Lead Programmer | Programmeur(-euse) principal(e) New Montréal, Quebec, Canada

2K Games, Inc.; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

2K Games, Inc. is seeking a lead software engineer to steer small engineering teams through fast-paced projects across 2K partner studios.

You will shape programming conventions, review peer work, and drive projects from start to finish with producers and partners to ensure stable deliveries. You will lead the team in implementing complex game features, optimizing performance, and contributing to pipeline improvements while maintaining strong communication and documentation across the studio

Qualifications

• 6+ years advanced programming in C/C++ for games.
• Shipped AAA titles in a lead role.
• Experience with a major game engine and consoles certification (TRCs).
• Strong debugging and performance profiling skills; able to guide others.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of game developers.
• Implement sophisticated game features independently and with the team.
• Adapt to new coding environments and standards.
• Analyze performance and drive optimizations.
• Collaborate with studios to ship AAA games and provide accurate schedules.

Skills

C/C++

AAA titles

Console development

Debugging/profiling

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/related

Tools

Unreal Engine 5

Perforce

Git

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Who We Are

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios, responsible for developing 2K's portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today's most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.

Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of 2K's portfolio, which currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands. This includes global powerhouse NBA 2K, renowned BioShock, Borderlands, Mafia, Sid Meier's Civilization, XCOM brands; popular WWE 2K and WWE SuperCard franchises, TopSpin 2K25, as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR 2K.

At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work!

What We Need

We are looking for an outstanding lead software engineer who can use their mastery in both game development and leadership to guide small engineering teams in fast-moving engagements with 2K partner studios. If you join us, you'll use your broad expertise to lead the team from start to finish, work directly with producers and development partners to ensure stable deliveries, and provide support for your fellow engineers. Whether you're defining programming conventions, reviewing the work of your peers, or thinking forward to remove potential blockers, you've got the aptitude to both produce consistent results and provide informed direction.

What You'll Do

• Lead and mentor a team of game developers
• Work both independently and collaboratively to implement sophisticated game features
• Quickly adapt to new coding environments and programming standards
• Analyze game performance and implement optimizations
• Work in an integrated, embedded fashion with other 2K game studios to help them build and ship AAA games
• Provide accurate schedules and estimates for completing tasks on time
• Identify bottlenecks in development pipelines and develop optimizations and opportunities for automation

Required Experience and Skills

• 6+ years advanced programming in C/C++ specific to game development
• Substantial experience with a major game engine
• Shipped AAA titles in a lead role
• Experience developing for consoles, including certification requirements and TRCs
• Rapid problem solver with deep debugging and performance-profiling experience, comfortable guiding others through complex investigations
• Excellent communication, documentation, and organizational skills

Desired Experience and Skills

• Substantial experience with Unreal Engine 5
• Ability to manage large codebases with multiple branches
• Advanced source control experience (Perforce, GitHub, SVN), including CLIs
• Specialization in one or more of our priority areas:
• AI (behavior trees, GAS, EQS)
• UI, UI frameworks, UX and design
• Experience in multiplayer, physics, or rendering is also valuable

Bonus Points

• You love making and playing games
• You're always learning new things
• Undergrad or higher degree in game development or computer science
• Shipped titles on PC and consoles simultaneously
• Knowledge/experience in Gameplay, 3Cs, Online/Social, or DevOps (Horde, TeamCity, etc.)

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.