Principal Engine Programmer

2K

  • San Mateo, CA
  • $165,000-240,000 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 1 month ago
WE ARE GAMEMAKERSWho We Are:We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.Who You Are:31st Union is looking for a Principal Engine Programmer to lead the development and customization of core engine systems for our next-generation AAA multiplayer action game. You'll work closely with senior engineers across gameplay, tech art, and platform teams to deliver robust, optimized systems that support a complex and highly connected online experience. This is a leadership role with direct influence over architecture, implementation, and team direction.Responsibilities:
  • Design and implement custom engine-level systems for scalability, memory, networking, streaming, and world management.
  • Lead a small team of experienced programmers working on core runtime technology.
  • Customize and extend Unreal Engine to support the game's large-world and high-player-count architecture.
  • Own performance and stability across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
  • Drive technical solutions for multiplayer security, anti-cheat, and data integrity.
  • Analyze and optimize CPU, GPU, I/O, and memory usage across subsystems.
  • Collaborate with gameplay and tech art teams to support performant and secure runtime behavior.
  • Help plan and prioritize engine-related work in coordination with production and tech leadership.
  • Mentor other engineers and uphold high code quality and maintainability standards.
Required Qualifications:
  • 8+ years of experience in systems or engine programming, with at least one shipped AAA title.
  • Strong C++ skills with expertise in low-level systems, multithreading, memory, and performance.
  • Experience building or customizing engine-level systems for large-scale or open-world games.
  • Familiarity with online multiplayer development and runtime security practices.
  • Deep debugging and profiling experience across CPU, GPU, and memory subsystems.
  • Strong understanding of console platform constraints and optimization techniques (PS5/Xbox Series X|S).
  • Ability to lead other engineers through architecture, planning, and implementation.
  • Clear communication skills and collaborative approach to cross-discipline work.
Relevant Experience:
  • Anti-cheat system design or implementation.
  • High-concurrency or distributed simulation systems.
  • Working with Unreal Engine source code at the systems level.
  • Multiplayer architecture or live service game experience.
The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $165,000 and $240,000 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company's discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.SECURITY NOTICE - We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate.Please know that 31st Union and 2K never uses instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews.If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at and detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience.Join our mission: Bring fun, inspiration and awe to our lives and to our community:31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. This means that employment at 31st Union depends on your substantive ability, objective qualifications and work ethic - not on your age, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), height, weight, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), alienage or citizenship status, transgender, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition, AIDS/HIV, denial of family and medical care leave, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy status, childbirth, breastfeeding (or related medical conditions), marital status or registered domestic partner status, political activity or affiliation, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, arrest record, or taking or requesting statutorily protected leaves, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws.As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request a reasonable accommodation.#LI-Onsite
#LI-Hybrid
#LI-Remote

2K