Principal Engineer

About the role

Who We Are 2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment. Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA®️ 2K, renowned BioShock®️, Borderlands®️, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®️ and XCOM®️ brands; popular WWE®️ 2K and WWE®️ SuperCard franchises, TopSpin 2K25, as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR®️ 2K.

What We Need

A visionary technical authority to lead the core technology group. You will define a scalable technical strategy, drive engineering excellence across multiple senior teams, and serve as the chief mentor and architect for R&D efforts.

What You'll Do

• Define Architectural Strategy: Set the long-term technical roadmap, engineering standards, and core technology adoption (engine, backend, rendering).
• Drive Technical Governance: Act as the final authority on critical design decisions, establish quality gates, and manage performance budgets.
• Lead Hands-On Innovation: Prototype foundational systems, perform high-level code reviews, and solve high-risk architectural challenges.
• Mentor Senior Talent: Coach Principal Engineers and Tech Leads to foster a culture of technical rigor and continuous improvement.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate technical debt, performance bottlenecks, and architectural risks across the development lifecycle.
• Cross-Disciplinary Partnership: Align technical architecture with creative, production, and business objectives.

What Will Make You a Great Fit

• Industry Veteran: 10+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years in a Principal or Architect role (AAA gaming or high-scale systems preferred).
• Deep Expertise: Expert-level C++, Unreal Engine architecture, and high-performance computing.
• Proven Track Record: Success in shipping multiple complex products with stable, maintainable architectures.
• Strategic Communicator: Ability to translate complex technical concepts for both engineers and executive leadership.
• Pragmatic Problem Solver: Balanced approach to solving immediate production needs while maintaining long-term architectural health.
• Innovation Focused: A passion for replacing legacy workflows with scalable, R&D-driven solutions.