Lead Programmer

Magnopus; St Albans; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 90,000

Job description

Magnopus is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Lead Engineer to join our Studio team. This role is integral to the development and delivery of cutting-edge immersive experiences, ensuring technical excellence across projects. As a key leader within the engineering team, you will provide direction, mentorship, and hands-on technical expertise, particularly within Unreal Engine, to drive the success of our projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of engineers, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to ensure high-quality project outcomes.
• Play a hands-on role in designing, implementing, and optimising systems, with a strong emphasis on Unreal Engine development.
• Oversee the engineering aspects of multiple projects, ensuring alignment with creative and technical goals.
• Identify risks and complex challenges, proactively developing and implementing effective solutions.
• Collaborate closely with production, project management, and other leads to plan and execute development strategies.
• Maintain and improve best practices, pipelines, and workflows to enhance team efficiency and project quality.
• Ensure the engineering team’s work meets performance, stability, and scalability requirements.
• Define and delegate tasks effectively, ensuring clear objectives and timely delivery.
• Promote and maintain coding standards, technical documentation, and best practices within the team.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and collaboration across disciplines.

Requirements

• Extensive hands-on experience with Unreal Engine, including a deep understanding of its systems, workflows, and optimisation techniques.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with the ability to develop and debug complex systems efficiently.
• Proven leadership experience, managing and mentoring engineering teams across multiple projects.
• Track record of successfully shipping projects to clients or public storefronts.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess technical challenges and develop robust solutions.
• Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum development methodologies and experience running teams within these frameworks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Skilled in writing clear and comprehensive technical documentation.
• Passion for innovation, emerging technologies, and pushing the boundaries of interactive experiences.

£75,000 - £90,000 a year

Our Interview Process

We believe in a transparent and straightforward interview process. Here's what you can expect when applying for this role:

Application review

Our team will carefully review your application to assess alignment with the role.

Recruiter screening call (30 minutes)

A general conversation to learn more about you, share insights about the company and role, and cover the basics.

First stage interview (1.5 hours)

A deep dive into your skills and expertise, including a group exercise that helps us understand how you think through a problem and communicate in a team.

Second stage interview (1 hour)

A conversation focused on your leadership, functional management, planning and people skills, exploring your interests and values and how these align with those of Magnopus.

Offer

If successful, we’ll extend an offer and guide you through the next steps.

About us

Magnopus is an experience focused technology company founded by a team of Oscar-winning artists, designers, and engineers from games, films, and other unusual places. We’re passionate about creating rich experiences that unite the physical and digital worlds.

Because we’re building the future, we endeavour to create a diverse, creative workplace where people from many perspectives collaborate across disciplines to create amazing things together. We invest in our employee's progression with ongoing education and mentorship opportunities, and support their happiness and productivity through generous health care, time off, and other benefits.

We try to foster a safe environment where we can take risks, and learn from our failures. While we value individual talents, we favour collaboration more. We believe that the leadership of the company works for the employees, not the other way around. We feel strongly that our employees guide who we are as a company and the work we create, so we look for characteristics of curiosity, empathy, respect, honesty, and courage in every candidate.

Though we’ve delivered a lot of crazy stuff, here are a few you can check out at home:

Metallica

Mission: ISS

Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab

Alo Moves XR

Fallout

Please be aware that, if you are selected for a position, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. This may involve providing original documents such as a passport or residence permit. Failure to provide the necessary documentation may affect your employment eligibility.