About This Role
Being the most senior individual contributor on the programming team, the Principal Game Programmer sets the technical bar across Unreal Engine, development tools, and gameplay. This role owns the hardest technical problems, drives architecture in collaboration with the Technical Director, and formally mentors programmers at all levels.
Responsibilities
- Drive technical and architectural decisions across major systems
- Take ownership of the most technically demanding work: deep optimization, cross-system refactors, and high-risk areas of the codebase
- Set and uphold technical standards and best practices
- Mentor programmers of all levels through pairing, code reviews, and technical guidance, fostering growth and unblocking complex problems
- Own documentation and knowledge-sharing for the systems and domains known best
- Identify, evaluate, and prototype new tools and workflows to improve the team's output
- Contribute to hiring through technical interviews and onboarding
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in the game development industry
- Expert-level proficiency in C++, with a deep understanding of programming principles, system design, and large-scale architectures
- Extensive experience in game programming across engine-level work and tools development
- Deep knowledge of Unreal Engine internals and major subsystems
- A proven track record of shipping AA/AAA titles with significant ownership over core systems
- Strong debugging, profiling, and optimization skills across CPU and GPU, including platform-specific work
- Demonstrated mentorship experience: growing other programmers through pair programming, code reviews, and technical coaching
- Excellent communication and documentation skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to both engineers and non-engineers
- Sound judgment on when to build, when to refactor, and when to ship as-is
- 2+ years of console programming experience (PlayStation, Xbox)
Nice to have:
- Deep specialization in a particular domain (gameplay, tools, rendering, animation, or AI)
- Prior experience on a Principal/Staff IC track at another studio
- Console certification work (PlayStation, Xbox)
- Having shipped at least one AA/AAA game
Benefits
- A modern, centrally located office in Frankfurt, Germany (near Messe)
- Free language courses
- Monthly allowances for remote working and gym memberships
- A monthly allowance for the Deutschlandticket
- Tax-free Probonio vouchers available every month