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Lead Gameplay Programmer (Narrative Adventure)

A visionary game development studio founded in 2012, Firesprite builds innovative showcase titles for PlayStation platforms as part of the PlayStation Studios family.

Would you enjoy the freedom to create AAA games working from anywhere in the UK, including our Liverpool studio?

We're looking for a Lead Gameplay Programmer to join the code team on a dark, story-driven next generation 'Narrative Adventure' game with genre defining goals.

This huge, highly ambitious partnership project takes atmosphere, storytelling, player agency and narrative firmly into ground-breaking territory on next-generation hardware technologies.

This project has AAA ambitions with a heavy focus on art, animation and delivering unique character performances to heighten player presence and immersion to new levels.

As a Lead Gameplay Programmer, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining user facing systems and overall architecture. Reporting to the Technical Director, you will be working on next gen platforms and in areas such as but not limited to – animation, AI, cameras, gameplay, systems architecture, controls, physics, etc. We expect Leads to be able to mentor more junior programmers and take full ownership of game systems design and delivery. As the Lead Programmer, you will be responsible for the development and well-being of your programming team - able to identify promotion opportunities and track the team members personal goals. You will drive the very best from your team, ensuring timely completion of tasks and striving to meet or exceed project goals. Lead programmers are expected to be hands-on and be able to balance their day-to-day programming tasks alongside the man-management tasks as necessary.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with your Team members to prototype, implement, iterate and polish new and existing gameplay mechanics and associated systems.
• Ensure your team to produce robust, efficient, clear and maintainable code, while striving to reduce technical debt across the game.

• Respond to design feedback to help meet the creative vision of the game.
• Provide constructive input to and feedback on potential new features during the initial design, prototyping, iteration and polish stages.
• Be a point of contact for other Programming Leads coders for the systems your team create and maintain.
• Take responsibility for, and ownership of even the thornier elements of shipping a game, such as debugging awkward crashes, profiling and optimising code, and performing diligent testing of changes.
• Mentor more junior programmers.

• Oversee the complete design, implementation and delivery of one or multiple game systems by your team.

Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of, and experience of programming in C++.
• Learning specific areas of and debugging issues in large and complex C++ based codebases, that utilise custom tools and engines.
• Experience profiling and optimising CPU performance of real-time oriented systems.

• Strong software engineering knowledge, such as OOP, design patterns & API development.
• High confidence working with 3D maths, vectors, matrices, linear algebra.
• The ability to write and optimise solid, robust and maintainable game code that respects agreed development guidelines.
• At least 6 years relatable experience in a similar role, ideally with experience of working with and a passion for game-play mechanics concerning narrative, action or adventure games.

Additional or Desired Skills:

• An intuition for, and interest in, ‘game feel’.
• Approachable, with a proactive attitude towards cross discipline communication.
• A willingness and desire to learn, adapt and work outside of your comfort zone.
• Self-motivated, and able to self-manage and prioritise own workload.
• Experienced with Unreal Engine is a plus.

• Experienced with Console development is a plus.

Benefits

• Private Healthcare Plan
• Bonus Scheme
• Enhanced Holiday Allowance
• Pension Plans
• Work From Home
• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme - Counselling

Firesprite is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We welcome and encourage applications from all suitable applicants regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.