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Blackbird InteractiveBI

Lead Gameplay Software Engineer (Unreal Engine 5)

Blackbird Interactive (BBI) is building a safe, stable home where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers, experiment, and keep growing their abilities – while working on a wide range of projects, encompassing world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.

Blackbird Interactive

Employee count: 201-500

Salary: 135k-165k CAD

Canada only
Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.
In 2022, we announced that our studio is implementing a four-day work week as well as supporting in-studio, remote within Canada, and hybrid work arrangements as permanent options to our employees.
Location: Vancouver ⚬ Remote-friendly within Canada(Pacific-time overlap required)
Experience: 7+ years professional game-development
Employment type: Four-day work week, full-time permanent

About the role:

Blackbird Interactive is seeking a lead engineer to own and drive the moment-to-moment fun in our Unreal Engine 5 projects. As a lead, you’ll set technical direction, shepherd features from prototype through ship, and mentor a team of engineers while deepening studio-wide mastery of UE5.

What you’ll tackle

  • Gameplay vision & execution – Architect, implement, and iterate on movement, interactions, AI behaviours, and progression systems in C++ and Blueprints, ensuring they align with product goals.
  • System design at scale – Build modular, data-driven gameplay frameworks that perform across PC and console SKUs, with extensibility for live-ops.
  • Technical leadership – Guide a team of gameplay engineers: define coding standards, perform code reviews, and provide career-growth mentorship.
  • Cross-disciplinary collaboration – Partner with design, art, and audio to translate high-level concepts into shippable, performant features; champion pragmatic iteration development loops.
  • Performance & stability – Establish profiling targets, drive optimisation initiatives, and uphold automated test and performance coverage for the game.
  • Process & tooling – Identify workflow bottlenecks, propose engine/tool improvements (e.g., GAS, MassEntity, Chaos).

You’ll thrive here if you

  • Deliver production-quality C++ in Unreal Engine 5 with 7+ years of professional game-development experience and at least one shipped AA/AAA title featuring your leadership.
  • Hold a BSc in Computer Science or related (or demonstrate equivalent professional experience).Excel at balancing product vision with technical constraints in rapid-iteration environments.
  • Communicate clearly across disciplines and foster a collaborative culture.
  • Are fluent with Perforce, Git, modern debugging/profiling tools, and CI/CD pipelines.

Bonus XP

  • Expertise with the Gameplay Ability System, Replication graph, Nanite, and/or Lumen.
  • Proven record of improving build pipelines, automated testing, or live-ops telemetry for gameplay code.

About the job

Apply before

Posted on

Job type

Full Time

Experience level

Senior
Manager

Salary

Salary: 135k-165k CAD

Location requirements

Hiring timezones

Canada +/- 0 hours

About Blackbird Interactive

Learn more about Blackbird Interactive and their company culture.

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Blackbird Interactive (BBI) is building a safe, stable home where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers, experiment, and keep growing their abilities – while working on a wide range of projects, encompassing world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.

One of the strongest expression of this commitment is our internal “Skunkworks” new IP incubation program, run about once a year. Originating employees receive a payout if their idea / pitch is selected – otherwise, if unused, the rights fully revert back to them!

Established in 2010, BBI now counts 300+ staff – including a dedicated in-house CG cinematics department – and has been listed among the Fastest Growing Companies by Revenue in Canada in 2020 & 2021 by both The Globe & Mail and Deloitte.

2022 saw our studio shift to the four-day work week as well as supporting in-studio, remote, and hybrid work arrangement as permanent options to our employees.

Teams that chose it are slowly starting to return to our studio space in a phased approach as per current COVID recommendations.

We can’t wait to leverage our beautiful building – complete with cinema room, sound studios, play-testing area and rooftop patio – for IRL social gatherings with colleagues, dogs and all again!

Employee benefits

Learn about the employee benefits and perks provided at Blackbird Interactive.

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Retirement benefits

RRSP matching up to $1500.

Life insurance

We'll cover your life insurance so you don't have to worry.

Profit sharing

When the company does well, all team members share the profits!

Learning and development budget

Mentorship program and 3 days per year for professional development.

View Blackbird Interactive's employee benefits
Claim this profileBlackbird Interactive logoBI

Blackbird Interactive

Company size

201-500 employees

Founded in

2007

Chief executive officer

Rob Cunningham

Employees live in

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Blackbird Interactive hiring Lead Gameplay Software Engineer (Unreal Engine 5) • Remote (Work from Home) | Himalayas