Overview
Job Title: Principal Unity Software Engineer
Company: SEGA Europe
Team: Systems
Hybrid preferred, 1-2 days on-site, UK remote possible
Studio Sports Interactive – the studio behind Football Manager, founded in 1994; based in London. This description reflects the role and its potential impact on Football Manager across desktop, console and mobile platforms.
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer with expert knowledge in C# and Unity. The role requires architecting and implementing efficient, scalable, reusable, and maintainable systems across multiple areas of the game, including addressables, package management, data binding, UI and UI systems, and general editor tooling that support games and features.
You will set and evolve engineering standards and own key architectural decisions; work closely with engineering leads and other teams, design and deliver high-quality player experiences; and mentor engineers to raise the bar across the studio. Your contributions will shape the technical foundations and player-facing experiences of Football Manager across platforms.
Key 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.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
* Extensive professional experience delivering complex but clean, portable and maintainable systems in Unity and C# at scale in video games, with multiple shipped titles across desktop, console and/or mobile.
* 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.
Benefits of Working at Sports Interactive
* 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 partnered football clubs.
* Access to 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.
* Gym membership options through Benefits partners.
* Fully subsidised healthcare and dental plans.
* Free travel insurance for you and your family.
* A personalized football shirt upon passing probation.
Seniority level
* Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Engineering and Information Technology
* Industries: Computer Games and Entertainment Providers
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