Lead C++ Software Engineer (Gameplay)

Active

Job description

About the company

Playrix is one of the most successful mobile game development companies, ranking among the top 3 mobile game developers in the world. Our games have been installed 2.3 billion times (one-third of the world’s population), and more than 30 million people play them every day!

Team, about the role

To improve the quality of our products and take them to the next level, we're building an AI-first culture within our engineering teams. This means developing agentic workflows, implementing new tools, measuring gains in development speed, and paying special attention to the quality of the results. That's why we're looking for top-level engineers ready to support and develop these practices with us. Experience in C++ and/or game development is not at all necessary—we have an excellent adaptation system that facilitates a comfortable transition for beginners from Unity and other industries. The Lead Software Engineer drives the technical development of a product. This person leads and develops the team across architecture, quality, development culture, and engineering practices. In each project we have the following areas: Feature: develop events and mini-games from scratch (ranging from various competitions to mini-games like Merge) Technical: optimization, technical stability support, SDK (reducing loading speed, memory consumption, etc.) Match-3 and meta: working with graphics and basic mechanics of the game (adding new functionality, refactoring and optimization)

AI-first culturegains in development speedtop-level engineers

Experience in C++ and/or game development is not at all necessary—we have an excellent adaptation system that facilitates a comfortable transition for beginners from Unity and other industries.

The Lead Software Engineer drives the technical development of a product. This person leads and develops the team across architecture, quality, development culture, and engineering practices.

Lead Software Engineer

In each project we have the following areas:

In each project we have the following areas:

Feature: develop events and mini-games from scratch (ranging from various competitions to mini-games like Merge)

Feature: develop events and mini-games from scratch (ranging from various competitions to mini-games like Merge)

Technical: optimization, technical stability support, SDK (reducing loading speed, memory consumption, etc.)

Technical: optimization, technical stability support, SDK (reducing loading speed, memory consumption, etc.)

Match-3 and meta: working with graphics and basic mechanics of the game (adding new functionality, refactoring and optimization)

Match-3 and meta: working with graphics and basic mechanics of the game (adding new functionality, refactoring and optimization)

Tasks

People management: responsible for development, hiring/firing, team evaluation Development of processes within teams (both at the team level and at the project level), including the implementation and scaling of AI practices Producing: solving complex technical problems on projects, developing solution architecture and ensuring rapid implementation Supervising the stability and quality of game software Carrying out code review and design review Programming and refactoring of game logic

People management: responsible for development, hiring/firing, team evaluation

People management: responsible for development, hiring/firing, team evaluation

Development of processes within teams (both at the team level and at the project level), including the implementation and scaling of AI practices

Development of processes within teams (both at the team level and at the project level), including the implementation and scaling of AI practices

Producing: solving complex technical problems on projects, developing solution architecture and ensuring rapid implementation

Producing: solving complex technical problems on projects, developing solution architecture and ensuring rapid implementation

Supervising the stability and quality of game software

Supervising the stability and quality of game software

Carrying out code review and design review

Carrying out code review and design review

Programming and refactoring of game logic

Programming and refactoring of game logic

Our stack

Languages: C++, and Lua and Python for single tasks Graphics: OpenGL ES and Metal Our own engine, similar to Unity or Unreal, which we are constantly developing (read about our engine here) Advanced CI/CD, automated testing, code review processes and much more AI: Claude, Cursor, and Codex with configured repository rules, a growing catalog of specialized skills, and agentic modes for specific tasks. MCP integrations with internal infrastructure (GitHub, Asana, Amplitude, etc.). Agentic workflows cover the entire cycle—from generating game elements and automated tests to automatically creating and reviewing PRs

Languages: C++, and Lua and Python for single tasks

Languages: C++, and Lua and Python for single tasks

Graphics: OpenGL ES and Metal

Graphics: OpenGL ES and Metal

Our own engine, similar to Unity or Unreal, which we are constantly developing (read about our engine here)

Our own engine, similar to Unity or Unreal, which we are constantly developing (read about our engine here)

read about our engine here

Advanced CI/CD, automated testing, code review processes and much more

Advanced CI/CD, automated testing, code review processes and much more

AI: Claude, Cursor, and Codex with configured repository rules, a growing catalog of specialized skills, and agentic modes for specific tasks. MCP integrations with internal infrastructure (GitHub, Asana, Amplitude, etc.). Agentic workflows cover the entire cycle—from generating game elements and automated tests to automatically creating and reviewing PRs

AI: Claude, Cursor, and Codex with configured repository rules, a growing catalog of specialized skills, and agentic modes for specific tasks. MCP integrations with internal infrastructure (GitHub, Asana, Amplitude, etc.). Agentic workflows cover the entire cycle—from generating game elements and automated tests to automatically creating and reviewing PRs

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience in developing commercial projects in C++ and/or Unity Experience in developing projects released in production At least one year of experience managing a team of programmers (3+ people) An understanding of AI infrastructure and modern tools, and the ability to integrate them into the development process

At least 3 years of experience in developing commercial projects in C++ and/or Unity

At least 3 years of experience in developing commercial projects in C++ and/or Unity

Experience in developing projects released in production

Experience in developing projects released in production

At least one year of experience managing a team of programmers (3+ people)

At least one year of experience managing a team of programmers (3+ people)

An understanding of AI infrastructure and modern tools, and the ability to integrate them into the development process

An understanding of AI infrastructure and modern tools, and the ability to integrate them into the development process

Preferred

Confident knowledge of modern C++ 14/17 standards, as well as STL Experience working with popular game engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Cocos2D, Defold, etc.) Experience developing casual mobile games How we work with AI: AI is an engineering standard on our team, not an option. We use it daily in development—from task decomposition and codebase navigation to writing and refactoring code, etc. Our engineers are always responsible for their results. Any generated code goes through the same checks as manually written code: reviews, tests, quality gates, and validation in the context of the product. AI empowers our engineers—it doesn't replace them. We expect that with the help of AI, engineers will be able to move through tasks faster, take on a larger volume of work, and solve complex problems more efficiently. We share practices that work within the team: good AI use cases, successful approaches, repository rules, and agentic workflows become part of the shared engineering environment. We continuously improve our approach. Tools change quickly, so we expect an interest in new AI capabilities and a readiness to suggest improvements if they genuinely increase development speed and quality.Confident knowledge of modern C++ 14/17 standards, as well as STL Experience working with popular game engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Cocos2D, Defold, etc.) Experience developing casual mobile games How we work with AI: AI is an engineering standard on our team, not an option. We use it daily in development—from task decomposition and codebase navigation to writing and refactoring code, etc. Our engineers are always responsible for their results. Any generated code goes through the same checks as manually written code: reviews, tests, quality gates, and validation in the context of the product. AI empowers our engineers—it doesn't replace them. We expect that with the help of AI, engineers will be able to move through tasks faster, take on a larger volume of work, and solve complex problems more efficiently. We share practices that work within the team: good AI use cases, successful approaches, repository rules, and agentic workflows become part of the shared engineering environment. We continuously improve our approach. Tools change quickly, so we expect an interest in new AI capabilities and a readiness to suggest improvements if they genuinely increase development speed and quality.

Confident knowledge of modern C++ 14/17 standards, as well as STL

Confident knowledge of modern C++ 14/17 standards, as well as STL

Experience working with popular game engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Cocos2D, Defold, etc.)

Experience working with popular game engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Cocos2D, Defold, etc.)

Experience developing casual mobile games

Experience developing casual mobile games

How we work with AI:

AI is an engineering standard on our team, not an option. We use it daily in development—from task decomposition and codebase navigation to writing and refactoring code, etc.

AI is an engineering standard on our team, not an option. We use it daily in development—from task decomposition and codebase navigation to writing and refactoring code, etc.

AI is an engineering standard on our team, not an option.

Our engineers are always responsible for their results. Any generated code goes through the same checks as manually written code: reviews, tests, quality gates, and validation in the context of the product.

Our engineers are always responsible for their results. Any generated code goes through the same checks as manually written code: reviews, tests, quality gates, and validation in the context of the product.

Our engineers are always responsible for their results.

AI empowers our engineers—it doesn't replace them. We expect that with the help of AI, engineers will be able to move through tasks faster, take on a larger volume of work, and solve complex problems more efficiently.

AI empowers our engineers—it doesn't replace them. We expect that with the help of AI, engineers will be able to move through tasks faster, take on a larger volume of work, and solve complex problems more efficiently.

AI empowers our engineers—it doesn't replace them.

We share practices that work within the team: good AI use cases, successful approaches, repository rules, and agentic workflows become part of the shared engineering environment.

We share practices that work within the team: good AI use cases, successful approaches, repository rules, and agentic workflows become part of the shared engineering environment.

We share practices that work within the team:

We continuously improve our approach. Tools change quickly, so we expect an interest in new AI capabilities and a readiness to suggest improvements if they genuinely increase development speed and quality.

We continuously improve our approach. Tools change quickly, so we expect an interest in new AI capabilities and a readiness to suggest improvements if they genuinely increase development speed and quality.

We continuously improve our approach.

We offer

Open communication and transparency in decision making, exchange of experience within teams. A focus on code quality and reliability. An emphasis on developing each specialist's product ideas Time to play the games that you're developing, so you can envision how this or that feature will work for the user. The ability to switch out processes and approaches for more efficient ones without lengthy approvals or bureaucracy. Clear opportunities for development into technical director, programming manager or project manager.

Open communication and transparency in decision making, exchange of experience within teams.

Open communication and transparency in decision making, exchange of experience within teams.

A focus on code quality and reliability.

A focus on code quality and reliability.

An emphasis on developing each specialist's product ideas Time to play the games that you're developing, so you can envision how this or that feature will work for the user.

An emphasis on developing each specialist's product ideas Time to play the games that you're developing, so you can envision how this or that feature will work for the user.

The ability to switch out processes and approaches for more efficient ones without lengthy approvals or bureaucracy.

The ability to switch out processes and approaches for more efficient ones without lengthy approvals or bureaucracy.

Clear opportunities for development into technical director, programming manager or project manager.

Clear opportunities for development into technical director, programming manager or project manager.

Our Perks

Flexibility at work For most positions we offer a flexible schedule, and employees can work from anywhere in the world. We only evaluate your results. Caring for health and well-being We provide voluntary health insurance for employees and their children, and reimburse online sessions with a psychologist, including individual, family, and child consultations. We offer fully paid vacation days and sick leave. In certain circumstances, you can request additional days off. We support leading a healthy lifestyle and reimburse the cost of gym memberships and fitness app subscriptions, as well as massages, spa and sauna visits, and recovery treatments. Professional development and education We pay for participation in specialized conferences and courses and hold our own internal conferences. We cover foreign language courses. Employees who combine work with formal education are entitled to five additional paid days off per year for exams, thesis or dissertation defence, and other mandatory academic activities. Events and merch We regularly hold offline events like team meetings, big corporate parties, and informal office parties. We also regularly organize fun competitions, quizzes, hackathons, and online fitness challenges. We have a merch store with its own internal currency that you can use to buy unique gifts, such as a new game console or a padel racket. Pet care We reimburse a portion of pet-related expenses, including veterinary services and other eligible costs.

Flexibility at work

For most positions we offer a flexible schedule, and employees can work from anywhere in the world. We only evaluate your results.

For most positions we offer a flexible schedule, and employees can work from anywhere in the world. We only evaluate your results.

Caring for health and well-being

We provide voluntary health insurance for employees and their children, and reimburse online sessions with a psychologist, including individual, family, and child consultations.
We offer fully paid vacation days and sick leave. In certain circumstances, you can request additional days off.
We support leading a healthy lifestyle and reimburse the cost of gym memberships and fitness app subscriptions, as well as massages, spa and sauna visits, and recovery treatments.

Professional development and education

We pay for participation in specialized conferences and courses and hold our own internal conferences.
We cover foreign language courses.
Employees who combine work with formal education are entitled to five additional paid days off per year for exams, thesis or dissertation defence, and other mandatory academic activities.

Events and merch

We regularly hold offline events like team meetings, big corporate parties, and informal office parties.
We also regularly organize fun competitions, quizzes, hackathons, and online fitness challenges.
We have a merch store with its own internal currency that you can use to buy unique gifts, such as a new game console or a padel racket.