Senior Unreal Engine Networking Engineer

tobspr Games

3d • Remote

About The Position

The Senior Networking Engineer will build co-op multiplayer networking for a factory game in Unreal Engine 5. The networking layer must support a large, deterministic factory simulation involving hundreds of thousands of machines, while maintaining synchronization without excessive bandwidth use or delays. The hire will join a new game team as one of its first engineers and work closely with the Principal C++ Engineer and Engineering Team Lead.

The role is available either as a 6–12 month freelance contract focused on networking or as a permanent position specializing in networking while contributing as a generalist in other areas. The studio is fully remote, employs directly within Germany, works in English, and has critical meetings and collaboration during CET core hours, approximately 11:00–15:00.

Requirements

• At least one shipped title involving networking in Unreal Engine 4 or 5 using C++.
• Hands-on experience with Unreal's replication system, including replication graph, dormancy, RPCs, and network relevancy.
• Good judgment about what should use Unreal replication and what should be handled by the deterministic simulation.
• Experience with deterministic lockstep or input-based networking, or the ability to explain an approach to it.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Steam networking or online subsystems.
• Experience shipping co-op in a building, survival, or factory game.
• Experience experimenting with Unreal Engine's Iris replication system.
• For the permanent role, broad Unreal experience beyond networking.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the game's co-op networking, from session flow through replication.
• Work with the Principal C++ Engineer to keep the simulation synchronized between players without flooding bandwidth or introducing excessive delays.
• Profile and resolve network performance, latency, and desynchronization issues.
• Set up tooling to test multiplayer early and frequently.
• Document the networking model and train the team so engineers and designers can build features on it.

Benefits

• Fully remote work.
• Flexible working hours.
• Paid overtime on the rare occasions it occurs.
• Hardware budget for an ergonomic and comfortable work setup.
• Monthly personal growth allowance for courses, books, or other learning materials.
• Focus days for research or learning new skills.
• Yearly team gathering to meet and collaborate in person.
• Yearly salary review.
• Automatic annual salary increase of 2%.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed