Lead Programmer - Xsolla

Job Title: Lead Programmer
Job Location: Berlin, Germany
Job Listing URL: https://jobs.lever.co/xsolla/d3fcf2b4-3e4b-4457-aad7-26fa8aaf43b2
Job Description: Black Ember Games, an all-new development team within Xsolla, is seeking a Lead Programmer to guide our five-person gameplay engineering team building an asymmetrical multiplayer FPS using Unreal Engine 5.

Our small internal team operates with an indie mindset, fueled by our passion for games. We're a diverse, lively group dedicated to exploring new ideas within genres we love to play. We enjoy a hybrid work model, collaborating in our central Berlin and Novi Sad offices. Full remote is a possibility.

As the Lead Programmer, you will establish technical standards for game development, playing a crucial role in every technical aspect of the process. This includes setting processes and standards, as well as selecting and guiding the implementation of all external development solutions.

You possess exceptional programming skills and serve as a go-to resource for less experienced colleagues. Your responsibilities include:

Leading personnel (official personnel responsibility).
Leading the architectural design of the game.
Advising Producers, Studio Leadership, and HR on technical matters.
Maintaining an "Open door policy" and delegating sufficient work to ensure availability for team members and external colleagues with technical questions.
Actively contributing to the title, getting hands-on with the code, while guiding the team.
RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead Programmer Responsibilities:
Technical Vision: Own the game's technical vision, communicating risks early in development.
Code Quality: Write readable code and mentor others in code readability.
Architecture: Act as the final authority on architectural decisions.
Integration and Testing: Ensure our pipeline is set up so that our development team is never left asking which branch is stable or where to go for latest.

Leadership Responsibilities:
Team Cohesion: Foster a productive and cohesive team environment.
Mentorship: Coach direct reports through regular 1:1s, and mentor junior colleagues using deep technical understanding of the codebase.
Standards: Set code conventions and prioritize the end product.
Recruitment & Onboarding: Review candidates and onboard new programmers.
Task Management: Support Producers in assigning tasks.

Gamer Perspective:
Possess extensive game knowledge for production reference, while remaining open to learning.
Prioritize the player/user when developing features.
REQUIREMENTS

Required
5–8+ years professional game-programming experience with lead/manager experience (≥1 year) and at least one shipped PC/console title in Unreal Engine.
Deep Unreal Engine (UE5/UE4) knowledge plus system/engine architecture capability.
Strong modern C/C++ skills; able to set standards, do code reviews, and deliver maintainable, optimized code.
Blueprint proficiency alongside UE C++; comfortable extending editor/tools.
Networking/multiplayer experience (replication, dedicated servers).Lead a code team, mentor engineers, plan roadmaps, manage risk, and be the technical point of contact with production/clients.
Excellent cross-discipline communication and stakeholder alignment.
Fluent English communication (written and verbal).

Preferred
Knowledge of Gameplay Ability System (GAS), AI/animation/physics depth, or specialization in rendering/tools
Perforce/Jira/Horde; build & packaging pipeline know-how.