Game Systems Programmer

Description

Are you skilled in C++, game‑engine systems, real‑time simulation, or performance‑sensitive software? Do you enjoy debugging hard runtime problems and building interactive 3D capabilities that run reliably under real constraints? If so, we’re looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

We are seeking a game systems programmer to help us build advanced training and simulation capabilities for critical national security challenges. You’ll join a multidisciplinary team creating game‑engine‑based tools for scenario execution, physics modeling, visualization, experimentation, and mission planning. This is an opportunity to apply the craft of systems programming to technical problems that matter beyond a product cycle.

• Your primary responsibility will be to design, develop, test, and improve real‑time software systems that support simulation, interactive 3D visualization, scenario execution, and training.
• You will build performance‑sensitive software for engine systems involving runtime state, physics models, data flow, networking, input, visualization, or simulation control.
• You will integrate game engines, simulation frameworks, physics models, data sources, and external tools into reliable interactive capabilities.
• You will profile, debug, and improve software across CPU, GPU, memory, networking, latency, load time, and real‑time frame‑budget constraints.
• You will contribute to runtime systems, tools, automated tests, data pipelines, debugging utilities, and workflows used by engineers and analysts.
• You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teammates to understand user needs, communicate technical tradeoffs, and deliver software that supports training, experimentation, analysis, and mission planning.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you:

• Have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, game development, physics, mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Have 3+ years of professional software development experience in game‑engine systems, real‑time simulation, visualization, interactive tools, robotics, extended reality, or related performance‑sensitive software.
• Have experience developing clear, maintainable C++ software for real‑time, interactive, simulation, engine, or other performance‑sensitive applications.
• Have experience debugging and improving software using profilers, logs, traces, debuggers, memory tools, frame captures, or similar diagnostic techniques.
• Have experience with systems programming areas such as memory management, multithreading, job systems, networking, streaming, serialization, asset loading, resource management, platform abstraction, physics integration, rendering integration, tools, build systems, or data pipelines.
• Are willing and able to travel occasionally for meetings, demonstrations, integration events, or partner engagements.
• Are able to obtain Interim Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately obtain Secret level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

• Have experience as a systems programmer, engine programmer, platform programmer, rendering programmer, tools programmer, physics programmer, networking programmer, or core technology programmer in the game industry.
• Have experience with Unity, Unreal Engine, or proprietary, in‑house, open‑source, or custom real‑time 3D engine technology.
• Have experience with physics modeling, distributed simulation, multiplayer networking, state synchronization, deterministic simulation, scenario systems, terrain systems, geospatial visualization, or simulation‑based training systems.
• Have experience building tools, asset pipelines, debugging utilities, automated tests, build systems, or workflows used by engineers, analysts, designers, artists, or other technical users.
• Hold an active Secret clearance.

The Johns Hopkins University…