Principal Software Engineer (Engine)

• Location: Vancouver
• State: British Columbia
• Country: Canada

At EA, we believe games are powerful because they bring together multiple ways people engage: play, watch, create, and connect. And increasingly, the biggest entertainment platforms aren't just places to consume content — they're places where communities build.

Creator-made content is already a proven part of EA's history — from community creation tools in Battlefield to The Gallery in The Sims 4. We believe new creative technologies and tools will expand how players engage with and contribute to our experiences, supported by thoughtful product design, safety systems, and global reach. Our focus is on enabling more players to participate in creative expression by making creation easier, safer, and more rewarding.

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join our Research & Engineering team. You have the agency to deploy your technical firepower wherever it creates maximum leverage for our core engine systems and technology stack. You will look across engine subsystems rather than being bound to a single domain. Whether partnering with domain specialists to refine low-level engine subsystems, unblocking gameplay feel and simulation fidelity, or diving deep into engine systems to resolve systemic performance bottlenecks, you take pride in identifying critical choke points and solving them directly in code.

This is a hybrid role, onsite three days a week, in Montreal, Vancouver, or Redwood Shores, California.

You will report to the Sr. Director of Engineering.

Responsibilities

• High-Leverage Problem Solving: Proactively identify systemic bottlenecks, risks, and stability challenges across core engine and toolchain teams, deploying your expertise where it creates the highest impact.

• Full-Stack Execution: Move fluidly across disciplines—gameplay, game AI, runtime simulation, threading, memory, and pipelines—to build proof-of-concepts and resolve complex engine challenges.

• Production Readiness: Bridge foundational technology and game production, translating complex technical designs into robust, performant, and maintainable core engine systems.

• Core Systems Craft: Build scalable runtime frameworks, memory systems, threading models, and core hardware abstractions operating within strict per-frame budget constraints.

• Engineering Mentorship: Elevate engineers through hands-on pairing, design reviews, and sharing modern best practices.

Qualifications

We are a diverse, goal-driven team that offers real influence and autonomy to every member. Our ideal candidate is curious, open-minded, and thrilled by exploring fresh concepts and tailoring them for game development. If you are a passionate, creative, and communicative individual who is deeply invested in innovating across new domains of gaming, we want you on our team.

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