At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a talented team while actively coding and building innovative interactive systems.
- Company: Join a pioneering company creating AI-driven digital actors for immersive gaming experiences.
- Benefits: High ownership, direct impact, and collaboration in a dynamic London-based team.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence product and engineering culture from the ground up.
- Why this job: Shape the future of interactive entertainment and tackle exciting technical challenges.
- Qualifications: Experience leading teams and a strong hands-on engineering background.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
About Iconic: We’re building digital actors: AI-driven characters that don’t just talk, but act; shaping the world, responding to the player, and driving stories that evolve through both words and actions.
The Mission: We believe games and interactive media are on the verge of a fundamental shift. Today’s experiences are largely scripted, characters follow predefined paths, and player choice is limited. We’re building systems that change that: digital actors that can think, communicate, and take action in real time. Our goal is to create worlds that are truly alive. Worlds where stories emerge from interaction, and every player experience is unique. Recent advances in AI make this possible for the first time. The challenge now is turning that potential into real, scalable systems that people can play.
The Role: We’re looking for an Engineering Manager to lead a small, high-calibre team while remaining highly hands-on. This is a hybrid role: part leadership, but primarily hands-on individual contributor. You’ll be responsible for driving execution, shaping technical direction, and personally building core systems alongside your team; playing a central role in turning a new category of interactive systems into reality. You should expect to spend a significant portion of your time writing code and working directly in the systems you’re helping to design. This is not just an implementation role. You’ll be working at the frontier of a new medium, helping define what digital actors are, how they behave, and how players interact with them. This requires strong product intuition and a genuine interest in games and interactive systems. A background in games is not required, but a strong interest in games, and a curiosity about how they could evolve is essential.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead and mentor a small team of engineers, setting a high technical bar
- Remain deeply hands-on owning and building core systems, writing production code, and contributing directly to key features
- Take ownership of critical systems
- Own project delivery: planning, prioritisation, and execution
- Bring strong engineering practices and help create a high-performance culture
- Work closely with product to shape features and make pragmatic trade-offs
- Contribute across the stack, choosing the right tools and languages for each problem
- Help define and evolve our technical architecture as we scale
What We’re Looking For:
- Experience leading high-performing engineering teams
- Recent experience spending a meaningful portion of time coding, not just managing
- Strong hands-on engineering background. You are actively building production systems today and comfortable owning them end-to-end
- Experience delivering software from concept through to production
- Comfortable working in cross-functional environments, including collaboration with researchers
- Tech-agnostic mindset: willing to work across languages, tools, and systems
- Strong understanding of engineering best practices (testing, CI/CD, system design, code quality)
- Product-minded: able to balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints
- Strong interest in games, simulation, or interactive experiences
Nice to Have:
- Experience in startups or small, fast-moving teams
- Exposure to game development, real-time systems, or simulation
- Experience with AI/ML systems or data-driven products
Why Join Us:
- Build at the frontier of AI and interactive entertainment
- High ownership and direct impact in a small team
- Work on technically challenging, meaningful problems
- Help shape both the product and engineering culture from an early stage
- London-based team with in-person collaboration
Engineering Manager (Platform & Systems) in London employer: Iconic
At Iconic, we offer an exceptional work environment where innovation meets creativity, allowing you to lead a talented team while remaining hands-on in the development of groundbreaking AI-driven digital actors. Our London-based team fosters a collaborative culture that encourages personal growth and technical excellence, providing you with the opportunity to shape both our product and engineering practices from the ground up. Join us to tackle meaningful challenges at the forefront of interactive entertainment, where your contributions will have a direct impact on the future of gaming.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Manager (Platform & Systems) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio or GitHub repository showcasing your projects, especially those related to AI or interactive systems. This gives potential employers a taste of what you can do beyond just a CV.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on technical concepts and coding challenges. Practice common engineering problems and be ready to discuss how you've tackled similar challenges in your past roles.
✨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 at Iconic.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Manager (Platform & Systems) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Games:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for games and interactive media shine through. We want to see that you’re not just a tech whiz but also genuinely excited about how these technologies can evolve the gaming experience.
Be Hands-On in Your Approach:Since this role is all about being hands-on, make sure to highlight your recent coding experiences. Share specific examples of projects where you’ve built systems or features, as we love seeing candidates who are actively engaged in the tech they work with.
Tailor Your Application:Don’t just send a generic CV! Tailor your application to reflect the skills and experiences that align with our mission of creating digital actors. Show us how your background fits into the unique challenges we’re tackling at Iconic.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Iconic
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re up to speed with the latest technologies relevant to the role. Brush up on your coding skills and be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with production systems. They’ll want to see that you can not only lead but also dive into the code when needed.
✨Show Your Passion for Games
Since this role is all about interactive media, demonstrate your genuine interest in games and how they could evolve. Share your thoughts on current trends in gaming and how AI can enhance player experiences. This will show that you’re not just a techie, but someone who understands the bigger picture.
✨Prepare for Leadership Questions
Expect questions about your leadership style and how you mentor your team. Be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve set a high technical bar and fostered a high-performance culture. They’ll want to know how you balance being hands-on while leading a team.
✨Think Cross-Functional
This role involves collaboration with product teams, so be prepared to discuss how you’ve worked in cross-functional environments before. Highlight your ability to make pragmatic trade-offs between user needs, business goals, and technical constraints. Show them you can bridge the gap between tech and product.
