ENGINE PROGRAMMER (UNREAL)

About this role

ENGINE PROGRAMMER (UNREAL) OVERVIEW Location: Europe Type: Contract, Freelance Flexibility: Studio-first hybrid (if Bucharest) / Remote Level: Mid, Senior Salary Range: EUR 44,000 – 63,000 Gross / Year ATRA collaborates with game studios around the world to help build ambitious games across PC and console platforms. Our team is composed of experienced developers who care deeply about craft, collaboration and delivering high-quality game experiences. We’re looking for a Low-Level Engine Programmer to join a confidential AAA project built on Unreal Engine. This is a deeply technical, systems-focused role centered on engine-level performance. You’ll work close to the metal: profiling and optimizing CPU-bound systems, working with the compilation toolchain, and building the low-level infrastructure a large production depends on. You’ll collaborate closely with other engineers across engine, gameplay and platform teams, and your work will directly shape how the game runs across current- and previous-generation consoles and PC. WHAT YOU'LL WORK ON * Optimizing engine and game systems for performance, with a strong focus on the CPU side * Working with Unreal’s build and compilation tooling, in particular the Unreal Build Tool (UBT) * Designing and improving multi-threaded systems, including the jobs/task scheduler * Setting up and maintaining Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO) pipelines * Profiling across target platforms and tracking down performance bottlenecks * Collaborating with engine, gameplay and platform engineers to keep systems stable and performant * Supporting delivery across multiple console and PC targets WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Requirements: * 5+ years of professional experience in engine or systems programming * Strong programming skills in C++ and solid software engineering fundamentals * Professional experience working with Unreal Engine in production environments * Hands-on experience with multi-threading and concurrent programming * Familiarity with compilation tools, in particular the Unreal Build Tool * Experience with Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO) * Strong performance-optimization background, especially CPU-side profiling and tuning * Strong debugging and problem-solving abilities * Comfortable navigating and contributing to large or long-lived codebases * Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively across engine, gameplay and platform teams * Experience using version control systems such as Git or Perforce   Nice to have: * Experience building or maintaining a jobs/task scheduler * Console development experience (PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) * Low-level, hardware-aware optimization (cache behavior, SIMD, memory layout) * Experience with porting or cross-platform projects * Contributions to shipped titles WHAT YOU'LL GET * The opportunity to work on high-quality projects with leading game studios * Collaboration with experienced developers across disciplines * A flexible working environment * A team culture built on entrepeneurial spirit, transparency and respect for craft * Opportunities to grow into technical leadership or specialist roles HOW TO APPLY 1 Send your CV & Portfolio so we can review your background and skills 2 Include a short note about your experience and interests 3 Join a short intro call to explore our mutual fit and kick things off Apply for this role