Engine & SDK Tech Lead

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 218,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

ByteDance’s PICO Developer Technology team seeks a visionary leader to drive the next generation of game engine, graphics, and SDK features for XR. You will guide cutting-edge rendering research and collaborate across OS, Engine, Product, and Hardware teams to deliver high-performance XR experiences.

You will mentor engineers, push innovations like ray tracing and neural graphics, and help advance the developer ecosystem for immersive spatial computing on mobile XR hardware.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in game engine development, rendering systems, and shipped high-performance graphics features.
• Deep expertise in modern rendering pipelines, shader programming (HLSL/GLSL/SPIR-V), and graphics APIs (Vulkan, Direct3D, Metal, OpenGL ES).
• Advanced proficiency in C/C++ and low-level systems programming with a focus on performance and memory.
• Strong foundational knowledge of game engine architecture—rendering, physics, inputs, animation, and asset pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical vision and architecture for next-generation game engine, graphics, and SDK features in XR.
• Drive cutting-edge graphics research and innovation—advanced rendering techniques, performance optimizations, XR-specific pipelines.
• Architect and evolve developer SDKs that enable external creators to build XR experiences.
• Collaborate with OS, Engine, Product, and Hardware teams to deliver end-to-end XR experiences with focus on performance, latency, and visual quality.
• Explore and prototype emerging technologies—ray tracing, foveated rendering, neural graphics, eye/face tracking integration.

Skills

Game engine development

3D graphics

Rendering systems

Shader programming

C/C++

Low-level systems programming

Performance optimization

XR/AR/VR development

SDK architecture

OpenGL/Vulkan Direct3D Metal

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Vulkan

Direct3D

Metal

Job description

Responsibilities

Team Description
The PICO Developer Technology team is at the forefront of XR innovation, building next-generation developer-facing technologies that push the boundaries of what is possible in spatial computing. We work on all aspects of the software stack — from low-level runtime systems and game engine integrations to developer SDKs that empower creators to build the most immersive XR & Spatial applications. If you are passionate about shaping the future of interactive 3D graphics and want to work on cutting-edge technology that reaches millions, this is your playground.

We are seeking a visionary technical leader with deep expertise in game engines, real-time 3D graphics, and SDK architecture to drive innovation in XR. This is not a maintenance role — you will explore, research, and build the next generation of graphics and developer technologies that define the future of spatial computing. You will work at the intersection of game engine architecture, advanced rendering, and XR runtime systems, pushing the limits of what is possible on mobile XR hardware.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical vision and architecture for next-generation game engine, graphics, and SDK features in XR
• Drive cutting-edge graphics research and innovation — advanced rendering techniques, performance optimizations, and novel XR-specific rendering pipelines
• Architect and evolve developer SDKs that enable external creators to build best-in-class XR experiences
• Collaborate with OS, Engine, Product, and Hardware teams to deliver seamless end-to-end XR experiences, with obsessive focus on performance, latency, and visual quality
• Explore and prototype emerging technologies — ray tracing, foveated rendering, neural graphics, eye/face tracking integration, and beyond
• Mentor and grow a team of strong graphics and engine engineers, setting technical direction and raising the bar

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in game engine development, 3D graphics, or rendering systems, with a proven track record of shipping high-performance graphics features
• Deep expertise in modern rendering pipelines, shader programming (HLSL/GLSL/SPIR-V), and graphics APIs (Vulkan, Direct3D, Metal, or OpenGL ES)
• Advanced proficiency in C/C and low-level systems programming, with a strong sense of performance and memory
• Strong foundational knowledge of game engine architecture — rendering, physics, input, animation, and asset pipelines
• Solid understanding of modern mobile or console graphics pipelines and hardware constraints

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and building developer-facing SDKs, APIs, or frameworks
• Prior experience in AR/VR/MR development, XR runtime infrastructure, or spatial computing
• Expertise in advanced rendering techniques: 3DGS, neural rendering, real-time ray tracing
• Background in game engine development (Unreal, Unity, or custom engines), especially in graphics or low-latency input pipelines
• Experience with compute shaders, GPU-driven rendering, or heterogeneous computing
• Familiarity with native Android development, including Android Services, IPC, and NDK
• Open-source contributions or published work in graphics, engines, or related fields

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance’s mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance’s mission. Our innovative products are built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect — and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and enrich life – a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. By constantly iterating and fostering an “Always Day 1” mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our Company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request

Job Information

For Pay Transparency Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $218400 – $480000 annually.
Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.