Rare is a one-of-a-kind game studio where we create the kind of games the world doesn't have, games that are uniquely Rare! Working here offers opportunities unlike anywhere else. You'll be providing players with unforgettable shared experiences in games loved by millions worldwide. Our pirate adventure Sea of Thieves, launched in 2018, is still going strong – and alongside that we're busy creating our next magical world, Everwild, announced in 2019 to a global audience.

We strive to make Rare an amazing place to work, embracing a culture of respect and building a supportive environment for our developers. Our custom-built Twycross studio is situated in the beautiful English countryside, surrounded by woodland and wildlife, with plenty of room for us to grow. Studio benefits are catered to making life easier for staff, including flexible working, a bonus scheme, an industry-leading pension package, private healthcare, mental health initiatives and free events for employees and their families.

By joining Rare, you'll be joining one of the finest studios in the industry with support from the wider Xbox Game Studios network. We're always on the lookout for exceptional people who can bring their expertise and unique thinking to help make our team even stronger!

Role purpose

Are you an established Engine Programmer eager for a senior role that encourages growth, autonomy and interesting technical challenges that could influence a whole global network of studios? We have an opportunity for you…

Our cutting-edge Engine team are seeking a Senior Engine Programmer to join us. You would be working across both Sea of Thieves and the recently announced Everwild, providing deep technical knowledge and design advice across all game and platform systems within Rare.

Our Engine Programmers are the first to trial new technologies and consoles, to ensure Rare stay at the very forefront of game development. Regularly involved at initial design stages of game features, Engine Programmers embed in other teams to collaborate, influence, and steer our games technical development.

As our Senior, you will have been empowered to own and set the direction of crucial projects. Not only will your expertise be highly valued, but we promise that you'll have access to a range of knowledge and objectives you need to broaden your skillset.

This role sits in a team that prioritises a healthy work/life balance and consists of highly knowledgeable people who appreciate nothing better than learning from each other and sharing experiences – we’d love to learn from you, and we’d love to share our skills and expertise with you.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities 

• Empower Rare’s engineering, content and design teams to achieve more
• Collaborate with other programmers on the Engine and Game teams to build creative solutions to technical problems and provide insights on performance, memory, scalability, robustness and testability.
• Help contribute to the technology used to build Rare's next games, minimising technical debt and maintenance risks.
• Support our commitment to improving the quality of development processes at Rare. Nurture junior engineers to become the next generation of senior programmers.
• Devote time to personal improvement in order to remain up to date in your areas of expertise and software engineering knowledge in general.

Qualifications

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

•    Strong knowledge and several years of practical experience with C++.
•    Robust problem-solving skills.
•    Proficiency in low-level code and high-level architecture; comfortable both bit-twiddling and in systems design.
•    Familiarity with performance and memory constraints, and experience debugging crash dumps.
•    Shipped at least one game.

DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS

•    Experience in writing automated tests.
•    Experience with a major third-party game engine.
•    Any area of specialism (audio, networking, AI, animation etc.)

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.