Lead Software Engineer - Games in Cardiff

Please note that this is a hybrid position based in Cardiff, requiring 3 days onsite each week, with the option for remote work on the remaining days.

Part of the Rocket Science Group, Atomic Theory comprises a multinational team of seasoned AAA veterans with roots extending from Blizzard, PUBG, Epic, and Unity. We have a track record of delivering player‑centric, AAA‑quality experiences, and we’re unwavering in our commitment to performance, accessibility, and the meticulous attention to the engineering tools and frameworks that underpin exceptional gameplay.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and thoughtful Lead Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will provide technical leadership across one or more projects while managing and developing a team of engineers. You’ll be responsible not only for solving complex technical challenges, but also for setting direction, maintaining engineering standards, and supporting the growth and development of the team. You should be comfortable working across different game engines and technology stacks, adapting your approach to suit each project’s unique needs. An ideal candidate is a strong problem solver with a broad technical background, a collaborative mindset, and the confidence to lead engineers through ambiguity – balancing hands‑on development with mentorship, planning, and technical oversight.

What you’ll do

• Technical Leadership: Provide clear technical direction and oversight for engineering teams, ensuring solutions are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with project goals.
• Systems and Feature Development: Design, implement, and review complex systems and features across proprietary and commercially available game engines. Remain hands‑on where needed to tackle high‑impact or high‑risk work.
• People Leadership and Mentorship: Support and mentor engineers at varying experience levels, helping them grow their technical skills, confidence, and impact. Contribute to performance feedback and career development conversations as needed.
• Critical Problem Solving: Lead the investigation and resolution of complex technical challenges, applying advanced debugging and analytical techniques across multiple systems.
• Technical Design and Planning: Collaborate with designers, producers, and project leads to break down requirements, assess trade‑offs, and define practical technical approaches.
• Code Review and Quality: Establish and uphold high engineering standards through regular code reviews, constructive feedback, and continuous improvement of development practices.

What we value

• Strong Technical Foundation: Extensive professional experience developing games using modern game engines (commercial or proprietary), with strong proficiency in C++ and solid mathematical fundamentals.
• Engineering Excellence: A proven commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code, with an emphasis on long‑term sustainability and best practices.
• Leadership and Ownership: Experience leading engineers or technical initiatives, taking responsibility for outcomes, and guiding teams through complex or ambiguous problems.
• Team Collaboration: Excellent communication skills and the ability to facilitate discussions between engineers, designers, producers, and project leads.
• Passion for Games: A genuine enthusiasm for games and a desire to help create engaging, high‑quality experiences for players.

What you may also have

• People Management Experience: Prior experience formally managing engineers, including performance feedback, goal‑setting, or hiring.
• Console Experience: Experience developing for current‑generation consoles (for example, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Switch).
• Cross‑Team Communication: Experience working closely with external partners or internal stakeholders to align on goals, provide technical guidance, and solve problems collaboratively.

What we can offer

• Competitive Salary and Benefits Package: Your health and wellbeing is important to us, so we offer a variety of benefits including: Private Pension via Salary Sacrifice, Optional Private Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage, Annual Leave, plus Bank Holidays and Winter Break Office Closure.
• Hybrid Working Arrangement: Our office in Cardiff is located right in City Centre, just a couple minutes away from the Cardiff Central Train Station! As a member of our team, you’ll have the flexibility to work at home and collaborate with your fellow team mates in person.
• Annual Research Credit: We always encourage personal growth, so we provide all of our team members with an annual credit to further enhance your skills!
• Professional Development: We offer biannual reviews, as well as opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, internal tech talks, and the chance to learn from specialists with backgrounds from across the games and software development industries.
• Work‑Life Balance: We really believe that home life comes first and we promote a flexible working environment. And as an added bonus: We don’t crunch!
• Family Friendly: We understand the importance of family, which is why we offer 6 weeks full of Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave to support you during this exciting time!
• Office Perks: In addition to everything above, we also provide: Weekly Team Lunches, Snacks, Including the Good (Yorkshire) Tea, Fully Equipped Team Lounge, Including our Favourite Consoles and Games.

Friendly note from the recruitment team: Let us do the work for you: Even if your profile isn’t an exact match for all of the qualifications listed above, we still want you to apply. Our team members come from a variety of different industries, not all of which are immediately relevant to game or software development, and we welcome all candidates of similarly varied backgrounds, communities, and identities. Rocket Science is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a worry‑free workplace void of discrimination or harassment. Rocket Scientists are expected to foster and champion an environment in which everyone has the opportunity to feel included and is afforded the respect and dignity they deserve.