We’re looking for a talented Principal Tech Programmer who is ready to head up our core technology development. Focusing exclusively on VR platforms, nDreams is at the frontier of new hardware and always pushing innovative methods of implementation.

You’ll need a deep understanding of Unreal, a good grasp of 3D mathematics, an ability to translate design concepts into working systems and a passion for collaborating with a talented team working at the bleeding-edge of development of performance-critical games. Strong communication skills needed to convey complicated technology concepts to a cross-discipline mix of people also a must! If you think this is you then please apply to join our team.

What Will You Be Doing?

Leading a team of domain specialists in researching, planning, implementing and supporting new Unreal-based technology plugins and features across multiple games and platforms.
Generating and maintaining a detailed backlog of the work that is required, highlighting and mitigating risks and uncertainties in the technical plan, and helping your team provide good timescale estimates for development.
Guiding and developing your staff and their capabilities in order to extend nDreams leadership within VR game development.
Ensuring you and your team are creating stable, reusable, efficient and modular technologies and related tools and pipelines that make good use of Unreal Engine, plus are authoring the documentation and materials that allow people to use them efficiently, and automated validation that ensures they are solid.
Liaising with and training code staff and other disciplines on multiple projects to use our technology effectively, whilst gathering feedback and iterating on improvements.
Reviewing the ongoing progress of our technology development and providing feedback and direction for the best best technology and game outcomes.
Being involved in the recruitment process, helping us grow the team.
Consulting with game team leadership to establish reasonable and pragmatic performance budgets for their use cases of the technology you are providing for their games.
Evangelising internally on the benefits of our shared technology and potentially presenting at outside events.

Who Are We Looking For?

Advanced knowledge of C++ programming - Ability to write readable, well-structured, reliable and performant code utilising design patterns and software engineering.
3D maths, optimisation and data structures - Thorough knowledge and proficient application of 3D maths, algorithms and data structures, along with performance-minded development and optimisation skills.
Collaboration skills - Comfortable collaboratively driving the future direction of Core Tech alongside studio technical leadership, various project leads, domain specialists and with feedback from users of core tech systems. Ensuring your team are working in collaboration with relevant parties to deliver robust, efficient, well-integrated and intuitive systems, tools, process and pipelines that are pragmatically useful and welcomed.
Technical planning - Understanding the forthcoming needs of the games. Owning the ongoing evolving requirements and plans for our technology.
Team Management - Having managed technical teams before with experience of helping a technical team plan and deliver cutting edge technology while retaining good work/life balance and enjoying taking the time to help them develop their careers.
Delivery - Ensuring your teams delivered systems are provided in a timely manner, are proven to work correctly and enhance the capabilities of the end users with streamlined workflow, while maintaining a vision for future maintenance and expandability.
Self-learning and mentoring - Someone with a desire to research, learn, and improve their own knowledge, and pass that knowledge on to others.
Drive and passion - Someone who is able to self-motivate, working with enthusiasm, and who is genuinely passionate about working in the games industry making VR games.
Communication skills - Excellent verbal and written communication skills with an ability to communicate your work to both technical and non-technical people.

Experience:

Proven experience leading a team delivering high-quality technology for published PC, console or mobile titles in a professional team or studio environment.
Ideally experience working professionally with Unreal Engine 4, but professional experience with Unity or proprietary engines also considered.
Bonus: Experience developing Virtual Reality apps for mobile, console or PC.

Why Join nDreams?

The team at nDreams encourages an open, creative and diverse culture. As part of our growing studio you’ll be empowered to explore your ideas and put your own stamp on the titles you work on.

We offer some great perks, including flexible core hours, share options, 20 days holiday (increasing yearly to a maximum of 25 days), two duvet days, a day off to celebrate your birthday and various monthly socials (including Breakfast Butty Monday and Free Drink Friday)! Our welcoming, openplan office has some great facilities with a cycle station, showers and more all on site.

Interested?

We are looking to fill permanent and Fixed Term Contracts, remote working for an initial period. We are currently refurbishing our studio in Farnborough, UK (within easy commuting distance from London and Guildford) and plan to be a fully hybrid working office from April. Salary is competitive and dependent on your experience.

If you think this could be the role for you, we’d love you to get in touch!