead of just the size requirements (under 500 employees) originally required. While this scrutiny came from an over-cautious interpretation of an earlier guidance, the Treasury Department offered additional guidance to make it clear to borrowers that they may meet either the revenue standards listed under a given NAICS code or qualify by having less than 500 employees. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA worked with key leaders once the CARES Act was signed into law to attain greater clarity on this issue for our contractors. This new change will give NECA contractors the predictability they need to move forward with the new SBA loan program. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the CARES Act and continue to maintain in constant conversation with Congressional staff and agency officials to communicate the needs of our members. 

3. DOD Releases Rule on Payment to Small Business Contractors

Earlier this week the Department of Defense (DOD) released a final rule on the defining and implementation of accelerated payments to classified small businesses under DOD contracts. The rule (DFARS Case 2018–D068) which finalizes the implementation of a section from 2019’s National Defense Authorization Act urges the federal government to pay small business contractors within 15 days of the receipt of a proper invoice. While this is only a goal for the federal government and not a direct mandate, which NECA advocated for in the past, we view this final rule and its upcoming full implementation as a positive step forward.

NECA’s Look Ahead: We encourage NECA contractors to read the final rule and monitor its implementation on DOD contracts. With your feedback and on-the-ground experiences, we will be better able to make lawmakers and agency officials aware of its progress.

1. Congress Passes Legislation to Increase Funding for PPP

On April 23, 2020, the House passed, in a 388 to 5 vote, the Senate Amendment to H.R. 266 – Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This legislation reauthorizes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on April 21, 2020. NECA advocated for additional funding and are confident that this amendment will continue to help NECA contractors keep their employees on payroll during this crisis.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The NECA-supported bill is expected to be signed into law by the President immediately. A detailed section by section summary can be found here. NECA has also compiled some FAQs on this loan program. NECA is continuing to work with congressional leaders on upcoming Phases of COVID-19 response bills. A major Phase IV bill is expected sometime in May.

2. NECA Weighs in on Main Street Lending Program

A group of congressional allies sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice Chairman for Supervision of Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Randal Quarles, requesting the inclusion of S corporations, LLCs, and partnerships in utilizing the Main Street lending facilities announced by Treasury and the Federal Reserve. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: The letter was organized in response to a coalition letter, which NECA supported, to Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Texas) on the issue. NECA will update its members once we have received a formal response from the Department of the Treasury.

3. Register Today for the Upcoming Government Affairs Webinar

On May 5, 2020 at 2PM ET, NECA’s Government Affairs team will brief participants on NECA’s requests for Congress in the Phase IV coronavirus response legislation, then participants can take action and send a letter to their Member of Congress requesting help for the electrical construction industry to remain viable during this crisis. Participants will also hear messages from key Members of Congress on the current legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Register Today! 

1. Senators Release Water Infrastructure Legislation

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wy.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.), released two NECA-supported water infrastructure bills, the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (AWIA 2020) and Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020.

NECA’s Look Ahead: These bipartisan bills address the critical need to secure water infrastructure. The are successor bills to the NECA-supported America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 that easily passed through Congress and was signed into law in 2018. NECA will continue to monitor this important legislation as it moves through Congress.

• Read the section-by-section of the draft AWIA 2020 here.
• Read the section-by-section of the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act here.

2. Senate Returns to Washington Next Week

The Senate is scheduled to return to D.C. on Monday, May 4, 2020, to begin filling judicial vacancies and continue work on new coronavirus legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), released the following statement on this decision. The House has decided to postpone returning until further notice. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is expected to release an anticipated return date soon.  

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA looks forward to the Senate being in session to work on additional coronavirus legislation. The government affairs team continues to advocate on behalf of our contractors during this period.

3. Register Today for the Upcoming Government Affairs Webinar

On May 5, 2020 at 2 p.m. EDT, NECA’s Government Affairs team will brief participants on NECA’s requests for Congress in the Phase IV coronavirus response legislation. During this webinar, participants can take action and send a letter to their Member of Congress requesting help for the electrical construction industry to remain viable during this crisis. Participants will also hear messages from key Members of Congress on the current legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Register Today!

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA is committed to ensuring the voices of our industry are heard during this time. We continue to advocate for the needs our contractors daily and remain devoted to keeping our members well informed on the policies impacting them.  

Yahoo has announced the launch of Yahoo Livetext, a video texting app with no audio.

Read more on howtoweb.com

Microsoft is changing its OneDrive storage plan. The changes include the removal of the unlimited storage plan.

Read more on howtoweb.com

Google Maps has added a sharing feature. You can track your favorite places and share them with your friends.

Read more on howtoweb.com

AOL Instant Messenger will come to an end on December 15, 2017. It had a long run. It first arrived in 1997.

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Reddit has disabled its Start Chatting features shortly after launching the new chat product.

Read more on howtoweb.com

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Valorant executive producer Anna Donlon offers a refreshing take on how toxicity needs to be dealt with in online games, and explores why a perfect solution is so difficult to create. ...

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Developer Chris Crawford bemoans the industry's short-sighted outlook, and suggests it might be better to plant oaks than short-lived weeds. ...

Tripwire Interactive is looking for a lead gameplay engineer to help shape its engineering team. ...

There’s no doubt that businesses have been thrown into a “new normal”. For the past few weeks, business owners have worked to understand the aspects of the CARES Act, and the FFCRA, while trying to rework budgets, cash flow projections,… Read More

The post GAAP Financial Reporting Considerations Related to the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Anders CPAs.

One of the biggest areas of CARES Act that benefits businesses is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). With big benefits, comes many questions around one detail specifically: loan forgiveness.
Which loan expenses are forgivable?
According to the CARES Act, if… Read More

The post Using PPP Loan Proceeds to Maximize Loan Forgiveness appeared first on Anders CPAs.

We're currently working on an unannounced PC/console title (with an exciting pedigree), and need help bringing the game world to life. If you love building levels and bringing worlds to life for players, read on!Responsibilities Creating interesting, lived-in worlds with clever world building in Unreal Engine. Placing environment assets, VFX, lighting, and so on Establishing and maintaining technical requirements for environment assets and levels Working closely with designers to iterate on and finalize level layouts Utilization of 3DS Max or Maya, Photoshop, and other related tools to author environment assets Working with art leadership to review, critique and iterate on work Required Familiarity with the usual tools of the trade: modeling tools, game engines, source control, and so on. A keen willingness to adapt work as design iterates or evolves A do-whatever-it-takes mindset: flexibility to learn and grow to fill the needs of a small team Good understanding of how to create believable and visually memorable levels Good understanding optimization needs and other technical requirements regarding performance 5+ years of experience, demonstrating the above responsibilities in action Must be immediately eligible to work in the United States Pluses Titles shipped using Unreal Titles shipped across major platforms Affinity to learning new tools and techs Proficiency creating hand-painted textures Please note, due to a high volume of applicants we cannot reply to each individually. Only those in consideration for a position will receive a reply. Thank you!

Skydance Interactive – developers of the hit game The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners –is looking for Senior Software Engineers with specialties in AI, graphics, and low-level systems to help develop our next generation of groundbreaking games.   Duties include, but are not limited to: Direct development of major game systems and engine architecture Create efficient systems to deliver top tier experiences across a range of established and emerging platforms Research and implement new technologies to push the boundaries of what our engine can achieve Collaborate with the art and design teams to plan features and extend the overall vision of the game Advise and mentor other members of the engineering team Promote strong code discipline and engineering practice throughout the organization Work with other leads and producers to establish game related tasks and schedules Provide critical analysis of development practices with the goal of improving game quality, team efficiency, and cultivating a positive working environment Help drive the product to completion with the highest standards of quality, performance, and polish Requirements: BS/MS in Computer Science or related fields, or equivalent experience Mastery of C++11 Minimum of 5 years’ experience in AAA game development Previous leadership experience or demonstrated leadership potential Experience working with Unreal Engine 4 Shipped at least one PC/Console or VR game using UE4 Experience with code and data optimization Experience in the design and architecture of game systems Comfortable working within (and extending) an established code framework 

Game Closure San Francisco, Mountain View, Tokyo, Remote  -  Full Time Game Closure is on the hunt for backend / systems engineers to help us build the services and infrastructure that power our social games that are played by millions of people every day on Facebook, Viber, Line and other messaging platforms. We are a growing team with offices in Mountain View and San Francisco, California, Tokyo, Japan and some possibilities for remote work. If you want to join us to make great games on our cutting edge technology and truly make an impact, then we want to talk to you! As a Systems Engineer at Game Closure, you will play a pivotal role in creating a platform to revolutionize the instant games development industry. Our engineers are generally amazing at something and great at everything else. We write scalable backend systems, cross-compilers, JavaScript / TypeScript game APIs and tools, and whatever else it takes. No matter what you work on each day, you will work with the best engineers in the world; we have top talent in every part of our stack.   The Role: Be a key member of a high performing software engineering team. Architect and code sophisticated client/server systems for instant gaming. Play a critical role in day-to-day coding, performance profiling, optimization, and general troubleshooting. Collaborate with design, engineering, and production teams to devise optimal engineering solutions to game requirements. Learn from and mentor other engineers on your team. Take ownership of your projects to make them the best they can possibly be. Provide valuable input on the company’s long-term engineering roadmap and help identify areas of opportunity for improvement. Define the cutting edge of social gaming!   Desired Skills: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience. 3+ years of professional software engineering experience. Experience writing clean, testable, high-quality code and designing highly scalable systems in production. Solid familiarity with deployment on cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.). Strong Computer Science fundamentals in software systems design, algorithms, and data structures. Ability to interact with peers in a constructive and productive style. Familiarity with git, svn, or other VCS. Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively on shared projects with designers, artists, testers, product managers, and other developers. Strong team player with a positive attitude.   Bonus: Expert knowledge of NodeJS and ES6 / TypeScript. DevOps experience -- setting up CI/CD environments, orchestrating deployments, creating monitoring dashboards, anything that makes the development process easier, more enjoyable and more accountable. Experience in game development and shipped titles.   GC Perks: Medical, Dental, & Vision: Top quality insurance options with 100% of premiums covered Social Events: Weekly team dinners, quarterly team excursions, game nights, karaoke, and more Commuter Pass + Free Parking: Your commute and parking to the office is on us! PTO: Unlimited vacation policy Meals: Free daily lunches, well stocked kitchen, healthy snacks and drinks Pet-Friendly Office: Bring your pets to work to foster a friendlier and happier workplace Fitness: Free onsite yoga classes   Play our games! www.gameclosure.com

Game Closure San Francisco, Mountain View, Tokyo, Remote  -  Full Time Game Closure is on the hunt for Senior Game Engineers to help us build the social games that will be tomorrow’s biggest hits on Facebook and other social media platforms. We are a growing team with offices in San Francisco and Mountain View, California, Tokyo, Japan and also some possibilities for remote work. If you want to join us to make great games on our cutting­ edge technology and truly make an impact, then we want to talk to you! Game Closure game engineers make polished, high-performance HTML5 mobile games. We want people who are proficient with JavaScript and who are passionate about making fun social games to be played by millions! As a Game Engineer at Game Closure, you will build games internally on top of our cutting-edge and open source devkit. In addition to building kick­ass instant games, you will play a pivotal role in creating a platform which will revolutionize the future of game development. It's always a bonus if you know more than JavaScript! We write cross-compilers, GPU shaders, NodeJS back­ends, JavaScript game APIs and tools, and whatever else it takes. You will work with the best engineers in the world; we have top talent in every part of our stack.   The Role: Be responsible for designing, developing and deploying major game features Own game feature areas from end-­to­-end Be the champion for the user! Insist on the highest standards and create functional and engaging features that will delight our users Be part of a tight game development team looking to iterate fast on a fun concept and then building it out Have real input on end-user product Be a key member of a high performing software engineering team Collaborate with design, engineering and production teams to devise optimal engineering solutions to game requirements Hands­ on architect and coder for sophisticated client/server systems for mobile gaming Innovate and iterate on process, systems and technology to deliver world­-class social games Be a leader; Identify and articulate technical and production risks and obstacles, as well as generate solutions!   Desired Skills: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience. 3+ years of professional software engineering experience, working on cross functional teams. Proven effectiveness in directing or delivering production software for high quality games with at least one shipped game product of which you were a primary contributor (self­ published titles are acceptable). Capable of JavaScript + HTML5 to create custom, interactive, user experiences that are enjoyable on all HTML5 browsers. Proficient at using script debuggers like Chrome Debugger. Strong Computer Science fundamentals in object­-oriented design, algorithms, and data structures. Advanced software engineering skills, including the ability to write maintainable and robust code in a p popular object oriented language. Solid familiarity with analytics and A/B testing in mobile games Familiarity with git, svn or other VCS. Self starter, analytical and creative Strong team player with a positive attitude. Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively on shared projects with designers, artists, testers, product managers and other developers. Check out Everwing on Facebook Instant Games in Messenger. Can you build this game? Understanding of the reactive UI paradigm and experience building UIs using reactive UI frameworks (such as React, and state management Utilities like Redux).   Bonus: Canvas animation work 2+ years of game development experience with multiple shipped titles Specialized skills in a particular area of game development (for example: UI, Physics, graphics, multiplayer, game logic, etc.) Expert knowledge of TypeScript   GC Perks: Medical, Dental, & Vision: Top quality insurance options with 100% of premiums covered Social Events: Weekly team dinners, quarterly team excursions, game nights, karaoke, and more Commuter Pass + Free Parking: Your commute and parking to the office is on us! PTO: Unlimited vacation policy Meals: Free daily lunches, well stocked kitchen, healthy snacks and drinks Pet-Friendly Office: Bring your pets to work to foster a friendlier and happier workplace   Play our games! www.gameclosure.com

Tripwire Interactive is looking for talented, dedicated, and passionate individuals to join the Tripwire Interactive family! Tripwire Interactive is an independent video game development and publishing company, famous for shooter titles like Red Orchestra and the wildly popular Killing Floor series. With its next project poised to blow previous projects out of the water, Tripwire has solidified its spot as one of the brightest rising stars in the games industry.  At Tripwire Interactive, we pride ourselves in our ability to move to the beat of our own drum. Our existence as an independent studio and publisher means we are able to develop games on a schedule that reassesses what has become the status quo in the industry as a whole. We’re located in Roswell, GA just north of Atlanta; where cost of living is relatively low and opportunities are high. So if you’re looking to work in an environment that changes the game in more ways than one, look no further than Tripwire Interactive. *Note: During this unprecedented time, we are looking for individuals who are able and willing to work from home until all restrictions have been lifted in relation to COVID-19. At such time, the position will be located on site. Responsibilities: Utilizing your technical skills, you will collaborate with designers, artists, audio designers, and various other specialists to design and develop best-in-class game experiences Exemplify and promote standards for code, design, development, debugging, optimization, reviewing goals, testing and documentation Interface between multiple departments with varies approaches to game development. You are responsible for translating creative intent into code tasks Help to lead development teams to meet high-level project goals. Understand the intent of the creative direction and translate it into actionable descriptions of work Participate in hiring process to grow our engineering team with an ever-rising quality bar Identify technical and developmental risks/obstacles and generate solutions to overcome identified risks Design and Implement engineering solutions in many areas of game development such as procedural generation, game mechanics, AI, animation, physics, rendering, localization and UI Keep up to date on state-of-the-art software engineering methods, practices, and technologies Write well-architected code with an eye towards performance and re-usability for multiple experiences. Evaluate other engineers code to make sure it meets the department’s expectations Empower and guide the career(s) of your direct reports to promote their growth as engineers. You are responsible for providing feedback for your team to assist in their growth Establish workflow pipelines and cost/time analysis required for taking a game from early prototype stages all the way through to pre-production, production and release  Qualifications:  BS (or higher) in Computer Science or similar discipline Minimum 6 years game industry experience with 3+ shipped titles Excellent C++ programming and systems design skills Experience with implementing network gameplay, AI, or physics Ability to judge feature quality in relation to other current competing games Adept at working with designers and artists to implement gameplay features Experience in reviewing code and work to provide critical feedback used in career management Benefits:  Profit Share Medical, Dental, & Vision 100% of premiums for the family covered by Tripwire Up to 30 days of PTO 16 paid Holidays Short Term Disability & Long Term Disability 401k Match Flexible Spending Account Flexible Hours Employee & Family Team Building Events Volunteer Days   Preference to applicants with:  Significant Unreal Engine experience Passion for first person shooters Proven ability of tackling challenging projects Experience in full software development lifecycle of shipping a game Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to work well under pressure, flexible, positive and focused    

Tripwire Interactive is looking for talented, dedicated, and passionate individuals to join the Tripwire Interactive family! Tripwire Interactive is an independent video game development and publishing company, famous for shooter titles like Red Orchestra and the wildly popular Killing Floor series. With its next project poised to blow previous projects out of the water, Tripwire has solidified its spot as one of the brightest rising stars in the games industry.  At Tripwire Interactive, we pride ourselves in our ability to move to the beat of our own drum. Our existence as an independent studio and publisher means we are able to develop games on a schedule that reassesses what has become the status quo in the industry as a whole. We’re located in Roswell, GA just north of Atlanta; where cost of living is relatively low and opportunities are high. So if you’re looking to work in an environment that changes the game in more ways than one, look no further than Tripwire Interactive. *Note: During this unprecedented time, we are looking for individuals who are able and willing to work from home until all restrictions have been lifted in relation to COVID-19. At such time, the position will be located on site. Responsibilities: Manage publishing production staff supporting external developers as well as serving as primary point of contact between internal stakeholders and external teams. Developing schedules with internal and external teams, evaluating schedules with executive management and then managing projects to schedule, highlighting task priorities, departmental inter dependencies, resource issues and risks. Assist publishing leadership in creating and maintaining product roadmap and in performing product evaluations. Assist in producing and maintaining related budget and cost forecast for publishing projects. Responsible for production-led planning for all project deliverables including milestone review, external build creation and marketing/PR needs. Identify and offer solutions to production issues to solve the resulting schedule, cost, and scope conflicts. Maintain communications with all team members, team leads, and executive management; both internally and externally. Understand and contribute to company goals and core values while bringing a positive and collaborative approach to all project related activities. Suggest and lead process improvement initiatives. All other duties as assigned.  Qualifications: Project management experience, including Scrum, Kanban, and traditional waterfall methodologies and tools, as well as the ability to prioritize and solve problems. Strong communication and inter-personal skills, leading to a demonstrated ability to work within a team structure. Attention to detail and the ability (and desire) to handle potentially stressful development environments. Minimum 5 years production experience including 2+ years as Senior or Lead Producer. Expert level knowledge and ability to mentor staff on project management principles, practices, tools and techniques. Understanding of game development process including demonstrated experience with first party submission requirements and ability to clinically evaluate milestone submissions. Strong resource planning experience; skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities. Minimum 2 shipped product with production credit. Demonstrated ability to maintain focus across multiple concurrent projects.  Benefits Profit Share Medical, Dental, & Vision 100% of premiums for the family covered by Tripwire Up to 30 days of PTO 16 paid Holidays Short Term Disability & Long Term Disability 401k Match Flexible Spending Account Flexible Hours Employee & Family Team Building Events Volunteer Days  Preference to applicants with: Significant Unreal Engine experience Passion for first person shooters Proven ability of tackling challenging projects Experience in full software development lifecycle of shipping a game Excellent written and verbal communication skills Ability to work well under pressure, flexible, positive and focused    

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A new series called Stories in Place on Vimeo shares the stories of small businesses across the US dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.