Game Engine Programmer - RuneTek

Location: Cambridge, UK – This position offers flexible working options, including predominantly remote work. Applicants are preferably based (or willing to relocate) within a comfortable commuting distance of our office to attend onsite as required.

Want to work on the core technologies that power the RuneScape franchise and help shape the future of Jagex’s platform capabilities?

The Game Engine team is responsible for enhancing and optimising RuneTek, our cross-platform game engine with a heavy focus on rendering technologies that help drive development of the game engine.

As a member of the Game Engine Team you will be responsible for the successful delivery of complex technical solutions, working with our production and game development teams to help realise Jagex’s vision for its games.

What you’ll be doing:

• Enhance and maintain our engine technology and code libraries, spanning networking, audio, input, file system, maths libraries, threaded job systems and tools interoperability.
• Research, innovate and develop new game engine technology, delivering it production-ready and keeping our industry-leading tech ahead of the competition.
• Contribute code that is scalable, robust, highly available and performant, meeting the standards, principles and best practices of the department.
• Deliver on projects of moderate scope, complexity and critical business impact, working as part of a team to balance product, production and engineering priorities.
• Stay proactive in making our game technology faster and more effective, spotting improvements to systems and processes and helping evaluate off-the-shelf and in-house solutions.
• Shape your own specialism over time, whether that's graphics, networking, audio or animation, with genuine mentorship and support from the team.

What we’re looking for: 

• Demonstrable game engine development experience in modern C++, working alongside GLSL and Python.
• Experience profiling CPU, GPU and memory at both a high and low level, monitoring performance in live products and turning what you find into real fixes.
• Experience on AAA threaded renderers powered by OpenGL and Vulkan, with GLSL as the primary shading language.
• Comfortable maintaining build systems for C++ codebases — CMake experience is an advantage.
• Experience with test-driven development.
• Java programming experience is a bonus.

What we offer:

When you join Jagex you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Life Insurance.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!

Inclusion & Accessibility Statement

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and we recruit, develop, and promote based on merit and ability.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to support you during the recruitment process, please let us know when you’re invited to interview.

Right to Work Statement

This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship for this position, either now or in the future. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship. 

About Jagex

We are Jagex: The RuneScape Company. Home to one of gaming’s most enduring success stories. We create deep, community-powered games with worlds that evolve, inspire, and endure. Our flagship MMORPG franchise, RuneScape, has welcomed over 300 million player accounts, inspiring generations of players across PC and mobile for 25 years.

As we begin our 26th year, we are accelerating our strategy to expand RuneScape into a broader ecosystem of forever games and connected experiences, grounded in a renewed commitment to integrity and fair play. This includes the reduction of monetisation mechanics, as well as the launch of RuneScape: DragonWilds into Steam Early Access in 2025, representing a major step in building a multi-genre future for the RuneScape universe. We remain focused on building enduring worlds, empowering player-led innovation, and laying the foundations for the boldest era in RuneScape’s history. For more information, visit https://www.jagex.com/ .

Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, we are home to passionate creators, storytellers, engineers, and even a few dreamers, all united by a single mission to shape the future of online worlds and empower players to make them their own. We’re looking for people to join us who share our ambitions and values. We foster an inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating experiences that inspire our communities.
Our values guide everything we do: We Embrace Fellowship by collaborating and sharing openly. We Hone our Craft by always learning and improving; We Honour our Vows by being honest and transparent; We are our Customers’ Heroes by striving to understand our team & player needs, and We Seize The Day by making the most of every opportunity.

Join us. The next era of RuneScape and the next chapter of Jagex: The RuneScape Company starts now.