At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and mentor engineers while driving gameplay and monetisation innovations.
- Company: Join King, the creators of Candy Crush Soda Saga, a beloved mobile game.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid working model, competitive salary, and career growth opportunities.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team that values creativity and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on one of the biggest casual mobile games in the world.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading software engineers and strong C++ technical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
As an Engineering Manager in Candy Crush Soda Saga's Gameplay and Monetisation Domain, you will combine line management with hands‑on technical leadership across the systems that define how Soda is played, rewarded, and monetised. Your work spans core gameplay mechanics, monetisation flows, content delivery at scale, and the internal tooling that powers them.
Your Role Within the Kingdom
- Reporting to the Domain Engineering Lead, you will line‑manage and grow a group of engineers working across multiple feature teams in Gameplay and Monetisation – hiring, onboarding, performance management, mentoring, and coaching.
- Partner with Product Managers, Design, Creative, QA and engineering peers to shape and deliver roadmaps – coordinating dependencies across feature teams, aligning on longer‑term plans, and ensuring your Domain’s work aligns with Soda’s product vision and goals, and fits cleanly into the broader game and platform ecosystem.
- Provide hands‑on technical leadership in Gameplay and Monetisation, contributing to the codebase on a regular basis – as an IC or Tech Lead embedded within a feature team.
- Review designs, surface technical risks early, guide architectural choices, and balance speed and quality against Soda’s broader technical direction and shared technology platforms.
- Represent Gameplay and Monetisation in cross‑domain and cross‑Soda engineering forums – sharing learnings, contributing to shared engineering standards and ways of working, and bridging your engineers into the wider tech community at King.
- Champion a strong experimentation culture – using A/B tests, live data and player insights to drive technical and product decisions, and ensuring the engineers you support feel accountable for measurable player and business outcomes.
Experience
- Experience leading and developing software engineers, including performance management, career growth, and day‑to‑day coaching in a product development environment.
- Strong technical background, able to engage deeply in design and architecture and contribute to a C++ codebase on a regular basis.
- Track record of planning and delivering complex technical solutions, balancing short‑term needs with longer‑term architectural and product goals, ideally in a high‑scale or game‑as‑a‑service context.
Knowledge & Skills
- Strong grasp of modern software engineering practices (testing, code review, CI, observability) and a track record of contributing to and upholding shared engineering standards.
- Proficiency in C++ and the ability to reason about mobile performance, memory, frame‑time budgets, and stability at scale.
- Comfort working in an experimentation‑driven environment – able to design, interpret and act on A/B tests, and to use live data to guide technical decisions.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with non‑technical partners, translating between technical and business perspectives and aligning stakeholders around clear, practical plans.
Key Attributes
- Values‑based, team‑first leader with a down‑to‑earth, collaborative style who leads by example and builds trust across disciplines.
- Comfortable operating amid ambiguity: able to move forward when priorities or requirements are still evolving, make pragmatic trade‑offs, and adjust course as you learn.
- Curious, proactive and outcome‑focused, with a strong sense of ownership for both your team’s health and the impact of your team’s work on players and the business.
How We Work
Our Team First, Hybrid Working model empowers teams across the Kingdom to decide how they want to work together, with a mix of in‑office and home working.
Engineering Manager employer: King
At King, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for the Engineering Manager role within the vibrant Candy Crush Soda Saga team. Our collaborative and values-driven work culture fosters creativity and innovation, while our commitment to employee growth ensures that you will have ample opportunities for professional development and mentorship. With a hybrid working model that promotes flexibility and a focus on work-life balance, joining us means becoming part of a passionate team dedicated to creating engaging experiences for millions of players worldwide.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineering Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at King, especially those in the Gameplay and Monetisation teams. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral!
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you have a portfolio or GitHub with relevant projects, make sure to highlight them during interviews. It’s a great way to demonstrate your technical chops and passion for engineering.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky questions! Brush up on your C++ knowledge and be ready to discuss your experience with A/B testing and experimentation. They’ll want to see how you think on your feet!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to 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 the team at King.
We think you need these skills to ace Engineering Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Engineering Manager role. Highlight your experience in leading software engineers and your technical background, especially with C++. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for gaming and how you can contribute to Candy Crush Soda Saga. Let us know why you're excited about this role and how you can help us exceed expectations.
Showcase Your Leadership Style:In your application, give us a glimpse of your leadership style. We value team-first leaders who are collaborative and down-to-earth. Share examples of how you've mentored and coached engineers in the past!
Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to apply 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 iconic team!
How to prepare for a job interview at King
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your C++ skills and modern software engineering practices. Be ready to discuss your experience with gameplay mechanics and monetisation flows, as well as how you've contributed to complex technical solutions in the past.
✨Show Your Leadership Style
Prepare examples that showcase your leadership abilities, especially in mentoring and coaching engineers. Highlight how you've successfully managed teams, handled performance management, and fostered a collaborative environment.
✨Be Ready for Technical Discussions
Expect to dive deep into design and architecture discussions. Be prepared to talk about how you balance speed and quality in your work, and share your thoughts on technical risks and architectural choices you've made in previous projects.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Since you'll be working closely with Product Managers, Designers, and other stakeholders, demonstrate your ability to translate technical concepts into business terms. Share experiences where you've aligned teams around clear plans and driven measurable outcomes.
