Rocket Science Group
Principal Game Engineer
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Location: Brighton (Hybrid)
Position: Principal Game Engineer
Company Overview: Part of the Rocket Science Group, Atomic Theory is a multinational team of seasoned AAA veterans with roots extending from Blizzard, PUBG, Epic, and Unity. We deliver player-centric, AAA-quality experiences, committed to performance, accessibility, and engineering excellence. Our offices in Albany NY, Brighton UK, and Cardiff UK enable us to support global game development.
About the Role: We are seeking a Principal Game Engineer to join our co-development team. In this role, you will:
- Player Experience Development: Design, implement, and polish gameplay features, UI systems, and 3Cs (character, camera, and controls).
- Technical Leadership: Own the technical direction for player experience work, making architectural decisions and guiding solutions from prototype to ship quality.
- Customer-Facing Collaboration: Act as a senior technical representative to our partners, gathering requirements, presenting solutions, and building trust.
- Critical Problem Solving: Apply analytical and debugging skills to resolve complex technical issues.
- Mentorship: Support and mentor engineers, sharing expertise in player experience engineering.
- Code Review: Champion high standards of code quality, performance, and maintainability.
Qualifications:
- Expert Software Engineering: Extensive experience developing and shipping games, with a history of delivering high-quality, player-facing systems.
- Strong C++ and C# Skills: Expert proficiency in C++ and C#, with a commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
- Strong 3D Maths: A firm grasp of linear algebra and geometry.
- Unreal Engine Skills: Deep experience in Unreal Engine, preferred but strong Unity backgrounds are also valued.
- Analytical Mindset: Strong analytical skills and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving technical challenges.
- Customer-Facing Communication: Confidence and clarity when working with partners and stakeholders.
- Player Focus: An instinct for what makes games feel great and the ability to translate that into responsive controls, readable UI, and satisfying gameplay.
- Team Collaboration: Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with engineers, designers, artists, producers, and project leads.
- Passion for Gaming: Genuine enthusiasm for games and a desire to create engaging, high-quality experiences for players.
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Additional Experience:
- Console Experience: Experience shipping titles on current-generation consoles.
- Unity Experience: Professional experience developing and shipping games in Unity.
- Advanced Unreal Experience: Familiarity with custom engine modifications, plugin development, or Unreal Engine source.
- Accessibility Knowledge: Experience designing and implementing accessible controls and UI.
- Co-Development Experience: Prior experience in a co-development, outsourcing, or external development environment.
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Benefits:
- Competitive Salary and Benefits Package
- Hybrid Working Arrangement: Flexibility to work at home and collaborate in person.
- Private Pension via Salary Sacrifice
- Optional Private Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
- Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays and Winter Break Office Closure
- Annual Research Credit: For personal growth.
- Professional Development: Opportunities for collaboration, internal tech talks, and learning from specialists.
- Work-Life Balance: Flexible working environment.
- Family Friendly: 6 weeks of Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave.
- Office Perks: Weekly team lunches, snacks, a fully equipped team lounge, and a supportive, creative working environment.
Note from the Recruitment Team: We welcome applications from candidates with varied backgrounds, not limited to game or software development. Rocket Science is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination or harassment. Unsolicited résumés from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms will not be accepted.
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