Senior Gameplay Software Engineer - EA SPORTS NHL

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation 3 weeks per year

Sick time 10 days per year

Parental leave top-up

Extended health/dental/vision

Life and disability insurance

Retirement plan

Bonus programs

Job summary

EA SPORTS NHL team in Vancouver is seeking a Senior Gameplay Engineer to help craft the next generation of on-ice gameplay. You will be a core architect for moment-to-moment hockey experiences, driving skating physics, puck dynamics, player control, body checks, and spatial team AI.

You will collaborate with designers, animators and tech leads to deliver responsive, realistic gameplay while mentoring mid-level and junior engineers and optimising performance for modern consoles.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game development experience and shipping titles or core systems.
• Advanced proficiency in C++ and object-oriented software engineering.
• Strong foundation in 3D math, physics, data structures and algorithms.
• Experience with multi-threaded architecture, memory optimization, and profiling tools.
• Interest or experience with AI tools, automation, and workflow optimizations in game dev.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; ability to explain complex concepts.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build and optimise core on-ice gameplay systems (movement, skating, stick handling).
• Collaborate with designers, animators, producers and audio engineers to implement gameplay features.
• Write clean, modular C++ code; manage memory, multi-threading and frame-rate optimisations.
• Explore AI techniques, automated testing tools and dynamic behaviour models for on-ice AI.
• Develop internal tools, debug utilities and editor extensions to speed iteration.
• Tune gameplay for responsiveness, transitions, and hit reaction physics; mentor engineers.

Skills

Communication skills

3D math

Physics simulation

Multi-threading

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent

Tools

Perforce

Git

CI pipelines

Job description

About the Role

The Senior Gameplay Engineer will join the EA SPORTS NHL team in Vancouver to help craft the next generation of on-ice gameplay. The role involves being a core architect of the moment-to-moment hockey experience, driving skating physics, puck dynamics, player control, body checks, and spatial team AI. Working at the intersection of complex physics, rapid controls, and creative game design, the engineer will collaborate with designers, animators, and technical leaders to deliver responsive, realistic, and exhilarating gameplay.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect & Build On-Ice Systems: Design, implement, and optimise core gameplay systems, including player movement/skating physics, stick handling, puck trajectory, collision dynamics, and team AI behaviours.
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Partner closely with game designers, animators, producers, and audio engineers to translate hockey systems and creative concepts into polished gameplay mechanics.
• Engine & Performance Optimization: Write clean, modular, and highly performant C++ code, taking ownership of memory management, multi-threading, and frame-rate optimization for modern console hardware.
• Integrate Emerging Tech & AI: Explore and integrate emerging AI techniques, automated testing tools, and dynamic behaviour models to elevate on-ice intelligence and streamline team workflows.
• Developer Tools & Workflows: Build and support internal tools, debug utilities, and editor extensions to empower designers and animators to iterate quickly.
• Tune & Polish Gameplay: Iterate continuously on responsiveness, stick control, animation transitions, and hit reaction physics to ensure maximum feel, precision, and player satisfaction.
• Mentorship & Engineering Excellence: Guide and mentor mid-level and junior engineers, advocating for software architecture best practices, thorough code reviews, and high technical standards.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game development experience, with a proven track record of shipping title(s) or building core gameplay/physics systems.
• Advanced proficiency in C++ and object-oriented software engineering.
• Strong foundation in 3D math (vectors, matrices, quaternions), physics simulation, data structures, and algorithms.
• Experience with multi-threaded architecture, memory optimization, and performance profiling tools.
• Deep understanding of character movement, animation blending/state machines, spatial AI, or real-time physics interactions.
• Demonstrated interest or experience in leveraging AI tools, modern automation, and workflow optimizations in game development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical disciplines.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Skills

• Direct experience developing for current-generation consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S).
• Passion for hockey, ice sports, or sports gaming titles.
• Knowledge of dynamic character physics, cloth/equipment simulation, or procedural animation techniques.
• Familiarity with Perforce, Git, or modern continuous integration pipelines.

Workplace

• Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Benefits & Perks

• Vacation: 3 weeks per year to start.
• 10 days per year of sick time.
• Paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when welcoming a new child (12 weeks for maternity, 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave).
• Extended health/dental/vision coverage.
• Life insurance and disability insurance.
• Retirement plan for regular full-time employees.
• Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

About the Company

EA SPORTS is one of the most iconic brands in entertainment, connecting hundreds of millions around the world to the sports they love through a portfolio of industry-leading video games. The team is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is composed of diverse talent dedicated to creating on-ice experiences that connect gamers around the world through play.