Lead Engineer

Socket.dev; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Dynamic, multicultural environment

Regular progression opportunities

Job summary

Side is seeking a Lead Engineer / Technical Director to drive project success and engineering excellence across live co‑development engagements. Start as the lead on a live project and grow into department leadership while mentoring developers and shaping technical solutions.

The role balances hands‑on Unreal work with people leadership in a collaborative, global environment. You will partner with production, design, art, QA and clients, guiding architecture, debugging, profiling, and

Qualifications

• Shipped at least two titles on PC, console, mobile, or VR/AR with Unreal Engine.
• Experience in gameplay, AI, tools, systems, engine, animation tech, backend services, cloud, or DevOps.
• Proficiency in C++, C#, Python, or equivalent languages.
• Hands‑on Unreal Engine expert with solid Unity and proprietary engine experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering efforts across active co‑development projects.
• Partner with production, design, art, QA and client stakeholders to deliver high‑quality experiences.
• Provide technical direction, identify risks early, and drive pragmatic solutions.
• Communicate technical trade‑offs clearly to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Support estimation, planning, and execution through the project lifecycle.
• Contribute hands‑on to development when needed, particularly within Unreal Engine.
• Architect and review gameplay systems, tools, integrations, and performance‑critical features.
• Guide teams through debugging, profiling, optimization, and problem‑ solving.
• Support projects across multiple engines and technologies where required.
• Ensure code quality, maintainability, scalability, and performance standards.

Skills

Unreal Engine

C++

C#

Python

Unity

Source control

Debugging tools

Performance profiling

Agile workflows

Leadership

Tools

Unreal Engine tooling

Cross‑disciplinary collaboration

Job description

About This Opportunity

Please note, this listing is for a project-based opportunity. These opportunities are contingent on client needs and project availability.
Side is a global game development and services partner, working alongside many of the world's leading developers and publishers. From co-development and engineering to art, audio, QA, localization, and player support, we help teams solve production challenges and deliver exceptional player experiences.
We're looking for a Lead Engineer / Technical Director to help drive both project success and engineering excellence across our co-development engagements. This role is to start work as the Lead on one of our live projects, maturing into a department leadership role in the future., whilst still maintaining project activity.
This is a role for an experienced engineer who is equally comfortable leading a project team in a hands‑on manner, leading by example, mentoring developers, and building strong cross-discipline relationships. You'll play a key role in shaping technical solutions for our clients while helping grow and strengthen the engineering practice within Side.
If you're an Unreal expert who thrives in collaborative environments and enjoys balancing technical leadership with people leadership, we'd love to hear from you.

What you will be doing

• Lead engineering efforts across active co-development projects.
• Partner closely with production, design, art, QA, and client stakeholders to deliver high-quality experiences.
• Provide technical direction, identify risks early, and drive pragmatic solutions throughout development.
• Communicate technical trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support estimation, planning, and execution throughout the project lifecycle.
• Contribute hands‑on to development when needed, particularly within Unreal Engine.
• Architect and review gameplay systems, tools, integrations, and performance-critical features.
• Guide teams through debugging, profiling, optimization, and technical problem-solving.
• Support projects across multiple engines and technologies where required.
• Ensure code quality, maintainability, scalability, and performance standards are consistently met.

What we are looking for

• We are looking for someone with a background as a Lead Engineer or Technical Director, with professional experience in engineering roles in games or related tech fields.

• Shipped at least two titles on PC, console, mobile, or VR/AR with Unreal Engine.
• Experience in one or more areas such as gameplay, AI, tools, systems, engine, animation tech, backend services, cloud, or DevOps
• Proficiency in C++, C#, Python, or equivalent languages
• Hands‑on Unreal Engine expert, with solid experience in Unity and proprietary engines
• Familiarity with source control, debugging tools, performance profiling, and agile workflows

• Competitive Salary.
• Dynamic, multicultural and fun environment.
• You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
• We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.

About Side

Side (formerly PTW) is 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 20 studios in 14 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.
Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc