Principal Unity Engineer

JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Principal Unity Software Engineer Team: Systems Reporting into: Lead Producer Working Model: Hybrid | Remote by exception, features and functionality. You will set and evolve engineering standards and own key architectural decisions; and you will work closely with engineering leads and other engineering teams, as well as with design, production, QA and other stakeholders across the studio deliver high‑quality player experiences on desktop, console and mobile. You combine deep Unity and C# expertise with strong systems thinking, enabling you to break down complex problems, define pragmatic solutions, and mentor engineers to raise the bar across the studio. Your contributions will directly shape and steer the technical foundations and player‑facing experience of Football Manager, helping deliver intuitive, performant, and engaging games to our global player base. Responsibilities Define, communicate and evolve the Unity and C# architectural vision and standards for the studio; ensure alignment across multiple teams and products. Own and drive cross-team technical initiatives that improve performance, maintainability, stability, iteration speed and flexibility across Unity projects and platforms. Work hands‑on in C# and Unity to design and implement complex and scalable systems and tools that underpin our games and development workflows. Lead investigations into complex technical issues and guide teams in profiling, performance, memory usage, garbage collection, async programming, etc. Champion a performance and stability culture: establish measurements and workflows to identify and eliminate bottlenecks. Set the benchmark for code quality, testing strategies and documentation; embed practices that reduce defects and repeat work. Work closely with engineering leads and stakeholders across disciplines to shape technical roadmaps, unblock delivery and mitigate risk early. Influence planning and long-term architecture decisions; contribute strategic technical insight to roadmap discussions. Coach and mentor engineers at all levels; provide code and design reviews, pair coding and technical guidance (without line‑management responsibilities). Contribute to recruitment, onboarding and processes to grow Unity expertise across the studio. Drive the development of editor tooling and automation that enhances productivity and streamlines content integration across engineering, art and design. Qualifications Track record of owning architecture, systems and tooling in Unity and C#. Deep proficiency with Unity profiling, optimisation and crash analysis, with a strong understanding of performance, memory management, garbage collection and async programming. Strong software engineering fundamentals: design patterns, testing strategies, code review and documentation. Ability to influence and align cross‑functional stakeholders; excellent written and spoken communication skills. Experience with Unity's UI Toolkit is beneficial but not essential. Familiarity with C++ is beneficial, particularly in contexts where Unity interfaces with native modules, but not essential. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a proactive approach to technical challenges. Self‑motivated with a commitment to continuous improvement and team support. Experience mentoring engineers and contributing to team‑wide technical growth. Knowledge of Football Manager is beneficial; interest in football is a plus. Company Overview We are Sports Interactive, the gaming studio behind Football Manager. Founded in 1994, Sports Interactive became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA Europe in 2006. Based at the Here East technology hub in Stratford, East London, the SI team continues to expand as we bring our titles to an ever‑growing audience across an increasing variety of platforms. Benefits A flexible working policy to best suit you and your team. Subsidised mental health, therapy and coaching sessions are available. Contributory Pension Scheme (up to 7% of annual salary). Free onsite evening bar in the Sports Interactive London HQ. A well‑stocked breakfast bar with cereals, fruits, teas, and coffees. Regular events in collaboration with our partnered football clubs. Access to our on‑site physical and massage therapist services. Multiple clubs and societies to join e.g., book club and art workshops. Free access to games released under the SEGA Europe umbrella. A range of Gym Membership options through our Benefits partners. Fully subsidised Healthcare and Dental Plans. Free Travel Insurance for yourself and your family. A personalised football shirt upon passing probation. Equal Opportunity Statement We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from any relevant candidate irrespective of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. SI is proudly a Disability Confident Committed employer, and we are dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Our studio has disabled access and facilities but please ensure you advise us if you require any other reasonable adjustments to be made to support you during the recruitment process. #J-18808-Ljbffr