Lead Game Security Engineer

Rebellion; Runcorn; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading game development company is seeking a Lead Game Security Engineer to shape security architecture for upcoming projects. The role involves building a new Game Security team focused on developing software to combat cheating and piracy. Candidates should have a strong background in implementing anti-cheat and DRM technologies, alongside reverse engineering skills. The position offers the chance to work in a collaborative environment with flexible work options.

Benefits

22 days holiday plus Christmas closure

Private Medical Insurance

Enhanced Family Leave

Interest Free Loans

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive track record in anti-cheat functionality for C++ software.
• Strong expertise in DRM technologies and team development.
• Experience in reverse engineering and analyzing game cheats.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a team to defend against cheating and piracy.
• Develop processes for managing security threats lifecycle.
• Establish best practices with code teams.

Skills

Anti-cheat implementation

Reverse engineering

Digital rights management

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

OpenSSL

Wireshark

Job description

Overview

We want you to #JOINTHEREBELLION!

For 30 years we’ve been independently developing and publishing incredible video games at our multiple studios founded by Jason & Chris Kingsley, but Rebellion is more than just games. We have our own film studio, we create board games, publish books, and through 2000AD, publish comics and graphic novels such as the amazing Judge Dredd.

We’re hiring a Lead Game Security Engineer to join at the start of a large new project, with the opportunity to shape the security architecture used across all Asura titles and build a new Game Security team from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a team of developers and analysts to develop and maintain software to defend against cheating, piracy and other threats.
• Develop and own process framework which encompasses the whole lifecycle of managing security threats from monitoring, investigation and identification through to successful mitigation.
• Develop in-house capability for the utilisation of reverse engineering and other techniques to analyse and report on malicious code.
• Work with broader code teams to establish a development environment in which security best practices are embedded.
• Support the QA department in building the capability to validate and safely release defensive software.

We believe in the power of face-to-face collaboration and encourage working from one of our studios and can provide a relocation package, including moving assistance, temporary accommodation, and full support to ensure a smooth transition to your new environment.

However, we understand that flexibility matters, so we’re open to discussing hybrid options based on individual needs.

Requirements

• Extensive track record of safely and successfully delivering anti-cheat and DRM functionality for C++ software in a senior or leadership role
• Strong expertise in implementing anti-cheat techniques and digital rights management technologies and the ability to further develop that expertise in team members.
• Demonstrable background and experience in reverse engineering and analysing game cheats, digital rights management circumvention and other similar abuse vectors
• Deep understanding of relevant technical tools and standards (for instance PE and ELF file formats and software such as IDA Pro or Ghidra)

Nice to have

• Experience shipping or operating online/multiplayer/live-service games at scale.
• Knowledge of cryptography and network protocols, plus tools such as OpenSSL and Wireshark.
• Published security research, responsible disclosure, or public white-hat work.
• Familiarity with the Windows Resiliency Initiative.

Benefits

We offer an extensive benefits package to our team including:

• 22 days holidays + Christmas closure (typically 4 days) & Bank holidays (increasing with service at 5 years – one day each year until you reach 31 days)
• Private Medical Insurance, healthcare cash plan, including dental and Vision
• Life Assurance, Income Protection & Critical Illness Cover
• Enhanced Family Leave
• Interest Free, Tax-Free loans
• Enhanced Pension Scheme
• EAP a range of Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
• Plus loads more… including a wide range of discounts, freebies, and social events!

Right to Work Statement

This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship, either now or in the future. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

Life at Our Oxford HQ

Our riverside headquarters in Oxford places you a short walk away from the city centre. Renowned for its rich historical backdrop and esteemed educational institutions, Oxford offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, with its beautiful architecture and green spaces.

Oxford also boasts excellent transport links, making it easy to navigate both the city and the wider country. The city’s train station, just a short walk from our studio, offers frequent services to London, as well as direct routes to major cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Reading and we also offer free parking at the studio.

Our open-plan office promotes teamwork and innovation, with regular interaction with senior management and other departments, alongside access to free hot drinks, a handy tuck shop onsite and a range of local pubs, cafes and dining options nearby helping make every workday enjoyable!

Inside Rebellion

Whichever team you join at Rebellion we are proud of our open, friendly, and creative atmosphere. We love what we do, and we have fun doing it! As a big indie developer, we have complete creative freedom over our titles which allows us to work on a massive variety of projects across all the major platforms.

Find out more about us here

Our size, stability, and the variety of in-house expertise across multiple industries, makes Rebellion completely unique! We work in our own way, and we celebrate that as the key to our success. We foster an inclusive culture where you are encouraged to be yourself, to express your creativity and your talent. We are people focused and will support you in every way to can be the best at what you do. We recognise the importance of enjoying what you do and having a healthy work-life balance. We offer a friendly, creative, and relaxed working atmosphere, with sensibly managed projects and a wide variety of benefits and development opportunities for all our teams to ensure you are fully supported with your physical and Mental Well-being.

We are actively recruiting for a diverse team and continue to add to our culture of growth and inclusion. Rebellion encourages innovation in all areas, and we look forward to hearing how you can help us to be better. We encourage all demographics of culture, gender, ethnicity, neurodiversity and beyond, because a representative team makes better products.

If you are interested in working at Rebellion, but this role doesn’t sound quite like you, we’re recruiting for a range of positions across the studio and we’re always happy to receive speculative applications via our website. Visit our Careers website to view all our live vacancies: Rebellion: Careers

#LI-Hybrid