Senior Software Engineer

Global Draw Limited; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

25 days' holiday

Private Medical Insurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Remote GP access

Job summary

Light & Wonder is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the Manchester studio, developing market-leading gaming content using Unity, C++, and C#. You will own features from concept to release and mentor junior engineers while striving for engineering excellence.

The role requires on-site presence four days a week in Manchester. Visa sponsorship is not offered, and you will collaborate with engineers, artists, designers, and mathematicians to deliver high-quality content.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Software Engineering.
• Proficiency with Unity, C++, and C#.
• Strong fundamentals in software engineering, architecture, and design patterns.
• Experience delivering software across the full development lifecycle.
• Excellent communication and ability to mentor others.

Responsibilities

• Develop high-quality game content using Unity, C++ and C#.
• Design, implement, and maintain game features delivering engaging player experiences.
• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.
• Contribute to technical design discussions and software architecture.

Skills

Unity

C++

C#

Object-oriented programming

Software engineering fundamentals

Mentoring

Code reviews

Team collaboration

Education

Degree or equivalent in Software Engineering

Job description

Gaming: Welcome to the world of land-based gaming. At Light & Wonder, it’s all about the games, and our Gaming team builds cutting-edge technology, products, and content for the most iconic casinos and operators across the globe.

Position Summary

We pride ourselves on creativity, collaboration, and technical excellence. We balance ambitious delivery with a friendly, connected studio culture, including regular social events, team nights out, board-game evenings, and more.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join a multidisciplinary team of engineers, artists, designers, and mathematicians developing market-leading gaming content for a global audience. You'll play a key role in designing and developing high-quality game software using Unity, contributing to the full development lifecycle from concept through to release. Alongside hands-on development, you'll support junior engineers, share technical expertise, and help drive engineering excellence across the team. This role is ideal for an experienced Unity developer with strong programming foundations, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for creating engaging player experiences.

Work Pattern

This role is based in our vibrant Manchester studio and requires attendance 4 days per week. Regular on-site working is essential because the role involves developing, testing, and troubleshooting software directly on our gaming machines and specialist hardware. Please note: We’re unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

We are looking for people who are full of ideas, want to challenge the norm, and bring our values to life every day:

• Dare to be Bold – You will be encouraged to bring fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and help us create the next generation of gaming experiences.
• Uphold Integrity – You will champion quality, accountability, and responsible engineering practices in every feature you build.
• Never Settle – You will continuously look for ways to improve code quality, development practices, tools, and player experiences.
• Celebrate Perspectives – You will collaborate with developers, artists, designers, producers, and specialists who bring different skills and viewpoints to every game.
• Win as a Team – You will support others, share knowledge, and help the wider team deliver exceptional outcomes together.

What You'll Do

• Develop high-quality game content using Unity, C++ and C#.
• Design, implement, and maintain game features that deliver engaging player experiences.
• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code in line with established engineering standards and best practices.
• Contribute to technical design discussions, helping shape software architecture and implementation approaches.
• Take ownership of software components throughout the development lifecycle, from concept and design through to testing and release.
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve software defects, performance issues, and technical challenges.
• Optimise game performance, stability, and maintainability across multiple projects.
• Collaborate closely with artists, game designers, mathematicians, QA engineers, and fellow developers to deliver high-quality content.
• Participate in code reviews, sharing constructive feedback and helping maintain quality across the codebase.
• Support and mentor junior engineers, providing technical guidance and encouraging professional development.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance development processes, tools, and engineering practices.
• Share knowledge across the team and help foster a collaborative, high-performing engineering culture.

What You'll Bring

• Commercial experience developing software in C++, including the ability to understand, debug, and maintain complex codebases.
• Experience developing games using the Unity game engine.
• Strong capability in C# and object-oriented programming principles.
• Excellent programming knowledge supported by solid software engineering fundamentals.
• The ability to design, develop, debug, and maintain robust, scalable software solutions.
• Experience delivering software throughout the full development lifecycle.
• A solid understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and engineering best practices.
• Strong analytical thinking and a practical approach to problem-solving.
• Experience working effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to share knowledge, provide feedback, and support colleagues.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or developing other engineers.
• A proactive, organised approach with the ability to manage workload independently and deliver to agreed deadlines.
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to team success.

Qualifications

Degree or equivalent experience in Software Engineering

How You'll Grow

See your work reach players around the world through market-leading gaming content and products. Develop your technical expertise by working alongside experienced engineers, designers, artists, and mathematicians in a highly collaborative studio environment. Expand your impact through mentoring, technical leadership, and helping shape the next generation of gaming experiences at Light & Wonder.

What Can We Offer You

• Annual performance bonus
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• 1 day paid leave to work on charitable projects
• 1 day paid for personal celebration e.g. birthdays
• Half Day for Health, encouraging you to take time away for you and your wellbeing
• Up to 8% employer pension contributions
• A reward platform offering cycle to work, shopping and lifestyle discounts/cashback
• Remote GP access alongside a wellbeing platform
• Private Medical Insurance
• Elective benefits including Tastecard, travel insurance, dental insurance and Give As You Earn
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Light & Wonder, Inc. is the leading cross-platform global games company. Through our three unique, yet highly complementary businesses, we deliver unforgettable experiences by combining the exceptional talents of our 7,000+ member team, with a deep understanding of our customers and players. We create immersive content that forges lasting connections with players, wherever they choose to engage. At Light & Wonder, it’s all about the games. The Company is committed to the highest standards of integrity, from promoting player responsibility to implementing sustainable practices.