Light & Wonder
Senior Software Engineer
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Gaming
Welcome to the world of land-based gaming. At Light & Wonder, it’s all about the games, and our Gaming team builds cutting-edge technology, products, and content for the most iconic casinos and operators across the globe.
Position Summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to take the lead on a high-impact porting programme across our existing portfolio of game titles. You’ll play a key role in bringing established games to a new platform working on technically challenging software-focused projects within a collaborative and experienced engineering team.
Our game titles are developed in C/C++, with rendering implemented in DirectX and OpenGL. Collaborating with our team of QA Engineers, you’ll play a key role ensuring that each ported title looks, feels, and performs exactly as the original does.
Claude Code will be available to support the porting effort, and you will be expected to make effective use of AI-assisted development tooling to accelerate code analysis, conversion, and testing. Capturing what you learn is a core part of the role: you will document the process you establish and then oversee other engineers as they apply it to the wider game portfolio.
The role is ideal for an experienced engineer with strong C/C++ and graphics programming skills, solid programming foundations, and a track record of delivering porting projects to time and quality.
Work Pattern
This role is based in our vibrant Manchester studio and requires attendance 4 days per week. Regular on-site working is essential because the role involves developing, testing, and troubleshooting software directly on our gaming machines and specialist hardware.
Please note: We’re unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
We are looking for people who are full of ideas, want to challenge the norm, and bring our values to life every day:
- Dare to be Bold – You will be encouraged to bring fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and help us create the next generation of gaming experiences.
- Uphold Integrity – You will champion quality, accountability, and responsible engineering practices in every feature you build.
- Never Settle – You will continuously look for ways to improve code quality, development practices, tools, and player experiences.
- Celebrate Perspectives – You will collaborate with developers, artists, designers, producers, and specialists who bring different skills and viewpoints to every game.
- Win as a Team – You will support others, share knowledge, and help the wider team deliver exceptional outcomes together.
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What You'll Do
- Port existing C/C++ game titles as part of a planned porting programme.
- Write clean, efficient, and maintainable C/C++ code using established coding standards, release processes, and engineering best practices.
- Analyse existing codebases to identify external dependencies, and design and implement the changes required to port each title.
- Verify and tune ported titles so that performance, behaviour, and player experience match the originals.
- Establish and document a repeatable porting process, producing clear technical documentation that other engineers can follow and apply to further titles.
- Oversee other engineers porting titles against that documented process, reviewing their work, answering technical questions, and refining the guidance as it is used.
- Use Claude Code and other AI-assisted development tools to accelerate code analysis, conversion, and testing.
- Take ownership of software components, working to self-managed project plans and delivering to agreed timelines.
- Participate actively in code reviews, providing constructive feedback and helping maintain quality across the codebase.
- Work closely with QA engineers to verify ported titles, investigate defects, and confirm that behaviour matches the original.
What You'll Bring
- Excellent programming knowledge, underpinned by sound software engineering principles.
- Advanced C and C++ skills, including memory management, performance optimisation, and low-level debugging.
- Hands-on graphics programming expertise with DirectX and/or OpenGL, including rendering pipelines.
- A commercial track record of porting or migrating games or comparable software, with effective technical problem-solving and performance tuning.
- Ability to create clear, reusable technical documentation and guide other engineers in applying a shared process.
- Confidence reviewing work, providing technical direction, and supporting quality across the engineering team.
- Practical use of AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar to improve productivity, code quality, and problem-solving.
- Clear communication and close collaboration with QA and engineering colleagues.
- A proactive, organised approach, with the ability to manage workload independently, get up to speed quickly, and contribute to team success.
- Bonus points for:
- Hands-on use of Claude Code within a large, legacy, or unfamiliar codebase.
- A background in shipping commercial game titles or supporting live gaming products.
- Knowledge of casino, mobile, web, or regulated gaming platforms.
- Ability to abstract or refactor interfaces, reducing application-code dependencies on external systems.
- Familiarity with build systems, development toolchains, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing.
- Comfort working in an Agile development environment.
- Enthusiasm for emerging technologies, game-development innovation, and continuous improvement.
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Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent experience in Software Engineering
How You'll Grow
- See your ideas come to life as you help develop the next generation of electronic gaming machines.
- Build your expertise by working alongside talented engineers on innovative electrical and electromechanical solutions.
- Make a real impact by shaping products that reach a global audience and deliver memorable player experiences.
What Can We Offer You?
- Annual performance bonus
- 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays
- 1 day paid leave to work on charitable projects
- 1 day paid for personal celebration e.g. birthdays
- Half Day for Health, encouraging you to take time away for you and your wellbeing
- Up to 8% employer pension contributions
- A reward platform offering cycle to work, shopping and lifestyle discounts/cashback
- Remote GP access alongside a wellbeing platform
- Private Medical Insurance
- Elective benefits including Tastecard, travel insurance, dental insurance, and Give As You Earn
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- A collaborative studio culture with regular social events, team nights out, and board-game evenings
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