At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of Vortex, enhancing features and performance for millions of gamers.
- Company: Join Nexus Mods, the largest modding platform in the gaming world.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team environment with a passionate global community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on gaming by shaping the future of modding.
- Qualifications: Expertise in Electron, React, TypeScript, and strong mentoring skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 90000 £ per year.
Description
Salary
£80,000-£90,000
Please note
We are unable to sponsor international visas at this time.
About Nexus Mods
Established in 2001, Nexus Mods is the largest video game modding platform on the internet - a household name in the PC gaming ecosystem.
- 71M+ registered members
- 21B+ mod downloads
We’re currently focused on product modernisation, driving growth and building infrastructure for the next 10 years of community-powered modding.
Our Role
We're looking for a Principal App Engineer to join our App Engineering team, working on Vortex, Nexus Mods' flagship desktop mod manager.
This is a hands-on, deeply technical role.
You'll operate as a senior technical voice across the app, supporting the team technically while ensuring delivery is robust and aligned with our technical direction.
You're expected to multiply the impact of the engineers around you through clear writing, mentorship, and the example you set in your own code.
Why this role is unique
This is a chance to work on challenges most companies never encounter
- A desktop application installed and run by millions of PC gamers on widely varying hardware and OS configurations.
- 500+ supported games, each with its own modding conventions, load order rules, file formats, and installer quirks.
- Deep operating system integration: native file systems, registry, drives, processes, code signing, and auto-update.
- A vibrant third party extension ecosystem built on top of a public API we own and evolve.
- A deeply engaged and passionate global modding community that ships, breaks, and rebuilds against every release.
From discovery and experimentation to delivery and scale, you'll play a key role in shaping systems that:
- Help millions of gamers install, sort, and manage mods effortlessly across hundreds of games.
- Empower extension authors and community developers to add new game support and features with confidence.
- Power complex, long running client side workflows - downloads, deployments, profile switching, conflict resolution.
- Bridge desktop and web through Nexus Mods' public APIs and auth.
- Enable rapid experimentation and iteration on new features without destabilising existing game support.
- Ensure the application evolves to support the next decade of growth in the modding ecosystem.
Vortex's user base today is overwhelmingly on Windows, but Linux support is on the long-term roadmap.
The engineering team already works across operating systems, so the codebase and tooling need to be portable from the start.
We need someone to help move Vortex from Windows-first to properly cross-platform.
Requirements
- Design and ship high-impact features and improvements across the Electron main process, renderer and extension surfaces.
- Tackle the hardest technical problems in the codebase - performance regressions, race conditions and complex state bugs.
- Drive architectural improvements that span multiple pods or feature areas, in coordination with engineering management.
- Set the bar for code quality through code review, design feedback, and exemplary PRs of your own.
- Mentor engineers at all levels, including formally and informally raising the team's expertise in Electron, React, Type Script, and our domain.
- Steward the public extension API so third party authors can keep building against Vortex with minimal friction.
- Identify and pay down technical debt, legacy patterns, and scalability bottlenecks in long lived application code.
- Contribute to discovery, prototyping, and iterative delivery - including new game support and major workflow changes.
- Partner closely with Product, Design, QA, Community, and Backend disciplines to translate ambiguous problems into shippable solutions.
- Improve our tooling, build, packaging, and release pipelines so the whole team moves faster and more safely.
- Champion engineering standards - testing, observability, error reporting, accessibility, internationalisation - without turning them into bureaucracy.
Principal App Engineer employer: Black Tree Gaming
Nexus Mods is an exceptional employer, offering a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology that directly impacts millions of gamers worldwide. With a strong focus on employee growth, mentorship, and a collaborative work culture, team members are encouraged to innovate and tackle complex challenges in a supportive environment. Located in the UK or Europe, Nexus Mods provides a vibrant atmosphere where passion for gaming and modding fuels creativity and professional development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal App Engineer
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Black Tree Gaming or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Black Tree Gaming.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Black Tree Gaming.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Black Tree Gaming that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal App Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Black Tree Gaming.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Black Tree Gaming and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Black Tree Gaming
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Black Tree Gaming uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
