Senior Software Engineer (Match AI & Simulation)

Location: Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, United Kingdom. Hybrid working model with 2–3 days in the studio; remote work is available by exception.

Company

Sports Interactive is a hirify.global Europe studio developing Football Manager and in-house football simulation technology.

What you will do

• Develop, extend, improve, and maintain the match simulation codebase, workflows, and tools.
• Design and implement game AI for match agents, including decision-making, positioning, rules enforcement, and tactical behaviours.
• Refactor monolithic AI systems into maintainable architectures using behaviour trees, finite state machines, utility-based systems, and related techniques.
• Build and maintain ImGUI-based debugging and visualisation tools for understanding agent behaviour and accelerating iteration.
• Collaborate with designers, QA, producers, and engineering teams on features, planning, and the long-term roadmap.
• Research simulation technologies and optimise deterministic, cross-platform performance, including on mobile devices.

Requirements

• At least five years of professional experience using C++ as the main language.
• Professional games-industry experience designing and developing game AI systems and simulation paradigms.
• Strong knowledge of C++, design patterns, software engineering, mathematics, analysis, and problem-solving.
• Hands-on experience with behaviour trees, finite state machines, utility-based systems, or similar classical game AI techniques.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively with engineers, designers, QA, and production.
• Interest in football; Football Manager experience is beneficial.

Nice to have

• Experience with C# and Unity.
• Experience with or strong appreciation for deterministic simulation systems.
• Familiarity with Python and ImGUI.

Culture & Benefits

• Private healthcare, dental plans, travel insurance, and a contributory pension scheme with contributions of up to 7% of annual salary.
• Gym membership options, mental health and coaching support, and access to onsite physical and massage therapy.
• Regular events with partner football clubs and free access to games released under the hirify.global Europe umbrella.
• Onsite studio facilities include an evening bar, breakfast bar, clubs, societies, and disabled access.
• Collaborative, flexible, ambitious, and inclusive studio environment with support for professional growth and work-life balance.