Game Development Engineer

Title: Game Engine Development & Optimization Engineer (Contract)

Pay Rate: $40 - $60/hr. (Depending on Experience)

Hours: Full-Time | 40 Hours/Week | Flexible Schedule

Location: Irvine, CA (Preferred) or Playa Vista, Los Angeles, CA | 100% Onsite (5 Days/Week)

Contract Duration: 12 Months

Start Date: ASAP

Summary:

We are seeking a talented Game Engine Development & Optimization Engineer to support cutting-edge game engine development, performance optimization, and engineering innovation for a leading global technology and gaming organization.

In this role, you will work directly with game engine source code, primarily Unreal Engine 5, to develop and enhance core engine systems, optimize performance, and improve development workflows. You'll tackle complex technical challenges involving C++ programming, computer graphics, memory management, multithreading, and real-time rendering while exploring AI-assisted development tools to accelerate engineering productivity.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineer with strong C++ programming skills, experience working with Unreal Engine or other commercial game engines, and a passion for solving complex performance challenges. We welcome candidates with varying levels of professional experience who demonstrate strong technical fundamentals, curiosity, and the ability to independently develop innovative solutions.

What You'll Do:

• Develop, maintain, and optimize game engine systems and tools, primarily using Unreal Engine 5
• Work directly with game engine source code to investigate technical issues, implement new features, and improve existing functionality
• Develop and optimize engine subsystems involving rendering, physics, animation, asset processing, and other core technologies
• Profile and optimize CPU performance, memory usage, multithreading, and low-level engine systems
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks through debugging, profiling, and code-level analysis
• Improve engine runtime performance, compilation efficiency, system stability, and overall development workflows
• Leverage AI coding assistants and AI agents to accelerate software development, debugging, testing, and code maintenance
• Explore AI-assisted workflows for code generation, automated testing, code analysis, and developer productivity
• Develop automation scripts and engineering tools to streamline repetitive tasks and improve development pipelines
• Collaborate with software engineers and technical artists to troubleshoot engine-related challenges and implement technical improvements
• Support engine build systems, cross-platform development, technical integrations, and engineering infrastructure
• Create technical documentation and reusable engineering practices to support long-term maintainability

What You Bring:

• Hands-on experience developing, debugging, modifying, or extending game engine systems using Unreal Engine 5 or another commercial game engine
• Strong proficiency in modern C++, including memory management, multithreading, data structures, and algorithms
• Solid understanding of game engine architecture, runtime systems, and development workflows
• Experience analyzing and optimizing low-level software performance, including CPU usage, memory utilization, and multithreaded systems
• Familiarity with game engine profiling, debugging, and performance analysis tools
• Strong computer graphics fundamentals, with practical experience in at least one of the following areas:
• Geometry Processing: Mesh representations, geometric algorithms, spatial data structures, collision detection, or mesh processing
• Rendering: Graphics pipelines, shaders, lighting, materials, GPU programming, or real-time rendering
• Physics Simulation: Rigid-body dynamics, collision detection and response, numerical methods, or real-time physics systems
• Ability to understand, debug, and optimize graphics-related algorithms and engine systems
• Practical experience with AI-assisted coding tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, or similar technologies
• Understanding of AI-generated code validation, debugging, reliability, and code quality
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to independently investigate complex technical challenges
• Excellent collaboration, communication, and technical documentation skills
• Ability to work onsite five days per week in Irvine or Playa Vista, CA

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Experience modifying or extending Unreal Engine 5 source code, particularly core engine subsystems
• Advanced knowledge of real-time rendering, geometry processing, or physics simulation
• Experience with GPU programming, CUDA, DirectX, or Vulkan
• Familiarity with performance profiling tools such as Unreal Insights, PIX, or NVIDIA Nsight
• Experience optimizing rendering, physics, animation, collision detection, or asset streaming systems
• Experience developing AI agents, AI-powered engineering tools, or automated coding workflows
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, automation, and development tool creation
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, build systems, automated testing, or compiler-related technologies
• Background in cross-platform game development and optimization, particularly for PC or mobile platforms

TCWGlobal is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religious belief, or sexual orientation.