Software Engineer/Developer I (Lead Developer, Field Day Lab)

University of Wisconsin - Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin - Madison's Field Day Lab seeks a Lead Developer to build core game systems while guiding engineering practices across educational game projects. The role blends hands-on development with technical leadership to mentor others and shape technical direction.

The ideal candidate has extensive game development experience, strong Unity/C#, and the ability to translate goals into concrete engineering solutions in a collaborative, research-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience with games or interactive apps.
• Expertise with Unity and solid understanding of game development principles.
• Advanced proficiency in C#, plus JavaScript and Python; adaptable to new languages.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of core game systems with a hands-on focus (about 70%).
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and coordination across teams.
• Review designs, implement software, and improve engineering practices.
• Develop prototypes from concept to implementation and iterate rapidly.
• Collaborate with designers, researchers, and educators to shape direction.
• Document technical decisions and maintain clear project documentation.

Skills

Unity

C#

Mentoring

Leadership

Prototyping

JavaScript

Python

Documentation

Team collaboration

Game development principles

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS / Software Eng / Game Dev

Tools

Unity

Job description

We are seeking a Lead Developer who combines strong software engineering skills with technical leadership. This role is approximately 70% hands-on development and 30% technical leadership, mentoring, and coordination. The successful candidate will build core game systems while guiding engineering practices, supporting other developers, and helping shape the technical direction of multiple educational game projects.

Field Day Lab is a research and development group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that creates educational games and digital tools for teaching and learning. Their focus is on designing interactive experiences that blend game-based learning with academic research, aiming to engage students and teachers in subjects such as science, history, and social studies.

The lab collaborates with educators, scientists, and other researchers to develop these digital tools, often grounded in real-world data and classroom environments. They explore how games can enhance learning by providing students with interactive, immersive environments where they can experiment, explore, and apply concepts in new ways.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Prepares program documentation and training requirements
• Maintains and troubleshoots applications, systems, or websites
• Implements data structure and systems performance strategies
• Reviews application design specifications, codes new applications, and makes enhancements to existing applications
• Develops or modifies technical specifications for low-complexity projects using disciplined software development practices
• Tests and debugs programs, and prepares systems test data

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, including experience developing games and interactive applications
• Demonstrated expertise with Unity and a strong understanding of game development principles
• Advanced proficiency in C# and experience with additional programming languages such as JavaScript and Python, with the ability to adapt to new programming languages as needed
• Experience independently developing game prototypes from concept through implementation
• Ability to read, understand, and refactor code efficiently
• Experience translating project goals into technical implementation plans and engineering solutions
• Experience leading technical decision-making for complex software projects
• Demonstrated leadership experience mentoring, coaching, and providing technical guidance to software developers
• Experience breaking large projects into technical workstreams, estimating engineering effort, prioritizing and assigning tasks, tracking progress, and providing coaching and feedback to ensure timely completion
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including designers, artists, producers, researchers, and educators
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including writing and maintaining clear documentation
• Ability and comfort moving across domains and mathematically modeling them into simulations
• Experience mentoring interns or early-career developers
• Experience building rapid prototypes and creating a culture of experimentation where prototypes are viewed as learning tools rather than miniature products
• Ability to maintain a regular onsite presence at 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI multiple days each week

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Game Development, or a closely related field
• Experience leading development teams or serving as a technical lead
• Experience with mathematical modeling or simulation development
• Experience with educational games, serious games, or learning technologies
• Experience collaborating in research or academic environments
• Experience with audio editing and recording software
• Experience establishing engineering best practices, code review processes, and development workflows