Remote Technical Director - Engine & Performance Optimization

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 2,964,000 - 4,281,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive salary

Stock options

Remote-first

Professional development

High-end hardware

Job summary

Placements24 seeks an experienced Remote Technical Director to lead engine and performance optimization for cutting-edge titles. You will define the technical vision, drive multi-platform performance, and mentor engine programmers in a fully remote role.

Ideal candidates have a deep game engine background, strong leadership, and a passion for profiling, memory management, and cross-platform optimization across PC, console, and mobile.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in game development
• 5+ years in technical leadership focusing on engine programming and performance
• Deep understanding of rendering pipelines, memory management, and multi-threading

Responsibilities

• Define and drive technical strategy for game engine performance across platforms.
• Lead and mentor a team of engine programmers and technical artists.
• Develop tools and techniques for profiling, analyzing, and improving game performance (CPU, GPU, memory, I/O).
• Identify performance bottlenecks and devise innovative solutions.
• Collaborate with art, design, and gameplay to ensure performance is considered throughout development.
• Establish performance budgets and guidelines for the project team.
• Stay abreast of new hardware capabilities and optimization techniques across PC, console, and mobile.
• Manage technical risks and provide status updates to senior management.

Skills

Leadership

Remote collaboration

Engine optimization

C++

Performance profiling

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Custom engines

PIX

RenderDoc

VTune

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge game development studio recognized for its technical innovation and high-performance titles, is seeking an experienced Remote Technical Director to lead their engine and performance optimization efforts. This senior leadership role is pivotal in ensuring our games run flawlessly across all target platforms, from initial development through to release and beyond. You will be responsible for defining the technical vision for engine performance, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing solutions that maximize frame rates, reduce loading times, and optimize memory usage. Working entirely remotely, you will collaborate with internal teams and external partners, driving technical excellence from afar. The ideal candidate possesses deep expertise in game engine architecture, performance profiling, and cross-platform optimization, along with strong leadership skills and a passion for technical problem-solving within the Arts & Entertainment sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the technical strategy for game engine performance optimization across multiple platforms.
• Lead and mentor a team of engine programmers and technical artists focused on performance.
• Develop and implement tools and techniques for profiling, analyzing, and improving game performance (CPU, GPU, memory, I/O).
• Identify performance bottlenecks and devise innovative solutions to address them.
• Collaborate closely with all development disciplines (art, design, gameplay programming) to ensure performance is considered throughout the development cycle.
• Establish performance budgets and guidelines for the project team.
• Stay abreast of new hardware capabilities and optimization techniques across PC, console, and mobile platforms.
• Manage technical risks related to performance and provide regular status updates to senior management.
• Champion best practices in code quality, performance analysis, and cross-platform development.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in game development, with at least 5 years in a technical leadership role focused on engine programming and performance optimization.
• Extensive experience with C++ and game engine architecture (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity, or custom engines).
• Deep understanding of CPU and GPU performance profiling tools and techniques (e.g., PIX, RenderDoc, Tracy, VTune).
• Proven experience optimizing games for PC and major console platforms (PlayStation, Xbox).
• Strong knowledge of rendering pipelines, memory management, and multi-threading.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fully remote, collaborative environment.
• Experience managing technical risks and providing strategic technical direction.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

• Executive-level salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Performance-based bonuses and stock options.
• Generous paid time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development, including access to leading industry training and conferences.
• The complete flexibility of a remote-first work environment, allowing work from anywhere.
• Access to high-end development hardware and software.
• A challenging and rewarding role contributing to technically ambitious projects.
• Direct impact on the performance and success of flagship titles.