Systems Engineer (Principal/Lead)

Bonfire Studios; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 237,500 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits package

Equity

Job summary

A leading game development studio in Irvine, California seeks a Principal/Lead Systems Engineer. Your role will focus on shaping the foundational technology for 'Arkheron', a competitive multiplayer game. The ideal candidate has significant experience leading technical direction for AAA games, particularly in optimizing systems for competitive play. You will drive architecture, collaborate across teams, and tackle high-impact technology challenges in a dynamic environment. Competitive salary and equity offered.

Qualifications

• Shipped multiple titles, leading technical direction on AAA games.
• Extensive experience with competitive multiplayer games.
• Deep expertise in high-performance real-time systems.

Responsibilities

• Shape the architecture and optimization of core engine systems.
• Drive technical decisions across systems architecture.
• Collaborate with team leads to advance engine capabilities.

Skills

Experience leading technical direction

Building and optimizing systems for competitive multiplayer games

High-performance real-time systems

Multi-threaded architecture

ECS paradigms

Debugging and profiling skills

Adaptability and curiosity

Job description

Hybrid, Irvine, California, United States

What's the one game you couldn't put down? The game that connected you with friends, and made you feel like you belonged? If a game has ever defined a chapter of your life, then you already know the spark we’re chasing. Our mission is to ignite that same feeling for players; the thrill of competition, the joy of community, and the belonging of finding your own corner of a larger world.

Great games begin with people who dare to dream big. If that sounds exciting, you might be exactly who we’re looking for.

Bonfire is a group of experienced and ambitious developers, proud to be creating our first original IP: Arkheron. It is a fast-paced, competitive PVP game set in a surreal dark fantasy world where 15 teams of three battle their way up the Tower. In a world built from memories, you will loot powerful items to create and adapt a unique build-out that will change your strategy and combat experience with every Ascension.

On the Engineering team at Bonfire, it is about more than code. For us, it's essential to build a deep understanding and intuitive sense of what makes our game special through our players' hearts and minds. Guided by this sensibility, we form close partnerships with artists and designers to challenge ourselves, exploring creative and fun ways to evolve the game together. We ruthlessly prioritize what matters most and continually weigh trade-offs in our pursuit of making both playing and building our game feel great.

As a Principal/Lead Systems Engineer, you will play a central role in shaping the foundational technology powering Arkheron, our first game and a cross-platform competitive multiplayer title. This role demands deep experience building systems for competitive multiplayer games, where engine performance, hardware constraints, and platform characteristics have a direct impact on responsiveness and player experience.

We are at a transformative stage in our engine technology, and we are looking for someone to help shape its development toward data‑centric principles; to make Arkheron feel great to play for players, and great to build for our developers through fast and reliable iteration.

YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE BY:

• Shaping the architecture, optimization, and long‑term evolution of core engine systems in Unity/DOTS (C# and C/C++) — spanning runtime performance, memory management, platform‑specific optimization (PC and consoles), networking infrastructure, graphics, and tooling.
• Driving complex technical decisions across console performance and low‑level systems architecture, with reach into graphics, tooling, and engine infrastructure to ensure our systems scale for both developers and players.
• Collaborating with internal and external leads to advance engine platform capabilities — including console features, anti‑cheat, and team workflows.
• Tackling high‑impact projects such as optimizing iteration pipelines, building live‑editable profiling systems, and enhancing runtime systems like rendering, streaming, and netcode.
• Creating tools and APIs that make developers' lives easier and help the team deliver high‑quality content faster.
• Jumping into other areas as needed — from audio to UI to gameplay systems — to support the broader team.
• Contributing beyond core engineering, leaning on your passions and perspectives to help the studio grow.
• (Lead) Providing technical leadership and mentorship across a senior engineering team — fostering autonomy, accountability, and growth through clear direction, constructive feedback, and deliberate skill development.

WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU:

• Have shipped multiple titles with deep, hands‑on experience leading technical direction on proprietary, custom, or heavily modified engines for AAA games on PC and modern consoles.
• Bring proven experience building and optimizing systems for competitive multiplayer games, with a sharp understanding of how low‑level decisions impact responsiveness and player experience.
• Have deep expertise in high-performance real-time systems, multi-threaded architecture, and ECS paradigms.
• (Lead) Have led and grew senior engineering teams, and can provide the mentorship and clarity that high-performing engineers need to do their best work.
• Enjoy solving the hardest problems — whether debugging elusive issues, optimizing complex systems, or making foundational architectural calls with long-term consequences.
• Thrive on curiosity and adaptability, eager to dive into new areas and unfamiliar code.
• Value collaboration, trust, and diverse perspectives, building strong partnerships across the studio.
• Carry a genuine passion for both technology and the creative process of making games.

THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ROLE FOR YOU IF:

• You prefer working only within well‑defined boundaries — this role requires diving into unfamiliar systems and solving problems across performance, console, graphics, and tooling.
• You're most comfortable using engines off the shelf rather than going deep into proprietary or heavily customized ones.You haven't shipped competitive multiplayer games or don't have strong intuition for how low‑level systems decisions affect player experience at scale.
• You prefer focusing on gameplay features rather than engine-level systems, optimizations, or developer tools.
• Debugging, profiling, and low-level optimizations feel tedious instead of energizing.
• You're uncomfortable working in a live service environment where iteration, scalability, and constant improvement are essential.
• (Lead) You're earlier in your leadership journey — this role requires credibly leading and mentoring a team of senior engineers, not growing into that responsibility.

YOU’LL LOVE WORKING AT BONFIRE BECAUSE WE:

• Embrace bold challenges with creativity and courage, making the tough calls to build a game we’re proud to play every day.
• Keep fun at the core: we play Arkheron daily, staying grounded as players. If it’s not more fun than yesterday, we fix it. We don’t chase trends; we listen by playing.
• Stay truly independent, with decisions driven by the team — not by investors or a board.
• Thrive in a culture of passion, trust, and shared ownership; where transparency matters and egos don’t.

The base salary range for this role is $237,500 - $290,000. Depending on your experience and level (whether you’re closer to mid‑level or principal), your offer may land above or below that range. We don’t just look at years on a résumé — we think about the impact you can have on the team and the game. Of course, compensation at Bonfire goes beyond salary. Every new teammate receives equity, plus a full benefits package and some extra perks to make work (and life) better. When we connect, we’ll happily walk you through the full details.

Want to get a feel for what it’s like to work here? You can check out more about our culture, team, benefits, and perks at www.bonfirestudios.com . And don’t worry — anything you share with us in the application process is just for recruiting and won’t be shared. You can read more in our privacy policy.