Lead Networking Engineer – UE; Sports​/Action​/Simulation Games

Refactor Games is a AAA sports video game studio
. We are developing the next generation of professional football (soccer) video games using Unreal Engine 5.

We are seeking a Lead Networking Engineer to serve as the primary architect for the real-time networking systems of our next-generation, AAA sports video game. You will be responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of high-performance, scalable online gameplay within Unreal Engine 5 for our unannounced title.

As a Lead Networking Engineer, you will own the critical networking subsystems, bridging the gap between high-level game design and low-level technical execution. You will design, optimize, and maintain real-time networking for high-fidelity, 120 FPS performance on target consoles. This role requires a "Keep It Simple, Stupid" (KISS) approach to engineering, prioritizing clean, object-oriented C++ design over over-abstraction.

• An Expert Engineer: You have 7+ years of professional experience in game systems programming, focusing on networking, and have shipped at least two AAA titles.
• C++ Power User: You possess expert-level proficiency in C++ (C++17/20), focusing on memory management and multi-threading.
• Architectural Thinker: You understand the balance between simple, flexible code and the necessity of object-oriented principles, with a deep specialization in networking.
• Strategic Mentor: You are capable of acting as a technical expert, providing guidance and code reviews for junior and intermediate engineers.

• Networking Architecture: Architect and implement highly performant, low-latency online networked gameplay systems.
• Optimization & Profiling: Continuously profile, debug, analyze, and optimize network code and engine subsystems to achieve extreme performance targets (e.g., 120 FPS).
• Client-Side Systems: Develop and tune robust client-side prediction, replication, and anti-cheat measures for a smooth multiplayer experience.
• C++ & Blueprint Refactoring: Lead the effort to move networking and performance-critical logic from Blueprints to C++ for performance-critical systems.
• Best Practices: Enforce studio coding standards, including in-line curly braces, brevity in naming, and comprehensive documentation for both code and Blueprints.
• Cross-Discipline
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner with Gameplay, Systems, and QA teams to integrate networking systems seamlessly into the player experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Expertise in low-latency, real-time networking programming.
• Solid understanding of Unreal Engine networking and hands‑on proficiency with UE5 workflows and C++ implementation.
• Demonstrated experience developing and optimizing large-scale multiplayer or simulation systems in a professional environment.
• Demonstrated experience with source control (Perforce/Git) and task management (Jira/Atlassian).

• Experience with proprietary or highly customized game engine architectures.
• Experience designing and implementing threaded, asynchronous software.
• Experience developing code for multiple platforms including PC, console and mobile.
• Familiarity with cloud services like AWS or similar online networked gameplay infrastructure.
• Love of football (soccer) - hooliganism is never frowned upon.