Remote Technical Director / Senior Principal Engineer - Unreal Engine and Systems

Description:

• Jackbox is a small game studio known for the Jackbox Party Pack franchise, which includes popular games like Quiplash, Drawful, and Trivia Murder Party.
• The studio has over 200 million users and has been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and by Polygon.
• The position is for a Technical Director or Senior Principal Engineer to lead the core systems architecture for Trivia Murder Party 3 and future online multiplayer party games.
• This role involves owning technical direction, system design, and cross-team alignment for the game’s runtime, multiplayer, and meta systems.
• Responsibilities include managing player connections, session management, data flow, and player identity across platforms.
• The role requires collaboration with engineers, designers, producers, and platform teams to ensure systems are aligned, maintainable, and scalable.
• It is a hands-on leadership position focused on unblocking others, setting technical quality, and making smart trade-offs while being able to contribute directly when necessary.
• People management experience is a plus but not required.

Requirements:

• Candidates must have 10+ years of experience in game development with deep expertise in Unreal Engine (UE4 or UE5) at the systems or engine level.
• Experience shipping at least one cross-platform online multiplayer title, ideally with live service elements or real-time audience interaction, is required.
• Hands-on experience with platform requirements and constraints, including compliance with TRCs and integration with first-party SDKs, is necessary.
• Candidates should be skilled at managing certification timelines, interpreting platform guidelines, and resolving compliance issues.
• Strong architectural instincts are essential, with the ability to evaluate trade-offs, simplify complexity, and communicate effectively across technical and non-technical audiences.
• A track record of guiding large features or systems from design through shipping in a collaborative, cross-functional environment is required.
• Fluency in C++, networking fundamentals, and asynchronous system design is necessary.
• Deep familiarity with replication, session management, platform services (e.g., EOS, PlayFab), and backend integration patterns is required.
• Experience mentoring other engineers and uplifting a team’s technical quality and ownership mindset is preferred.
• Familiarity with browser-based controller interfaces, WebSockets, and real-time audience voting/input is a plus.
• An interest in telemetry, live debugging, and supporting liveops teams with real-world observability is desirable.
• A passion for weird, social, or audience-participation games like Jackbox titles is important.

Benefits:

• The pay range for this position is $172,845-$222,845, with individual compensation packages based on unique factors such as skill set, experience, and qualifications.
• The company offers a 401(k) with matching and various medical plans, covering 100% of premiums for dental, vision, disability, and life insurance for employees, as well as a significant portion for spouse/partner/dependent coverage.
• Employees enjoy a flexible work schedule and environment, with options for remote work in several states and an open office in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
• Flexible PTO is provided, allowing employees to take time off as needed to recharge or manage personal matters.
• Annual stipends for therapy, growth, wellness, and home office equipment are available to support employees' lifelong learning and health.
• The work environment is creative and collaborative, filled with talented individuals, and includes moments of humor and enjoyment.
• Free food is provided either virtually or in the office, with stocked snacks and frequent DoorDash credits.