Senior Engineering Manager – Star Wars Hunters

At NaturalMotion, we make games that wow people. We innovate to create experiences that previously were impossible and that would not exist without us. We take pride in making titles that reach a large audience and in creating communities that last. For the past six years, NaturalMotion Studios have been named as one of the Best Places to Work in the UK games industry by gamesindustry.biz

Job Purpose

We are looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to join us in creating Star Wars™: Hunters, a competitive arena combat game for the Nintendo Switch system and mobile devices. Star Wars: Hunters brings players together to engage in thrilling, team-based, multiplayer battles featuring a diverse array of new Star Wars characters.

We are looking for a proven engineering craft leader, to manage 10+ engineers of varied experience in gameplay and UX. The ideal candidate will be able to flex between driving daily development and supporting the growth of a world-class engineering team. They will bring a deep passion for the people they support, and healthy systems which set them up for success. It’s also crucial that our engineering leadership share our values of determination, trust, excellence, and celebrating the diversity of people and ideas.

This role will report into the Senior Director of Engineering for Hunters in the UK, and have a high level of impact on the studio’s engineering culture and play a crucial part in shaping and developing their team.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage, a team of 10+ engineers, whilst earning their trust, and advancing their skills and careers.
• Partner with our Senior Technical Director to steer development of the team’s engineering work, with an understanding and appreciation of why scaling a real-time cross-platform multiplayer game is difficult.
• Bring your experience shipping games, leading development teams, and navigating technical challenges, to support and coach your team, make impactful decisions and maintain a strong connection to the product we are building.
• Lean on your history as a strong individual contributor in at least one technical domain but be able to work with engineers in any domain, even if not an expert, and be a valuable sounding board.
• Strive for excellence in software craftsmanship, plus create processes and initiatives that level up our engineers and our game.
• Grow with the business; stretch yourself and learn new skills and domains.
• Have fun; we’re making games!

Required Skills & Experience 

• 8+ years of professional experience in mobile, PC, or console development using C++ and/or C#.
• 2+ years of experience in managing teams, including hiring, mentoring and building strong teams.
• At least 1 shipped game as an Engineering Manager, Senior Engineering Manager, or equivalent, preferably on mobile.
• Proven ability to motivate teams and operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.
• Experience using Agile and Scrum methodologies.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, with experience in building strong internal relationships.
• Good Analytical, Problem solving, and Debugging skills.
• Previous hands-on experience in architecting, coding, and releasing complex game software.
• Previous coding in C++.

Desirable Skills & Experience 

• Unreal Engine (highly desirable) or other major game engine experience.
• Nintendo Switch and/or other console development experience
• Previous gameplay and UX programming experience
• University BSc degree, or equivalent, in Computer Science, Games Programming or relevant subject (highly desirable)

 

What we offer you:

• Competitive salary, bonus plan and, ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)
• 401K Company Match Contribution
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
• Telemedicine, Virtual mental health, Emotional Support Services, EAP, and neurodiversity support programs
• Family building new parent & menopause support
• Global Fitness Reimbursement program
• Global Wellbeing Program
• Charitable Giving and Volunteer Program
• Generous paid parental, pregnancy-related disability, caregiver, and compassionate leaves
• Back-up childcare
• Discretionary Time Off policy for many employees
• Flexible working hours on many teams
• Culture of diversity and inclusion including employee resource groups

 

We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion,