Senior Engine Programmer (Contract)

At ArenaNet, we’ve always believed that games are art. They have the power to communicate ideas and tell stories. They can change the way we think, reflect our cultures, and move us. As the developer of the award-winning Guild Wars game series, we’re proud to share our passion for the online worlds we’ve created with over 21 million players worldwide.

ArenaNet develops and publishes games for every kind of person, which means our games need to be built by every kind of person. We believe the best experiences come from working together, celebrating differences, and helping each of our team members shine.

We are looking for an experienced Engine Programmer to join us on a contract basis and hit the Unreal Engine with a wrench and shout “I’m givin’er all she’s got Cap’n” and then give us some more, as we navigate the uncharted space of the next generation of games at ArenaNet.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to take ownership of some of our most critical engineering projects and bring them from start to finish. Implementing solutions related to asset loading, packaging, platform/console integration, persistence, and beyond, you will help make amazing player experiences a reality. You’ll work across disciplines to understand technical needs and develop solutions that put code quality and performance first. You’ll also provide other engineers with the frameworks they need to build robust gameplay systems that interface cleanly with our game infrastructure. Throughout your work, you’ll be expected to anticipate and clearly communicate risks, dependencies, and trade-offs associated with technical and design decisions.

If you love the feeling you get marking the last ticket on a project as complete knowing you have built critical structural code, if seeing your code being used to create reliable and performant game systems that can stand the test of time fills you with pride, if utilizing your deep knowledge of Unreal Engine sparks joy, then this is the role for you!

About Our Team

The Engineering team at ArenaNet thrives on a wide array of perspectives, experiences, and interests. We know that the best creations come from healthy and friendly teams. Our work is woven together with the efforts of other disciplines and crafts within game development. We seek out voices and ideas that might be new to us. We are always on the lookout for ways to help each other, both within the Engineering team, and throughout the studio as a whole.

Who We Are Looking For

You, our ideal candidate, are proficient in C++ and have deep professional experience working with Unreal Engine. You routinely spelunk into the depths of Unreal code to build games with Unreal Engine rather than against it. You stay up to date on engine features, helping the team work with existing systems instead of reinventing the wheel.

You are approachable for tough problems and can explain complex technical issues with a friendly demeanor. You are also used to digging into a teammate's code and making meaningful changes with an understanding of the original purpose and intent.

You understand the value of planning, estimating, and communication as part of the engine of production that drives game development. You can take a project from idea to implementation, develop a plan for getting the work done, and effectively track and communicate progress. You communicate effectively both directly and asynchronously and are quick to identify and call out risks, dependencies, or changes that could impact delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience

• Strong proficiency in C++

• Professional experience developing games with Unreal Engine

This role 1+ year remote-friendly contract, but we are currently prioritizing candidates who are local to the Bellevue, WA area and open to occasional onsite collaboration.

Pay Range: $68.79 - $106.62

This is an hourly contract role with overtime pay when applicable. While we share the full range for transparency, typical offers fall between the minimum and midpoint.

The role is benefits-eligible through our third-party employer, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and flexible/dependent care accounts.

Applications will be accepted until October 12th at 10am PT. If the deadline is extended, the posting will be updated accordingly. If the position is filled before this date, the posting will be removed.

Don’t meet every single requirement on this job post? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ArenaNet, we believe diversity in culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and backgrounds make us a better team – we celebrate it. So, if you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.