Lead Game Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Lead Game Engineer based in Canada.

This role offers the opportunity to lead the engineering direction of an ambitious multiplayer game project within a collaborative, fully remote studio environment. You will guide a talented gameplay engineering team while remaining hands-on with complex technical challenges. The position combines people leadership, technical ownership, and close partnership with creative teams to bring innovative player experiences to life. You will help shape engineering practices, architecture decisions, and production workflows while supporting a culture of curiosity and high trust. Working across gameplay, networking, performance, and platform challenges, you will have a direct impact on the quality and scalability of the game experience. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced game engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems and building both great technology and great teams.

Accountabilities:: The Lead Game Engineer will be responsible for driving technical excellence within the gameplay engineering team while partnering closely with design, art, production, and leadership teams to deliver engaging multiplayer experiences.

Lead, mentor, and grow a team of game engineers by setting goals, providing feedback, supporting career development, and fostering a healthy engineering culture.

Own engineering team processes, including planning practices, code review standards, bug triage workflows, and estimation approaches.

Recruit and interview technical talent while helping shape the future structure of the engineering organization.

Review code, unblock engineers on complex technical challenges, and contribute directly to gameplay systems when additional technical support is needed.

Debug and resolve complex cross-system issues related to multiplayer synchronization, performance, stability, and scalability.

Partner with technical leadership to define realistic engineering roadmaps aligned with creative and production goals.

Collaborate with game designers, artists, QA specialists, and producers to scope features and ensure engineering solutions support the overall player experience.

Communicate technical risks, progress, trade-offs, and opportunities clearly to studio leadership and cross-functional teams.

Establish strong engineering practices that enable efficient development within a lean and highly collaborative environment.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate is an experienced game engineering leader who combines strong technical expertise with the ability to mentor teams, collaborate across disciplines, and operate effectively in an evolving production environment.

6+ years of professional game development experience, including shipped titles built with Unreal Engine.

2+ years of experience leading or managing engineers through formal management, technical leadership, or team leadership responsibilities.

Strong proficiency in C++ and extensive experience working with Unreal Engine Blueprint workflows.

Hands-on experience with online multiplayer systems, including replication, client-server architecture, networking, netcode, and related debugging challenges.

Strong understanding of software architecture, engineering principles, and design patterns, with the ability to balance technical quality and practical delivery needs.

Experience collaborating closely with game design, art, production, and other creative disciplines in a production environment.

Ability to take ownership, make sound technical decisions, and contribute effectively within a small, fast-moving team.

Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Experience shipping live-service or online multiplayer games, including post-launch updates, optimization, backend services, or live operations is a plus.

Experience working at an independent or mid-sized game studio is preferred.

Familiarity with performance profiling and optimization techniques is beneficial.

Ability to work within North American time zones (EST–PST) and authorization to work in the United States or Canada.

Benefits:

Competitive salary range of $205,718 – $238,348 depending on experience and level.

Equity opportunities.

Transparent compensation framework focused on skills, impact, and career growth.

Fully remote work environment across North American time zones.

Medical, dental, and vision coverage, including full coverage for employees and partial coverage for dependents.

Life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and additional benefits.

401(k) contributions for U.S. employees and RRSP + DPSP contributions for Canadian employees.

Paid parental leave.

Paid time off and company holidays.

A collaborative culture focused on creativity, ownership, curiosity, and continuous learning.

The opportunity to help build an innovative multiplayer adventure experience with a distributed team of experienced creators.

How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!  Why Apply Through Jobgether?    Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.     #LI-CL1