- Company Name
- Supermassive Games Ltd
- Job Title
- Principal Gameplay Engineer - FTC till Nov
- Job Description
-
**Job Title**
Principal Gameplay Engineer – FTC till Nov
**Role Summary**
Lead technical gameplay engineering for a high‑profile AAA title on a fixed‑term contract. Own end‑to‑end delivery of robust, maintainable gameplay code, define architectural direction, and mentor fellow engineers while ensuring performance, reliability, and creative business objectives are met.
**Expectations**
- Be the foremost technical authority on gameplay systems within the project.
- Deliver high‑quality, performance‑optimized code across complex, interconnected engines and gameplay features.
- Shape architecture decisions for Core Unreal Actor/Component and GAS workflows.
- Identify, investigate, and mitigate technical risks impacting stability, performance, or scalability.
- Drive continuous improvement of toolsets, profiling practices, and engineering workflows studio‑wide.
- Collaborate closely with design, art, production, and technical leadership to balance creative vision with technical feasibility.
- Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers, fostering technical growth and elevating code quality standards.
**Key Responsibilities**
1. Act as a senior technical lead and architectural steward for gameplay and engine systems.
2. Develop and maintain high‑quality C++ gameplay code, ensuring clean, scalable, and performant implementations.
3. Address unique challenges such as bespoke frameworks and internal mesh networking.
4. Lead decision‑making on Core Unreal Actor, Component, and GAS design, including plugin structure and base engine architecture.
5. Perform deep profiling (Unreal Insights, CSV) to identify bottlenecks and implement optimisations.
6. Provide ongoing support for cross‑platform builds (Gen9, Gen8, PC, mobile).
7. Create and maintain tools, pipelines, and best‑practice documentation for the development team.
8. Partner with designers and artists to interpret gameplay concepts into technical solutions.
9. Mentor engineers, conduct code reviews, and enforce high coding standards.
10. Proactively identify and manage technical risks to ensure project stability and performance.
**Required Skills**
- Extensive experience in Unreal Engine C++ development, including Core Actor/Component systems.
- Deep knowledge of Gameplay Ability System (GAS) and custom framework integration.
- Proficiency with replication, networking, and physics in live, production‑grade environments.
- Strong background with Sequencer and sequencer‑based workflows.
- Expert profiling skills using Unreal Insights, CSV, and quantitative performance analysis.
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine gameplay feature plugins and core engine architecture.
- Cross‑platform development experience (Gen9, Gen8, PC, mobile).
- Ability to work independently, provide architectural guidance, and mentor others.
- Excellent verbal and written communication in English.
**Required Education & Certifications**
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Game Development, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- Valid Unreal Engine certification or equivalent formal training is a plus.