Lead Programmer

Black Shamrock - a Virtuos Studio; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Shamrock is seeking a Lead Programmer to join in Dublin to develop AAA games under the Virtuos umbrella. The ideal candidate will lead a team of senior and junior developers, shaping gameplay systems, animation pipelines, and high-performance code.

Required are proven Unreal Engine leadership, strong C++, and the ability to collaborate with designers, animators, and project managers to deliver ambitious, polished experiences on multiple platforms.

Qualifications

• Experienced lead with Unreal Engine expertise having shipped at least 1 title using Unreal as lead.
• At least 5 years experience with Unreal Engine.
• Expertise in programming character movement and animation systems.
• Proven ability to work with designers and animators on the above systems.
• Experience building tools for debugging and developing movement and animation.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight and direction of a team of seniors and juniors.
• Establish strong coding standards and practices for team members.
• Report project risks in a timely manner, propose mitigations, and elevate when necessary.
• Analyse and create technical documentation.
• Share knowledge with other teams at Black Shamrock and Virtuos.
• Develop and implement NPC behaviours and Character movement in UE5.
• Fulfil design's visions in creating realistic high NPC behaviours, movement and animation.
• Work closely with Game Designers, Animators and Project Managers.
• Deliver high performance, high-quality code.
• Prioritize and execute tasks.
• Anticipate production technical needs.

Skills

Unreal Engine

C++

Team leadership

Gameplay programming

NPC movement/animation

Unreal Editor

Tools

Unreal Editor

Job description

PLAY, GROW and WIN

To be a part of Virtuos means to be a creator.

At Virtuos, we harness the latest technologies to make games better and more immersive than ever before. That is why we pride ourselves in constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility since our founding in 2004.

Virtuosi is a team of experts - people who have come together to share their mutual passion for making and playing games. People with the same enthusiasm for exploring new ideas and the constant drive to excel in their field. People who believe in earning success through dedication.

At Virtuos, we are at the forefront of gaming, creating exciting new experiences daily. Join us to Play, Grow and Win - together.

About The Position

Black Shamrock is seeking a Lead Programmer to join us in developing AAA games for some of the most renowned studios in the world. We are looking for a candidate with proven lead experience in the games industry, a strong foundation in C++, and with the skills to manage a team of seniors and juniors.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical oversight and direction of a team of seniors and juniors.


• Establish strong coding standards and practices for team members.


• Report project risks in a timely manner, propose mitigations, and elevate when necessary.


• Analyse and create technical documentation.


• Share knowledge with other teams at Black Shamrock and Virtuos.


• Develop and implement NPC behaviours and Character movement in UE5.


• Fulfil design's visions in creating realistic high NPC behaviours, movement and animation.


• Work closely with Game Designers, Animators and Project Managers.


• Deliver high performance, high-quality code.


• Prioritize and execute tasks.


• Anticipate production technical needs.

Qualifications

• Experienced lead with Unreal engine expertise having shipped at least 1 title using unreal acting as lead.


• At least 5 years experience with Unreal Engine.


• Expertise in programming character movement and animation systems.


• Proven ability to work with designers and animators on the above systems.


• Experience building tools for debugging and developing movement and animation.

Desirable

• Hands on experience with Mover is very desirable.


• Expertise in building animation blueprints is very desirable.


• AI knowledge is an advantage.

About Us

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest independent video game development companies. We are headquartered in Singapore with offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Specializing in full-cycle game development and art production, we have delivered high-quality content for more than 1,500 console, PC, and mobile games. Our clients include 23 of the top 25 gaming companies worldwide.

About Our Team

Black Shamrock was founded in 2016 and acquired by the Virtuos Group in 2017. The studio is Ireland's largest PC and console game development studio and provides unique opportunities to work on multiple AAA titles. Our people are as diverse, exciting, creative, and dynamic as the projects that we work on. Black Shamrock is a place for talent to flourish and lifelong industry connections to begin.

Our in-house and full-service capabilities include narrative, game, sound and level design, animation, art, rigging, engineering, and graphics, to name a few areas our skilled team members work on. At Black Shamrock, we take pride in helping put Dublin on the world map as the birthplace of award-winning AAA games.