Engine Programmer Intern

Epic Games; Greater London; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 20,000; Full time

Job summary

Epic Games is seeking an Engine Programmer Intern to join the Unreal Engine team, focusing on a new schema-based serialization system that handles save, load, and versioning. You will own a feature within the serialization stack and work with engineering leads and cross-team partners to ship core tech used by millions of players and creators.

You’ll contribute high-performance C++ for memory‑constrained, backwards‑compatible systems, build tooling for serialized data, and develop robust unit

Qualifications

• Strong C++ fundamentals with memory management and pointers.
• Solid understanding of data structures and how data is laid out in memory.
• Interest in low-level systems programming—file formats, binary data, compilers, or engine internals.
• A rigorous, detail‑oriented approach to work.
• Comfort with debugging unfamiliar code and tracing root causes.
• Ability to explain technical designs and ask good questions.
• Self-driven, eager to learn and open to feedback.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a feature within the serialization stack, from proposal to shipped code with guidance from the engineering lead.
• Write high-performance, memory-efficient C++ for systems where correctness and backwards compatibility are critical.
• Build tooling that helps users work with serialized data, such as diffing, visualization, and human-readable text formats.
• Develop thorough unit tests to guarantee data integrity across save, load, and version-upgrade paths.
• Collaborate with partner teams across the engine to integrate the serialization system with their data and workflows.
• Participate in code reviews and design discussions to learn how core engine technology is built and maintained at scale.

Skills

C++ fundamentals

Memory management

Pointers

Templates basics

Data structures

Low-level systems

Debugging

Communication

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?

At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.

Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.

ENGINEERING - UNREAL ENGINE

What We Do

Unreal-powered projects have been on the bleeding edge of real-time entertainment for over 20 years. Our team of engineering experts are always innovating to improve the tools and technology that empower content developers worldwide.

ENGINE PROGRAMMER INTERN

What You'll Do

We are looking for an Engine Programmer Intern to join the team building a new serialization stack for Unreal Engine. This schema-based serialization system will be at the heart of how engine content is saved, loaded, and versioned. As part of the serialization team you will be given a feature to own within our development cycle — such as schema evolution, data migration / recovery, type bindings, or debug tooling. You will work with your engineering lead and partner-teams across the engine to flesh out the system and build core technology that millions of players and creators rely on every day.

In this role, you will

• Design and implement a feature within the serialization stack, taking it from proposal to shipped code with guidance from your engineering lead
• Write high-performance, memory-efficient C++ for systems where correctness and backwards compatibility are critical
• Build tooling that helps users work with serialized data — such as diffing, visualization, and human-readable text formats
• Develop thorough unit tests to guarantee data integrity across save, load, and version-upgrade paths
• Collaborate with partner teams across the engine to integrate the serialization system with their data and workflows
• Participate in code reviews and design discussions, learning how core engine technology is built and maintained at scale
  
  
  

What We're Looking For

• Strong C++ fundamentals, including a solid grasp of memory management, pointers, and familiarity with the fundamentals of template
• Good understanding of data structures and how data is laid out and represented in memory
• Interest in low-level systems programming — file formats, binary data, compilers, or engine internals
• A rigorous, detail-oriented approach
• Being comfortable debugging unfamiliar code and methodically tracking down the root cause of a problem
• Being able to explain a technical design and ask good questions
• Self-driven, eager to learn, and open to feedback, using it to improve your work
  
  
  

This internship has a flexible start date in 2027. Recruitment will be ongoing until teams find an ideal match. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the posting location for the duration of the internship. For more information about Epic’s Early Career Program, visit epicgames.com/earlycareers. This is going to be Epic!

About Us

Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company. For over 30 years we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.

Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!

Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.