Sr. Gameplay Engineer, Games Experience Engineering

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with 283 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

As a Sr. Gameplay Engineer on the Technology Research Group team you will be given the unique opportunity to unlock the potential of Netflix’s game controller driving new and innovative ways for our members to experience our games. You will focus on delivering gameplay prototypes that leverage both dual screen gameplay and using a phone as a flexible touch input for playing games on your TV.
 

The right candidate will be a generalist with experience in web, mobile, and console development with a focus on gameplay engineering which enables them to identify unique gameplay opportunities, break down what makes an experience “feel good,” and prove it with playable code. You will be called upon to partner with creative leadership to identify new opportunities and drive rapid prototyping of them using pre-existing game engines, tools, and asset libraries.

THE TEAM

The Technology Research Group's mission is to research and build foundational technology that drives innovation with beloved IPs, served seamlessly within the Netflix ecosystem. You will join a group of developers who are aligned with our core values and care deeply about the experiences they create as well as the people they make them with. We’re looking for candidates that bias towards action and are energized by the learning that comes with bold experimentation at an agile pace. As a part of Netflix, we strive to hire the best and value integrity, excellence, respect, inclusion, and collaboration.

Responsibilities 

• iOS/Android/Web/Game engine mobile feature development utilizing sensors such as gyroscope, haptics, microphone, touch, etc. 

• Drive input and control implementation: Partners with designers to identify unique opportunities showcasing second screen experiences. Outlines overall prototype design goals with a focus on input controls and user experience. Provides technical design documentation as needed for consumption by product teams and technology partners.

• Manage Technology Partnerships: Liaison with Games R&D and platform teams as needed to socialize game prototypes and their technology needs. Collaborates closely with other engineers to understand existing platform workflows, constraints, and future feature sets. 

• Delivers playable gameplay prototypes: Leverages existing platforms, technology, and asset libraries combined with custom code solutions to deliver fully playable gameplay experiences to be used as proof of concept for future development projects.

• Ship Early and Often: Champions the player experience over perfection in craft. Seeks to learn quickly and ship often delivering rapidly evolving game prototypes that are both innovative and accessible. 

The Ideal Candidate

• Web/Game Engine development 

• 7+ years experience as a gameplay engineer, with at least one shipped title as a senior or lead engineer

• Expertise in C++ or C#, and some experience with other common game coding languages including Lua

• Web frontend development using technologies such as React/TypeScript/JavaScript

• Expertise in two or more commercial game engine technologies such as Defold, Unity3D, Unreal Engine and associated programming/scripting languages 

• Experienced in game incubation as a solo developer or small team

• Exceptional communication and cross-discipline collaboration skills

• A highly motivated and organized individual capable of setting clear goals and self-managing their schedule

• Passion for making interactive experiences with a healthy balance of rapid prototyping and long term investment

Bonus Skills

• iOS/Android development

• Experience working with external developers across multiple disciplines (Art, Audio, Narrative, Design, etc.)

• Experience building applications for emergent platforms with early / unfinished infrastructure

• Experience with rapid prototyping, with an emphasis on rapid learning

• Advanced web development skills such as WebGPU

Location: 

• Open to Remote, with Marin County preferred 

Our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top-of-market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range. The range for this role is $90,000 - $600,000.

Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits. We also offer paid leave of absence programs.  Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid time off. Full-time salaried employees are immediately entitled to flexible time off. See more details about our Benefits here.

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.

Job is open for no less than 7 days and will be removed when the position is filled.