Unreal Lead Engineer & Technical Director (Live Projects)

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

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