Lead Programmer (C++ Custom Engine)

We’re looking for a Lead Programmer to join our award winning team in Middlesbrough (UK), home to the beautiful North Yorkshire coastline and countryside.

As a Lead Programmer at Double Eleven, your primary focus will be leading, mentoring, and guiding a talented programming team on a high profile project, which is a full art remaster of a much-loved title. While this is a hands-on role where you will contribute directly to systems and game code, your fundamental responsibility is to empower your engineers and ensure the successful delivery of a high-quality game experience.

Working closely alongside the other engineering leads, you will collaborate to set the technical strategy and ensure alignment across the project. As this project involves co-development, you will work seamlessly with our external partners. Furthermore, you will act as the first technical point of contact for the project inside your domain, taking part in regular client meetings and representing your team in critical discussions to ensure our solutions meet and exceed project demands.

Double Eleven is one of the largest independent video games developers and publishers in the UK. Headquartered in Middlesbrough, we employ over 400 people across our UK and Kuala Lumpur studios.

We are incredibly proud to partner with some of the world’s leading developers and publishers, including Rockstar Games, Obsidian Entertainment, Mojang, Bethesda Game Studios and Facepunch.

As a global games company, we've collaborated to create new worlds in The Outer Worlds 2, helped deliver unforgettable experiences for players of Red Dead Redemption, enabled millions to battle in Rust Console Edition and created new adventures in Fallout 76.

Double Eleven is more than a place to work, we are deeply values-driven in all that we do and we know that we are at our best when our people feel fulfilled. We offer flexible working hours to allow you to truly enjoy work/life balance and always strive to deliver a workplace experience like no other. We regularly bring our people together to connect and have fun through our many different events, parties and hobby-based clubs.

On this occasion, we’re unable to sponsor a visa for this role.

What you’ll be doing

On a daily basis, your focus will be on the success and direction of your team, supported by targeted hands-on technical execution. Your core responsibilities will include:

• Team Management & Mentorship: Lead a team, taking responsibility for their personal development and work delivery. You will coach a small team of programmers and perform regular code reviews with the development team to ensure code quality.
• Targeted Hands-On Implementation: Design, develop, test, and implement systems and game code to a high quality.
• Project Roadmapping & Delivery: Work closely with production on a project roadmap, breaking down and structuring tasks to efficiently meet deadlines and deliver according to that schedule.
• Client & Stakeholder Communication: Take part in regular client meetings and become the first technical point of contact for the project within your specific domain.
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Work seamlessly with other engineering teams, production, QA, and external artists on the client's team as required to create the highest quality title.

What we’re looking for

• Proven Leadership: Experience as a Lead or Associate Lead in the games industry, with a demonstrated ability to effectively coach and guide a team of programmers.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with team members outside the code team.
• Co-development Experience: Experience working in co-development environments is highly expected, and direct experience with cross-studio collaboration would be highly beneficial.
• Strong C++ & Engine Knowledge: Excellent knowledge of C++ alongside practical experience working with proprietary engines.
• Task Management & Estimation: Demonstrated experience working with your team to break down features, prioritize tasks, and accurately estimate work in collaboration with a dedicated production team.
• Performance & Optimization: Extensive experience with code optimization to ensure game systems meet strict performance guidelines.

Qualifications

• All relevant qualifications considered

What to expect

Working life at Double Eleven

• Start your day any time between 8:00am and 10:00am
• 35 working hours per week with a 1 hour lunch break (with the opportunity to flex down to 30 minutes or up to 2 hours)
• Opportunity to apply for hybrid working (up to 2 days working from home per week)
• 28 days annual leave (20 days annual leave + 8 days bank holiday)
• 1 day leave for your birthday and 1 day leave if you’re moving house
• Up to 10 days discretionary annual leave during our end of year break
• A brand new, state-of-the-art studio facilities that includes a market hall serving nutritious, subsidised meals, round-the-clock gym access, an auditorium and more
• Subsidised market hall with food, freshly prepared daily by our in-house hospitality team
• Free breakfast options, juice, hot drinks and fruit.
• Employee referral bonus (up to £2000!)
• Electric Car Scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free game codes, game swag and merchandise
• Family-friendly leave available
• Christmas Saving Scheme
• Free parking
• Best-in-class tools and workflows so you can focus on creativity

Recognising your contribution - award schemes

• Annual Profit Share
• Length of Service
• Annual High Performer Award

Professional development and wellbeing

• Vitality Private Healthcare, discounts and rewards for you, your spouse and children (upon the successful completion of your 6 month probationary period)
• Access to mental health and wellbeing support via Health Assured (includes 24/7/365 support, up to 10 sessions per year of confidential counselling, mental health advice and resources, financial wellbeing support, legal support)
• A personalised development plan with dedicated support tailored to your growth and goals
• Access to an accredited Academy providing professional qualifications (and access to 500 UK discounts and offers via TOTUM when registered as a student)
• A dedicated Workplace Experience team responsible for work environments, workplace and quality of employee life services to help foster collaboration, creativity and innovation
• In-studio wellbeing programmes and People team support

Team life

• Free activities via our Bus Tours programme (where on occasion, partners and children are welcome to join you)
• Many team events to celebrate team and game milestones
• Sponsored team activities including football, basketball, book club, movie club and more
• Opportunity to contribute to our internal Employee Diversity and Equality Network

Ways to reach us

If you have a general query or if you need support with your application and/or an alternative way to apply, please do not hesitate to contact our Talent team at Double Eleven