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At Xbox Game Studios, we are hard at work continuing the great legacy of Age of Empires, our beloved RTS (Real Time Strategy) franchise. We are a passionate group responsible for this amazing franchise and are expanding our team looking for a wonderful colleague that will be responsible for planning and building our future tech stack.

We are looking for a Principal Unreal Engineer with background in all aspects of Unreal Engine game development and experience leading external resources. We’re looking for someone with communication skills and a self-driven approach to work, capable of both directing external teams and jumping in and coding when needed.

The Principal Unreal Engineer candidate understands first party development, enjoys collaborating with internal and external partners, and has a track record for delivering quality software.

The Principal Unreal Engineer will have proven Unreal development experience and understand engine fundamentals such as game system design, content pipelines, networking, and the rest of the core Unreal systems. The candidate should also have experience working on a wide range of target platforms and supporting Unreal titles through multiple engine upgrades both during development and after launch.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

+ Be able to direct our partners in any aspect of Unreal development. You don’t need to be an expert in every aspect of the engine, but the ability to quickly ramp up on any part of it will be key to this job

+ Have an understanding of where the Unreal game engine is going sowe’re not just selecting the best solutions today, but the best solutions for our projects for many years to come

+ Work with our partners to try to bring new features into our Unreal games in a way that lets us continue to take Unreal Engine integrations well into the live services phases of our titles with minimal integration pain

+ Participate in architecture reviews and provideimplementation guidance

+ Participate in cross-group work streams to research and develop new technology and processes

+ Collaborate closely with producers, designers, artists, and central technology teams to prototype and/or implement new product features

+ Embody our Culture (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/culture) & Values (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

+ Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, or C#

+ OR equivalent experience

+ Experience as senior or lead level Unreal programmer or similar position

+ 6+ years of experience in C/C++ with an emphasis in Unreal programming

+ Experience in Unreal technologies like Blueprint, Gameplay Ability System, StateTree, Environment Query System, Networking, Mass Entity, or similar

+ Experience with shipping Unreal titles on a wide range of hardware

+ Experience optimizingUnreal games

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Passion for games and technology

+ Creative problem solving and algorithm development skills

+ Self-motivated and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

+ Interpersonal skills

+ Experience working with external partners

+ Experience with newer Unreal technologies like Procedural Content Generation and Iris

+ Advanced degree in Computer Science or related field

+ Real Time Strategy game development experience

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $139,900 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 24, 2025.

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .