At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the technical vision for our games studio and mentor programming teams.
- Company: Join a dynamic games studio focused on innovation and quality.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexitime, a pension scheme, and comprehensive health coverage.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for career growth and travel.
- Why this job: Shape the future of gaming while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in programming and 5+ years in technical leadership roles.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
As Technical Director, you will lead the technical vision and strategy for our internal development studio, acting as the architect of our multi-platform growth. You will guide our programming teams to deliver exceptional content while ensuring our entire portfolio remains technically robust, scalable, and commercially viable. You will set the technical direction, mentor lead programmers, and step in to work directly on architecture or mission-critical code when necessary. This is a senior leadership role reporting to the VP of Technology and Operations, central to the growth and success of the studio. You will help shape and grow the programming team structure, ensuring the highest quality and production standards.
Role Overview - key responsibilities
- Lead Technical Direction: Drive the technical vision and delivery for the studio’s portfolio, ensuring high quality, performance, and timely delivery across all projects.
- Oversee the technical execution of the team, balancing the delivery of new revenue-generating content with essential Quality of Life improvements.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership, including architecture design, code reviews, prototyping critical systems, and resolving issues.
- Act as the guardian for all our published titles. You will define the strategy to audit, centralise, and maintain every codebase we own, ensuring we retain the independent power to patch and update games at any time.
- Oversee the technical heavy lifting required to move titles onto Console and Mobile, opening new revenue streams with minimal friction.
- Define and enforce programming best practices, workflows, tools, and pipelines across projects.
- Mentor and develop programming talent at all levels, fostering career growth and future leadership.
- Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and new techniques, introducing innovative solutions into the studio.
- Act as a high-level consultant for external developers, overseeing stress tests and code audits months before launch to identify bottlenecks or compliance issues.
- Promote a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Skills and experience you need
- 5+ years in a senior technical leadership role (Technical Director, Lead Programmer, or similar) on AAA or large-scale projects.
- 10+ years of professional programming experience, multilingual across C++ and C#.
- Proven experience shipping games using both Unity and Unreal Engine, as well as bespoke C++ engines.
- Deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, scalability, and performance optimisation.
- Expert in Perforce and Git/GitHub, including defining branch and release strategies.
- Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines using TeamCity or similar.
- Proven professional experience of leading and mentoring multi-disciplinary technical teams.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Experience shipping games on consoles, including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Switch.
- Comfortable presenting technical plans and ideas in client-facing situations.
- Strong organisational skills to manage multiple responsibilities and delegate effectively.
- Solid understanding of agile production methodologies and tools, including JIRA.
- An ability and desire to quickly learn and use any unfamiliar technologies that are used on our projects.
Skills and experience it would be great to have
- Interest or experience with generative AI technologies.
- Interest or experience with instilling good documentation standards using Confluence or similar.
- Interest or experience with test driven development practices.
- Experience with backend systems such as PlayFab, Nakama, or Accelbyte.
- Experience in Live Ops processes for live titles.
- Experience with additional programming languages, including Python, Typescript, PowerShell, and Lua.
- Experience with web technologies for tooling, including Node.JS, React, MongoDB, and Grafana.
Travel Requirements
This role requires you to be in our Leamington Spa studio for two days a week and may involve occasional travel to events. Please note that this role is only open to applicants who have the right to work in the UK. We are currently unable to offer sponsorship or consider applications from outside the UK.
• Flexitime working hours
• Pension Scheme
• Benefits platform with company funded allowance which includes:
-- Income Protection and Life cover
-- Private Healthcare coverage
-- Critical Illness
-- Online GP
Lead Technical Architect - Games Studio in Royal Leamington Spa employer: Breath HR
Join our dynamic Games Studio in Leamington Spa, where we foster a culture of innovation and technical excellence. As a Lead Technical Architect, you will not only shape the future of our multi-platform games but also enjoy flexible working hours, a comprehensive benefits package including private healthcare, and ample opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within a collaborative team environment. Our commitment to employee development and cutting-edge technology makes us an exceptional employer for those seeking a rewarding career in the gaming industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Technical Architect - Games Studio in Royal Leamington Spa
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the gaming industry, attend events, and engage with communities online. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work, especially projects that showcase your technical leadership and architectural prowess. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and visually appealing—first impressions matter!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and soft skills. Be ready to discuss your experience with C++, Unity, and Unreal Engine, and don’t forget to highlight your mentoring abilities. Practice common interview questions to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team. Don’t hesitate—get your application in today!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Technical Architect - Games Studio in Royal Leamington Spa
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Experience:When you're writing your application, make sure to highlight your experience in senior technical roles. We want to see how your background aligns with the responsibilities of leading technical direction and mentoring teams.
Be Specific About Your Skills:Don’t just list your skills; give us examples of how you've used them in past projects. Mention your expertise in C++, C#, Unity, and Unreal Engine, and how you’ve tackled challenges in those areas.
Tailor Your Application:Make your application stand out by tailoring it to our job description. Use the same language we use and address the key responsibilities directly. This shows us that you understand what we're looking for.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you don’t miss any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Breath HR
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
As a Lead Technical Architect, you’ll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of software architecture and programming languages. Brush up on your C++ and C# skills, and be ready to discuss your experience with Unity and Unreal Engine. Prepare examples of how you've tackled technical challenges in past projects.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role is all about leading teams and mentoring talent. Be prepared to share specific instances where you've guided a team through complex projects or helped junior programmers grow. Highlight your communication skills and how you engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
✨Demonstrate Your Strategic Vision
The interviewers will want to see your ability to set a technical direction. Think about how you would approach the technical vision for their studio. Prepare to discuss industry trends, emerging technologies, and how you would implement innovative solutions to enhance their portfolio.
✨Prepare for Hands-On Problem Solving
Expect to dive into some technical discussions or even coding challenges during the interview. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and be ready to showcase your ability to prototype critical systems or resolve issues on the spot. This will demonstrate your hands-on leadership style.
