Engineering Lead

Skillsearch; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An ambitious game studio seeks an experienced Engineering Lead to shape an exciting new open-world multiplayer project. This hybrid role offers the chance to take technical ownership and mentor a high-performing team while working with cutting-edge technology like Unreal Engine 5. You will be responsible for driving the project's direction, building systems across various domains, and fostering a collaborative engineering culture. If you have a strong background in game programming and leadership, this is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in game programming with leadership on shipped titles.
• Strong background in Unreal Engine, especially networking and gameplay systems.

Responsibilities

• Take full technical ownership of the project and set direction.
• Lead and mentor the engineering team with hands-on contributions.
• Build systems across gameplay, networking, UI, tools, and backend.

Skills

Game Programming

Leadership

Unreal Engine

Networking

Gameplay Systems

AI and ML Tooling

Multiplayer Architecture

DevOps

Tools

Unreal Engine 5

EOS

Steam

Job description

Are you an experienced Engineering Lead ready to shape the future of an ambitious open-world multiplayer sandbox?

Skillsearch is proud to be partnering with an independent game studio on their next big project, built in Unreal Engine 5. We’re looking for a hands-on Engineering Lead to take technical ownership of the game and help bring this vision to life. This is a rare opportunity to play a foundational role in an exciting new IP.

This is a hybrid role with 2 days per week on-site at the studio in Guildford.

Please note: the studio is unable to offer visa sponsorship or transfers at this time.

What you’ll be doing:

• Taking full technical ownership of the project, setting direction and standards across all systems

• Leading and mentoring the engineering team with hands-on code contributions and architecture planning

• Building systems across gameplay, networking, UI, tools, backend, online services, and DevOps

• Driving the adoption of AI and ML tooling to support gameplay and production

• Hiring, onboarding, and growing a high-performing engineering team

• Championing a strong, collaborative engineering culture in a fast-moving environment

What we’re looking for:

• 10 or more years of experience in game or engine programming, with leadership on shipped titles

• Strong Unreal Engine background, especially in networking, gameplay systems, Lyra, motion matching, and custom tools

• Proven success in building and scaling engineering teams from the ground up

• Deep experience in multiplayer architecture and online integration (e.g., EOS, Steam)

• Solid understanding of backend systems, scalable services, DevOps, CI/CD, and optimisation

Is this role of interest and you think you'd be a good fit? Get in touch with Sam at Skillsearch: [e-mail]