Lead Game Programmer

Side; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 80,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A global video game development company is seeking a Lead Engineer in Kuala Lumpur to guide the technical vision for an internal Unity project. The role involves leading a small team to build and optimize gameplay systems, ensuring performance across platforms, while mentoring junior developers. Ideal candidates have over 5 years of Unity/C# experience, strong game systems knowledge, and prior leadership experience. The position starts as a contract with potential for transition to full-time roles and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional Unity/C# development experience, with at least 2 in a lead or senior role.
• Strong understanding of game systems architecture, optimization, and debugging.
• Experience shipping at least one commercial title or major prototype.

Responsibilities

• Lead the engineering team in building and optimizing core gameplay systems.
• Define the project’s technical architecture and ensure clean integration.
• Drive code reviews and maintain coding standards.

Skills

Unity/C# Development

Game Systems Architecture

Optimization

Debugging

Strong Communication Skills

Collaborative Mindset

Tools

Source Control

CI/CD

Performance Profiling Tools

Job description

Lead Game Programmer- (Contract) Malaysia

Sideis a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 15+ studios in over a dozen countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Our industry‑leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.

Help us bring stories to the world! Join a global team of passionate gamers and contribute to delivering unforgettable game experiences.

For more information, visitwww.side.inc.

About the role

We’re seeking a Lead Engineer to guide the technical vision for our internal Unity project. You’ll lead a small but talented team of engineers, architect systems, and ensure performance and scalability across platforms.

This is a hands‑on leadership role where you’ll write clean, efficient code while mentoring junior developers and collaborating closely with design and art to bring gameplay features to life. Your position will begin on an internal project, with a transition toward co‑development (codev) services, collaborating with external teams and projects once internal development milestones are achieved.

Responsibilities

• Lead the engineering team in building and optimizing core gameplay systems, tools, and pipelines in Unity (C#).
• Define the project’s technical architecture, ensuring clean integration between systems.
• Collaborate with design and art leads to prototype and refine gameplay features.
• Drive code reviews, maintain coding standards, and ensure technical excellence.
• Identify technical risks and propose solutions proactively.
• Mentor and grow the technical team, fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
• Contribute to developing processes and best practices that will later support external co‑development projects.

Requirements

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional Unity/C# development experience, with at least 2 in a lead or senior role.
• Strong understanding of game systems architecture, optimization, and debugging.
• Experience shipping at least one commercial title or major prototype.
• Familiarity with source control, CI/CD, and performance profiling tools.
• Strong communication skills and collaborative mindset.

These roles will be contract to start with potential to convert to fulltime with comprehensive benefits.