Lead Gameplay Engineer

1 Month ago • 7 Years + • Game Design • $110,160 PA - $230,040 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

As Lead Gameplay Engineer at Lightspeed LA, you will lead a team in crafting innovative gameplay content and systems. Responsibilities include managing the gameplay schedule and backlog, implementing and optimizing systems in C/C++, mentoring engineers, building a positive team culture, and collaborating with design, production, and other engineering teams. You will need extensive experience in game programming (7+ years), leading teams, and working on large-scale game titles for PC and consoles. Expertise in AI, animation, physics, and character systems is crucial, along with proficiency in C++, debugging, and 3D mathematics.
Must have:
  • 7+ years game programming experience
  • Lead gameplay engineering team
  • C++ expertise, debugging, 3D math
  • AI, animation, physics knowledge
  • PC/Console game development
  • Team management & mentorship
Good to have:
  • Experience with AAA proprietary or Unreal/Unity engines
  • Game console hardware understanding
  • Game asset pipeline knowledge
Perks:
  • Free daily lunch
  • Beverages, snacks, fresh fruit
  • 401k match
  • Cell phone reimbursement
  • Financial wellness sessions
  • Flexible spending account
  • Team building activities
  • Parental leave
  • Company paid health insurance
  • Life & disability insurance
  • Employee assistance program
  • Wellness training
  • Travel insurance
  • Preventive care

Job Details

About the Hiring Team

Welcome to Lightspeed LA, the first U.S.-based, AAA game development studio for Tencent Games. Lightspeed LA is focused on building open-world games that emphasize an ambitious living world, sophisticated player-driven gameplay, and mature, thoughtful storytelling. We are developing the first in a series of genre-defining titles.

Why join Lightspeed LA?

For us, it's not only about the exciting, new AAA open world game we're developing but also about team values and studio culture. We foster an open and transparent environment where everyone feels comfortable providing constructive feedback about all aspects of our games.

● We encourage the showing of work that's still in progress.
● We don't attack or question unfinished work, we celebrate its promise.
● We have a No Blame Culture where we blame the problem, not the person.

This is a safe place to fail, and we don't view failure as a negative, but as the natural result of pushing boundaries and trying new things. We create together. We face Challenges Together. We succeed together.

What the Role Entails

General:

  • Work with and lead a gameplay engineering team to craft development of innovative gameplay content systems and experiences

  • Work with design and production and engineering leadership to manage the gameplay schedule and backlog

  • Implement, debug and optimize gameplay systems in C/C++ and other languages

  • Author lean, high-performance, maintainable code

  • Cultivate strong cross-disciplinary working relationships based on honesty and transparency among various departments within the studio

Leadership and Management:

  • Provide technical leadership across multiple gameplay systems and features

  • Mentor, develop, and learn from engineering colleagues

  • Be a leadership resource for engineers across the entire gameplay team

  • Help build and maintain an open and energetic team culture

  • Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with team members to provide guidance, feedback, and support their professional development

  • Participate in the recruitment and onboarding of new team members, ensuring a diverse and skilled team that aligns with project requirements

  • Facilitate team-building activities to promote a positive and collaborative working environment

Who We Look For

  • Passion and enthusiasm for creating fun and engaging gameplay through iteration and innovation

  • Experience bringing multiple large-scale game titles to completion on PC and consoles

  • 7+ years of professional game programming experience

  • Experience managing direct reports

  • Experience performing in a senior or principal software engineering role or equivalent

  • Ability to collaborate with other engineers, designers, artists and other game developers

  • Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve

  • Deep knowledge of gameplay systems involving AI, animation, physics, and character-related systems from engine to game

  • Expert in C++, debugging, and 3D mathematics

  • Enjoy working closely with creative and technical team members

  • Value lean, simple, efficient, well-tested code

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred:

  • Experience working either AAA proprietary engines or third party engines like Unreal and Unity

  • Experience with game console hardware

  • Understanding of game asset pipelines

Why Join Us?

Perks and Benefits:

Just some of the benefits of working with us here at our newly built studio in Irvine, CA.

● Free daily lunch
● Beverages, fresh fruit, and snacks
● 401k with employer match
● Monthly Cell phone bill reimbursement
● Financial wellness sessions
● Flexible spending account
● Team building and company outings
● Parental leave for new parents
● Company paid health insurance
● Life and disability insurance
● Employee assistance program
● Wellness training
● Travel insurance
● Preventive care

If the above sounds like you, or if you'd like to know more about the role, we'd love to hear from you to see if we might be a good fit for each other! Contact us for more information about this exciting opportunity.

Location State(s)

California

The base pay range for this position in the state(s) above is $110,160.0 to $230,040.0 per year. Actual pay is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A sign on payment, relocation package, and restricted stock units may be provided as part of the compensation package, as well as other medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the specific position offered.

Equal Employment Opportunity at Tencent

As an equal opportunity employer, we firmly believe that diverse voices fuel our innovation and allow us to better serve our users and the community. We foster an environment where every employee of Tencent feels supported and inspired to achieve individual and common goals.

Similar Jobs

Unity - Senior Growth Partnerships Manager

Unity

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
plarium - Unity Developer (Battle team)

plarium

Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine (On-Site)
1 Week ago
Playtika - Youda-PHP Developer

Playtika

Netherlands (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
GameDuell - Game UI Artist (Unity 2D)

GameDuell

Berlin, Berlin, Germany (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
gym class vr  - Gameplay Engineer - Game Modes

gym class vr

(Remote)
1 Month ago
Hire Phoenix Consulting - Ludo Game Developer needed (Freelance opportunity)

Hire Phoenix Consulting

Indi, Karnataka, India (Remote)
8 Months ago
Yodo1 - Unity Game Developer

Yodo1

(Remote)
3 Months ago
Larian Studios - Senior Gameplay Programmer

Larian Studios

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (On-Site)
7 Months ago
XREAL Games - Game Designer

XREAL Games

Budapest, Hungary (On-Site)
9 Months ago
Handy games - Narrative Game Designer

Handy games

Giebelstadt, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

playrix  - Senior C++ Software Engineer (Build System)

playrix

Ireland (Remote)
6 Months ago
playrix  - Senior C++ Software Engineer (Build System)

playrix

Serbia (Remote)
6 Months ago
Oculus VR - Senior Level Designer - Sanzaru Game Studio

Oculus VR

San Mateo, California, United States (Remote)
2 Months ago
playrix  - Principal VFX Artist

playrix

Almaty, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan (Remote)
7 Months ago
Epic Games - Technical Artist

Epic Games

(On-Site)
2 Months ago
NVIDIA - Solutions Architect, Financial Services

NVIDIA

New Jersey, United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
Room 8 Studio - Realistic 3D Hard Surface Artist, Middle/Senior

Room 8 Studio

Croatia (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Nintendo - Contract - Lighting Artist I (NST)

Nintendo

Redmond, Washington, United States (Hybrid)
4 Months ago
playthree - User interface graphic designer for games UI/UX

playthree

London, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Applied materials  - Systems Qualification Engineer- eBeam Metrology

Applied materials

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in California, United States

WebFX - Jr. Facebook Ads Specialist

WebFX

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Nagarro - Senior Analyst, People Enablement

Nagarro

Jersey City, New Jersey, United States (On-Site)
7 Months ago
NVIDIA - Senior Signal and Power Integrity Engineer

NVIDIA

Santa Clara, California, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Ethos Life - Senior Technical Program Manager

Ethos Life

United States (Remote)
3 Weeks ago
Reddit - Staff Product Manager, Community Success

Reddit

United States (Remote)
2 Weeks ago
sitetracker - Senior Software Engineer

sitetracker

Austin, Texas, United States (Remote)
2 Years ago
Comscore - Associate Survey Project Manager

Comscore

Chicago, Illinois, United States (Remote)
3 Weeks ago
Demandbase - Workplace Experience Coordinator

Demandbase

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Trackman - Sales Representative - VT, Western MA, Eastern NY

Trackman

Vermont, United States (Hybrid)
4 Months ago
Varonis  - Account Manager

Varonis

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
8 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Game Design Jobs

Animoca Brands - Game Developer

Animoca Brands

Malaysia (Remote)
7 Months ago
Doge Labs,  Inc  - Gameplay Engineer - VR/Unity 6

Doge Labs, Inc

(Remote)
7 Months ago
PlaySimple - Associate Game Designer

PlaySimple

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (On-Site)
2 Months ago
5minlab - [5minlab] [딩컴 투게더] 레벨디자이너

5minlab

Seoul, South Korea (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Rovio Entertainment Corporation - Game Lead

Rovio Entertainment Corporation

Uusimaa, Finland (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Proof of Play - Senior Unity Engineer

Proof of Play

(Remote)
2 Months ago
Tencent - Game Publishing Manager

Tencent

Washington, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
PlayStation Global - Senior Designer (Environments)

PlayStation Global

Guildford, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Wargaming - UX/UI Designer (Unannounced Project)

Wargaming

Prague, Prague, Czechia (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Epic Games - Lead Gameplay Programmer

Epic Games

Cary, North Carolina, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (On-Site)

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)

California, United States (On-Site)

California, United States (On-Site)

California, United States (On-Site)

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)

California, United States (On-Site)

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (On-Site)

(On-Site)

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by Light Speed Studios

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug