Software Engineer - Tooling

This is a hybrid role (3 days per week) based out of London.

the company is an AI-native game development and research studio exploring the future of interactive entertainment, digital actors, and intelligent worlds. We are looking for a versatile a full-stack software engineer to focus on our internal tooling effort.

The Role:

You’ll take ownership of Iconic’s internal tooling, building the systems and UX that will power the next generation of games and enable creators to rapidly build entirely new kinds of experiences.

Working closely with game design teams both internally and with our external partners, you’ll identify requirements, translate them into intuitive tools and workflows, and build and maintain the full-stack applications that bring them to life. You’ll respond directly to developer feedback and continuously evolve the tools, empowering teams of all sizes to create and ship experiences that haven’t been possible before.

As part of a small, focused team, you’ll have significant autonomy and end-to-end ownership of the features you build. You’ll collaborate closely with artists, writers, designers and engineers to develop and maintain narrative systems, balancing great creator UX with performant, scalable and maintainable code.

What You’ll Do:

• Build and own the tools and workflows that enable teams to create AI-powered experiences
• Develop intuitive full-stack applications for designers, artists and writers
• Work directly with internal teams and external partners to understand their needs and turn them into great tools
• Build and maintain narrative systems and creator-facing workflows
• Iterate quickly based on developer feedback and real-world use
• Write performant, scalable and maintainable production code

What We’re Looking For:

• Strong experience with building Typescript & React frontends in a maintainable and scalable way.
• Experience with React performance optimisation, and frontend state management systems such as Tanstack Query or Zustand.
• Strong proficiency with Python
• Familiarity with Git and software engineering principles
• Confidence in collaborating across disciplines, and learning new tools every day
• An appreciation for game design and development principles

Nice to Have:

• Proficiency or familiarity with machine learning concepts and using large language models.
• Proficiency with C/C++
• Experience with SQL & Django or similar ORMs
• Experience with Unreal Engine, Unity or similar game engines
• Experience with Linux systems & devops
• Familiarity with cross-platform software compilation and packaging (e.g. dynamic and static linking)

Why Join Us

Be a foundational member of a team innovating at the intersection of AI, art, and storytelling. You'll help shape the research direction, culture, and technical foundations of a company building toward something genuinely new.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary and equity compensation
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Private healthcare
• Based in London with hybrid work
• Inclusive & friendly company culture with socials and game breaks

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