Core Engine Programmer

IO Interactive A/S; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

IO Interactive seeks an experienced Core Engine Programmer to join the Engine team in Barcelona, working on the Glacier engine and core systems. The role emphasizes architectural leadership, performance optimization, and cross-project scalability across platforms.

You will contribute to the engine roadmap, mentor teammates, and advance debugging across large codebases while collaborating with an international team of engineers.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of engine programming experience using C++.
• Shipped at least 1 AAA title as an Engine Programmer.
• Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, memory management and multithreading.
• Mastery in debugging complex cross-system issues in large codebases.
• Console development experience with understanding of platform constraints.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain core engine systems including entity management, resource systems, and engine infrastructure.
• Play a key role in evolving our proprietary Glacier engine for current and future game projects.
• Write maintainable and robust C++ code supporting multiple titles across consoles.
• Optimize for memory and performance across the codebase with focus on scalability and platform constraints.
• Develop, adopt, and maintain profiling and diagnostic tools for performance culture.
• Collaborate with the Technical Director and Engine team to set and maintain the technical roadmap.
• Support platform expansion initiatives and port core systems to new technologies and platforms.
• Mentor junior colleagues and foster knowledge-sharing across technical domains.
• Strengthen and enforce studio coding practices and standards.

Skills

C++

Engine programming

Multithreading

Memory management

Debugging

Communication

Tools

Glacier engine

Job description

IO Interactive is seeking an experienced Core Engine Programmer to join our Engine team as we develop the technical foundation for ambitious upcoming projects. This role is central to our platform strategy, requiring deep expertise in engine architecture and systems design.

Our Glacier engine is powering the next generation of ambitious titles, and we need a seasoned engine programmer to lead the evolution of our core systems. This isn't about maintaining legacy code, it's about architecting the engine infrastructure that will scale across multiple high-profile projects for years to come. You'll have direct input into our technical roadmap, ownership over critical systems, and the autonomy to make decisions that shape how our engine grows. This is a role for someone who thrives on solving complex architectural challenges at scale.

What You Will Do

• Design, develop, and maintain core engine systems including entity management, resource systems, and engine infrastructure
• Play a key role in evolving our proprietary Glacier engine for current and future game projects
• Write maintainable and robust C++ code that will support multiple titles across multiple console generations
• Optimize for memory and performance across the entire codebase, with focus on scalability and platform constraints
• Develop, adopt, and maintain profiling and diagnostic tools to support studio-wide performance culture
• Collaborate with the Technical Director and Engine team to establish and maintain the technical roadmap
• Support platform expansion initiatives and port core systems to new technologies and platforms
• Mentor junior colleagues and foster knowledge-sharing across all technical domains
• Strengthen and enforce studio coding practices and standards

Who You Are

• 3+ years of engine programming experience using C++
• Shipped at least 1 AAA title as an Engine Programmer
• Strong knowledge of algorithms, data structures, memory management, and multithreading
• A master of debugging complex, cross-system issues in large codebases
• Console development experience with understanding of platform-specific constraints
• Proven ability to break down tasks, estimate scope, and assess work across engineering
• Excellent communicator who can work effectively in a distributed, international team

Why join us

We are actively investing in our engine platform to support multiple ambitious projects. You'll work with world-class engineers on problems that directly impact the player experience, have autonomy over critical technical decisions, and shape the future of our Glacier engine across the studio.

About IO Interactive

IO Interactive is an independent videogame development and publishing company with studios in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, and Brighton. As the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform video games in the last decade, we are committed to creating unforgettable characters and experiences - all powered by our award-winning, proprietary Glacier technology.

IOI is a studio that values in-person collaboration. Being together helps us focus our collective energy on our immediate goals. For us, being both in-office as well as connected across our studios helps us integrate our teams faster, strengthen relationships, and improve knowledge-sharing. We believe that the more time we spend together, the more quality and progress we achieve for our games and players.

We know that to achieve those goals, we need courage, talented people and a great working environment - and we do our utmost to have all of that. Across our multiple studios, we’re working on several projects. Crucially though, we’re all one team. We value the work and impact that each person brings to the table and we actively encourage new ideas, whilst listening to your insights along the way.

We have a dedicated team of People Managers, who look after you as an individual and as an employee. With more than 40 nationalities, we know that everyone is different and we are proud to have a reputation for being a friendly workplace with highly-talent people.

Learn more about our Glacier engine.

IO Interactive is an independent video game development and publishing company with studios in Copenhagen, Malmö, Barcelona, Brighton and Istanbul. As the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform video games in the last decade, we are dedicated to creating unforgettable characters and experiences - all powered by our award-winning proprietary Glacier technology.