Principal Engineer

Skydance Media; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 217,000 - 246,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media company in Santa Monica seeks a Principal Game Engineer to design and implement innovative game features. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with Unreal Engine and multiple shipped games, driving technical leadership and collaborating with creative teams. This role emphasizes creativity and ownership, ideal for individuals passionate about shaping the future of interactive entertainment. Competitive salary range of $217,000 to $246,000, reflecting experience and expertise.

Qualifications

• Multiple years of professional experience with several shipped games.
• Extensive experience with Unreal Engine, including custom tech.
• Deep understanding of modern game development challenges.
• Self-motivated, willing to assist beyond direct responsibilities.
• Experience guiding other engineers and providing feedback.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement new game features from scratch.
• Collaborate with designers and artists to refine game systems.
• Maintain development schedules and drive implementation tasks.
• Guide technology development using modular approaches.

Skills

C++

Unreal Engine

Communication skills

Collaboration

Tools

Blueprints

Job description

Santa Monica, Los Angeles Skydance Games

Skydance Games , a division of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, is creating the future of interactive entertainment across platforms and genres. Our teams are expanding beloved franchises with Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, pushing the limits of immersion, and shaping how we’ll deliver best-in-class games for years to come.

We build our games through creativity, collaboration, and trust, empowering teams to take ownership, openly share ideas, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Every project is built with these core values, turning bold visions into experiences that resonate with fans around the world.

Do you want to craft games that challenge expectations and inspire players? Come build something extraordinary with us.

Skydance is looking for a Principal Game Engineer skilled in working with creative teams to

architect key game features and frameworks. The Principal Engineer plays a critical role in

driving innovation and ensuring that the organization stays at the forefront of technology

trends. This role does not manage or have direct reports or are responsible for employment

decisions. The Principal Engineer is considered a craft/thought leader, responsible for

technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to other members of the team, and is

recognized as an industry leader or master performer in exercising their competencies.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement new game features from scratch using a combination of C++,Blueprints, and other tools.
• Collaborate with designers, artists, and audio developers to iterate on and refine keygame systems.
• Take ownership of major systems, maintain development schedules, and driveimplementation tasks at all levels of complexity.
• Developing and guide technology development using modular approaches for useacross multiple titles.

Qualifications

• Multiple years of professional experience with several shipped games.
• Extensive experience with Unreal Engine, modifying and creating custom tech toextend the engine’s feature set.
• Deep understanding of the challenges with modern game development, with provenhistory of building new technology to help teams overcome these challenges
• Self-motivated and self-directing, willing to pitch in areas of development beyonddirect responsibilities.
• Experience providing feedback and guidance to other engineers – helping them stayon track and true to the overall vision of the game.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

The annual salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $217,000 – $246,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.

We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description.

#Games #LI-hybrid

Paramount, a Skydance Corporation is a diversified media company creating high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive/games, and animation divisions.

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