Internship Opportunity: Software Engineering Intern

Rare is an Xbox Game Studio creating the kind of games the world doesn’t have. Our values – explorers, evolving, together – are fundamental to the games we make and how we make them. Rare offers rewarding and fulfilling careers for exceptional people, supporting you to learn and grow. Our studio is a welcoming campus in the heart of the Midlands, where the majority of our team work in a flexible hybrid work pattern.

Could you be our next Software Engineering Intern? We’re looking for applicants with a growth mindset who aren’t afraid to get involved in areas they know little about first-hand. As an intern in one of our engineering teams, you can expect to have a diverse experience working on a huge range of areas in the studio.

You should be ready to go all in and bring your passion for gaming with you, regardless of the team you join. It all begins with your onboarding, where you'll join an established team working alongside industry experts. Throughout the placement your learning and development won't stop, and you will receive on-the-job coaching, mentoring, and personal development from colleagues. As a valued part of the team, we'll expect you to give your insights and opinions and make a real contribution to our business!

Required Qualifications

• A good understanding or passion for computer programming and software creation.
• Some hands-on experience or projects where you've applied your programming skills.
• Familiarity with one or more of these languages: C, C++, or C#.
• You must be legally authorised (have citizenship or a valid visa/work permit) to work in the UK for this position. (Legally authorised = Has citizenship or has been granted a valid visa or work permit).
• Relocation expenses are not provided as part of this role - please be aware that this role will be based at Rare Studio, Twycross, Leicestershire, CV9 3QN and the successful applicant will be required to work on-site to get the best out of their 12-month internship.

Please note, you don't need to have experience in video game development or be studying it specifically. Also, you don't need any formal diplomas or degrees to apply. We value your skills and enthusiasm.

Preferred Qualifications

• Problem Solving & Growth Mindset.
• Experience with other managed languages (Java etc.).
• A scripting language (e.g., Python, Perl, PowerShell).
• Automated Testing (e.g., NUnit).
• Source Control (git, Perforce, etc.).
• Understanding security over the internet (e.g., https, certificates, PKI).
• Working within a team.
• Experience with commercial game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity, or Godot.
• Web Development (e.g., Azure Services, ASP.NET, React/Vue, other JS/TS Frameworks).
• Cloud deployment (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP).
• CI/CD (e.g., TeamCity, Octopus, Jenkins, GitHub Actions).
• Contribution to an open-source community.
• Game related engineering (e.g., rendering with DirectX/OpenGL, 3D modelling).
• Any other skills you have which you think we would love to see!

How to apply

Please include a copy of your CV with a cover letter and portfolio. We realise that your portfolio may be a work in progress and that’s fine, it’s your potential that will catch our eye. Here are some things you can do to help your portfolio stand out:

• Include things you are genuinely proud of – this is your chance to show off so please make the content easily accessible.
• Demonstrates why you want to work for our team at Rare. We’re a creative lot so it doesn’t have to be a letter, it could be a video, comic, or even a game!

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

Our engineers at Rare don’t just work on gameplay features or inside Unreal Engine. There are a variety of teams and disciplines that work on and support the game development process.

Pipeline – Working with Continuous Integration & Deployment systems, and C# tooling, this team empowers gameplay developers to build the best possible game.

Live Services – Working on Azure RESTful Microservices mostly in C#, this team has the most direct impact on gameplay for our players on Sea of Thieves.

Site Reliability Engineering – Working with platforms and infrastructure, this team solves for scale through collaboration and automation, bringing engineering principles to infrastructure and operational problems.

And many more teams and initiatives spinning up all the time to support the studio and our games!

As our new Software Engineer Intern, you will get the opportunity to work across teams and learn valuable skills in new and interesting areas. You can work on bespoke C# tooling apps that help developers, or work on features that integrate with Xbox Live, PlayFab, and Azure to enhance the player experience.

We are keen to support you in the career direction you want to take - if you are after experience in specific departments and tools or would rather move between disciplines, we’ll be excited to offer help and advice. Aligning your current skills and future goals with the business areas that fit will be something we will work with you to decide.

Key Accountabilities

• Design, implement, and iterate on tools, apps, and technologies in conjunction with other Engineers, Designers, Artists, and Testers.
• Identify and surface risks in the areas that are being worked on.
• Research and develop software systems to support the development of our products in conjunction with other Engineers.
• Solve problems through the application of sound engineering practice.
• Continuously work to minimise technical debt and maintenance hazards.
• Deploying and running services in an Azure environment.