As a Senior Engine Programmer, you will focus on further specialising your technical skills, particularly in Engine systems, working with our teams to reach your next career step as a Principal or Lead.
Third Kind Games - a Virtuos Studio, is a world-class co-development games studio. Third Kind Games was founded in 2016 by a team of nine former Activision veterans and became a Virtuos Studio in 2024.
Our studio is based in Royal Leamington Spa and we also have remote studios in Poland and Spain. Our three studios have been built on the same original spirit and values since our beginning.
We work with some of the biggest names in the games industry such as Blizzard, Amazon, Microsoft and Mythical Games. We're proud of our track record working on critically acclaimed games and franchises. We are also setting new benchmarks for creativity in the games industry, driving technical expertise in programming alongside creative innovation.
What is it like to be a Third Kinder?
We are a diverse team of people. We are collaborative, open-minded creatives who embrace ideas and knowledge from everyone in our team, with the aim of developing and inspiring ourselves, our projects and our games.
Work life balance and flexibility are very important to us and our team. At TKG we offer a place where our team can be their most creative, imaginative and confident selves. We want all of our team to feel valued, appreciated, and free to be who they are at work. TKG recently received a GOLD Award in Mind Charity's Workplace Wellbeing Index, recognising our dedication to our team's mental health and wellbeing.
Role Overview
You enjoy:
* Working on all areas of game engine systems, including low-level systems such as rendering, physics, memory management, multi-threading, and platform-specific optimisation.
* Taking ownership of complex engine systems, from initial design through to development and maintenance, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.
* Conducting detailed performance analysis, profiling engine systems to identify and resolve bottlenecks, and implementing low-level optimisations to maximise efficiency.
* Collaborating closely with designers, animators, and other developers to realise their vision through technical solutions and enhancements to the engine.
* Engaging in regular code reviews to uphold high standards of code quality and adherence to industry best practices.
* Mentoring and developing junior team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
* Working with various platforms, current and next generation consoles, PC, handheld, etc. and writing optimised code tailored to specific hardware requirements.
What we are looking for from a Third Kinder
You would:
* Develop and maintain core engine systems, focusing on performance, memory efficiency, and multi-platform compatibility.
* Optimise engine code for better performance, including areas like memory management, real-time processing, and multithreading.
* Support and improve the workflows and pipelines that enable efficient content creation, working closely with other teams to ensure smooth integration.
* Troubleshoot and debug complex issues across all engine subsystems, providing long-term solutions that enhance the engine's stability and performance.
Skills you need
* 5+ years of experience in game development, with a focus on engine programming and systems-level development.
* Experience with console development (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo) and knowledge of platform-specific optimisation techniques.
* Extensive knowledge of Unreal Engine or similar game engines, particularly in engine-level programming.
* Strong proficiency in C++ (and ideally in C# as well), with substantial experience in low-level programming, including performance optimisation and memory management.
* Proven debugging and critical analysis skills, capable of diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues within engine systems.
* Experience in performance optimisation techniques such as multi-threading, SIMD, and GPU programming.
Skills it would be great to have
* Familiarity with graphics APIs (e.g., DirectX, Vulkan, OpenGL) and experience with GPU programming.
* Knowledge of networking and multiplayer systems relevant to engine development.
* Experience with tools development to support engine pipelines and workflows.
If you think this is the role for you please send us your CV and an introductory email, which helps us to get to know you better. We aim to respond to your application within 2 working days.
Usually we will conduct a telephone interview, prior to any face to face or virtual interviews.
If you experience an error submitting your application, please email us at recruitment@thirdkindgames.com.