Principal Character Tech Programmer

Studio

A stealth mode AAA developer/publisher. Renowned for creating exceptional gaming experiences, the studio is currently working on its first major title, a fully funded AAA project already several years into development, with several years remaining until release.

Location

Remote

Project

AAA open‑world action‑adventure co‑op game to be released on all next‑gen platforms.

Responsibilities

Seeking an experienced and technically driven Principal Character Tech Programmer to lead the development of advanced character systems for a visually stunning and highly responsive co‑op action title. This role is vital to achieving a high level of realism, fidelity, and interactivity across all character types, from protagonists and bosses to NPCs and creatures, while maintaining performance across platforms.

You’ll collaborate closely with Animation, Technical Art, AI, and Design teams to create character behaviour that feels authentic, dynamic, and tightly integrated with gameplay. If you’re passionate about high‑end character fidelity and animation technology in a multiplayer environment, this is your opportunity to shape how characters come to life in a major new title.

• Design and implement gameplay‑driven character systems, covering areas such as movement, combat logic, hit responses, physical simulation, IK solutions, and AI animation integration.
• Partner with Animation and Tech Art teams to support complex animation setups, including layered animation, full‑body IK, locomotion blending, and performance capture workflows.
• Optimise character systems for runtime efficiency across animation, physics, and rendering, focusing on memory usage, tick performance, and system complexity.
• Develop multiplayer‑safe character functionality that ensures consistency and responsiveness in co‑operative gameplay.
• Integrate and leverage UE5 features such as Control Rig, Chaos Physics, and Animation Blueprints for maximum fidelity and scalability.
• Contribute to the development of tools and workflows that empower artists and designers to iterate efficiently on character content.
• Provide mentorship and technical leadership to engineers focused on character systems, ensuring clean architecture and best practices.
• Support debugging, testing, and iteration processes across departments throughout production and polish phases.

Skills and Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in character‑focused programming or gameplay engineering within the games industry.
• Credited on at least one shipped AAA title where you played a key role in building or supporting character or animation systems.
• Advanced knowledge of Unreal Engine (UE4 or UE5) and expert‑level proficiency in C++, with practical experience in Blueprints and animation graph integration.
• Deep understanding of skeletal mesh systems, physics integration, animation performance bottlenecks, and runtime optimisation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with creative and technical teams to deliver high‑fidelity characters that perform reliably in a live runtime environment.
• Experience developing for multiplayer or online co‑operative games.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO
• Full private healthcare & pensions