At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical vision and strategy for our development studio, guiding programming teams to deliver exceptional content.
- Company: Join a dynamic studio focused on multi-platform growth and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexitime hours, private healthcare, and a pension scheme.
- Other info: Work in a collaborative environment with opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of gaming while mentoring talent and driving technical excellence.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in senior technical leadership and 10+ years of programming experience required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ 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.
Benefits
- 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
Technical Director in Royal Leamington Spa employer: Secret Mode
As a Technical Director at our Leamington Spa studio, you will be part of a dynamic and innovative work culture that prioritises technical excellence and continuous improvement. We offer flexible working hours, a comprehensive benefits package including private healthcare and a pension scheme, and ample opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within a collaborative environment. Join us to lead cutting-edge projects and shape the future of gaming while enjoying a supportive atmosphere that values your contributions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Director in Royal Leamington Spa
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Secret Mode or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Secret Mode.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Secret Mode.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Secret Mode that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Director in Royal Leamington Spa
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Secret Mode.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Secret Mode and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Secret Mode
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Secret Mode uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
