Experience

Jake Parker

Principal Interactive Systems Engineer

Austin, TX • jake@jakeparker.net

Principal-level systems engineer with ~15 years of experience building performance-critical software across mobile, PC, browser, and XR platforms. Strongest in systems architecture, constrained-platform optimization, experimental problem solving, and product-aware engineering. Known for solving problems that look impossible under hard technical limits, especially where runtime performance, load time, and frictionless user experience all have to coexist.

Experience

Embodied Labs — Systems Architect

July 2017 – August 2025

  • Spearheaded the internal AI initiatives and the porting of the app to the web from Unity.
  • Owned technical architecture for WebXR-based immersive systems combining 360° video, real-time interaction, and scalable asset infrastructure.
  • Architected and implemented a custom WebXR engine in vanilla ES6 and Three.js.
  • Defined multi-title asset pipeline standards enabling scalable collaboration between engineering and creative teams.
  • Re-architected asset loading and streaming systems, reducing experience load times from ~2 minutes to under 2 seconds.
  • Built offline-capable caching systems supporting low-bandwidth users without UX divergence.
  • Engineered platform-level solutions for Quest WebXR presence detection limitations using auxiliary sensor data.
  • Built a headless Unity service for streaming Leap Motion tracking data to browser clients after API deprecation.
  • Established performance budgets and optimization strategies for video, animation, and audio-heavy interactive experiences.

Mindshow — Lead Engineer

February 2015 – June 2017

  • First engineering hire for a VR animation creation platform targeting HTC Vive.
  • Architected the core real-time animation system and runtime tooling for VR storytelling.
  • Defined early engineering standards, system architecture, and performance strategy.
  • Led and managed a cross-disciplinary team of 10+ contributors across engineering, art, and design.
  • Recruited the majority of early-stage staff.
  • Drove technical execution from prototype through production in a zero-to-one environment.

GameDesk — Lead Engineer

March 2012 – February 2015

  • Engineered a physics-accurate mobile flight simulation modeling real-world aerodynamics.
  • Designed an internal scripting system and level-authoring tools enabling non-engineer content creation.
  • Promoted to Lead Engineer and oversaw gameplay systems across multiple experimental projects.
  • Developed sensor-driven gameplay integrating heart-rate monitors for adaptive difficulty systems.
  • Optimized high-fidelity 3D assets for real-time mobile rendering in museum installations.
  • Contributed to gesture-driven interaction systems using Leap Motion.
  • Built physics-based simulations including planetary golf environments with variable gravity and atmosphere.

Evolutionate — Engineer

November 2012 – February 2013

  • Contracted to stabilize and ship a mobile side-scrolling title, focusing on production hardening and performance optimization.

Technical Expertise

  • Languages: C#, C, HLSL, ES6 Javascript, Java, Kotlin, Python
  • Real-Time Rendering: Three.js, WebGL, WebXR, Unity, Compute Shaders
  • Architecture: Engine design, asset pipeline systems, creative tooling, dependency injection, state machines
  • Performance Engineering: GPU and memory budgeting, streaming architectures, caching systems, load-time optimization
  • Platforms: iOS, Android, PC, Browser, XR (Quest, Vive, WMR, OpenXR)
  • Infrastructure: AWS S3, Cloudflare, WebRTC