This is a fixed-term contract until December 2026.
Company Overview
PlaySide Studios is a dynamic and innovative company that employs individuals across Australia, New Zealand & UAE. As Australia's largest publicly listed independent video game developer, PlaySide is committed to delivering cutting‐edge interactive experiences across mobile, VR, AR, PC and consoles. With a diverse portfolio of more than 60 titles and collaborations with industry giants like Netflix and Activision Blizzard, working at PlaySide is not just a job but an opportunity to be part innovating the gaming industry.
Position Overview
At PlaySide, we believe that great games aren't just built. They're engineered with a passion for clean code and smooth performance. We're looking for a Software Engineer who lives and breathes development and understands that a solid codebase is the backbone of a great player experience. Whether you're diving into performance profiling, refining our dev workflows, or helping out a teammate, your goal is to help us ship world‐class games rooted in smart architecture and a constant drive to improve.
Key Responsibilities
* Promote OOP and SOLID principles to build highly testable, maintainable codebases while identifying and resolving architectural bottlenecks.
* Proactively diagnose and fix performance and memory issues using Chrome DevTools, heap snapshots, and CPU profiling to ensure runtime efficiency.
* Balance speed and production‐readiness by determining when to use rapid prototyping versus high‐abstraction, reusable components.
* Educate junior engineers on design patterns and technical best practices, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.
* Translate complex technical concepts for non‐engineering stakeholders and maintain clear, accurate project documentation.
* Accurately estimate task timelines, track progress, and proactively communicate deviations or blockers to the wider team.
* Stay at the forefront of emerging technologies through independent research and suggest proactive improvements to the existing codebase.
What you bring to the table
* Demonstrated experience contributing to shipped games, with a solid grasp of Unreal Engine systems, rendering, asset pipelines, and editor tooling workflows.
* Strong understanding of software engineering principles and design patterns, with the ability to write clean, maintainable code that meets project conventions.
* Knowledge of hardware‐related concepts (CPU/Cache, GPU/VRAM) and proficiency in using Unreal Insights or similar tools to manage memory and garbage collection.
* Ability to develop and maintain standardized playbooks for common engine tasks to accelerate development without compromising quality.
* Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to mentor junior staff, facilitate open technical discussions, and translate complex concepts for non‐engineering team members.
* A proactive learner with excellent debugging skills, capable of identifying common architectural mistakes and staying updated on emerging technologies and engine updates.
What we offer here at PlaySide!
* PlayDays - an additional 5 paid days off per year to do something you love.
* The ability to choose when you begin and end your workday, in line with our core business.
* Industry‐leading Parental Leave benefits.
* Relocation Assistance.
* Employee Assistance Program to support mental well‐being.
* Mentoring opportunities to help you grow in your role.
* Social events including Games night, karaoke nights, Movie Nights (We hire out the cinema!), group activities, and food trucks! Just as some examples!
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