Lead C++ Software Engineer (Gameplay) in Portsmouth

Playrix is one of the most successful mobile game development companies in the world. We are in the top 3 globally by revenue among all mobile applications, and we are first in Europe. Our games have been installed 2.3 billion times (one-third of the world's population), and more than 30 million people play them daily worldwide! We have big plans for the development and growth of our projects, which is why we are looking for the strongest experts for our development teams. Experience with C++ and/or in game development is not mandatory: we have an excellent adaptation system for a comfortable transition for newcomers from Unity and other industries.

The development teams are the core of the company, allowing our games to grow and evolve for 21 years. The Lead Software Engineer is a driver of technical product development, leading and developing the team in terms of architecture, quality, culture of development, and engineering practices.

In each project, we have key areas:

• Feature: development of events and mini-games from scratch (from various competitions to mini-games like Merge);
• Technical: optimisation, support of technical stability, SDK (reducing loading speed, memory consumption, etc.);
• Match-3 and meta: working with graphics and the main game mechanics (adding new functionality, refactoring, and optimisation).

Tasks to be solved include:

• People management: responsibility for development, hiring/firing, team evaluation;
• Development of processes within teams (both at the team level and at the overall project development level);
• Producing: solving complex technical problems on projects, developing architectural solutions, and ensuring rapid implementation;
• Control of stability and quality of the game's software part;
• Code review and design review;
• Programming and refactoring of game logic.

Our tech stack includes:

• Languages: C++, with Lua and Python for specific tasks;
• Graphics: OpenGL ES and Metal;
• Our own engine, similar to Unity or Unreal, which we continuously develop;
• Advanced CI/CD, automated testing, code review processes, and much more;
• AI assistants: we use Cursor for automation and acceleration of development (from routine tasks to planning and decomposition).

We expect:

• Experience in developing commercial projects in C++ and/or Unity for at least 3 years;
• Experience in developing projects released in production;
• Experience in managing a team of programmers (3+ people) for at least one year.

It would be a plus:

• Confident knowledge of modern C++ standards 14/17, as well as STL;
• Experience with popular game engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Cocos2D, Defold, etc.);
• Experience with AI assistants for development (Cursor, Copilot, etc.);
• Experience in developing mobile casual games.

We offer a great environment because we have:

• Open communication and transparency in decision-making, experience sharing within teams;
• Focus on code quality and reliability;
• Emphasis on developing product vision for every specialist in the company;
• Our developers envision how a feature will work for users and play the games they develop;
• Opportunities to change processes and approaches to more effective ones without lengthy approvals and bureaucracy;
• Clear opportunities for development into a technical director, programming manager, or project manager;
• We actively use Cursor and other AI tools in the development process — you will have the opportunity to work at the forefront of technology, share experiences, and shape best practices for their application.

We offer:

• Flexibility in work: For most positions, we have flexible hours and remote work format. We focus on results rather than the place or method of task execution.
• Health and well-being support: We provide health insurance for employees and their children, compensate online sessions with psychologists, maintain 100% salary during vacations or sick leave without unnecessary paperwork, and provide additional days off for special cases. We support a healthy lifestyle and reimburse the purchase of sports memberships and subscriptions to fitness apps.
• Development and training: We pay for participation in relevant conferences and courses, and conduct internal conferences. We reimburse foreign language study.
• Events and merchandise: We regularly hold entertainment and work events offline: team meetings, large corporate parties, and lighter parties in offices. We also regularly conduct entertainment contests, quizzes, hackathons, and sports challenges online. Our own merchandise store with internal currency allows for unique gifts. Currency is given on significant dates and can also be earned by participating in events and brand activities.