Lead Software Engineer

Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Role ID

211635

Worker Type

Regular Employee

Studio/Department

EA Studios - SPORTS

Work Model

Hybrid

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

At EA SPORTS, we're building the future of interactive entertainment, and the NHL team is at the heart of that mission. Our team in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a diverse group of talented developers dedicated to solving unique technical challenges to create the most authentic on-ice experience for millions of players worldwide.

As the Foundations Stream Tech Lead, you will guide the technical vision for the core systems that are the bedrock of the NHL franchise. You will oversee the teams responsible for gameplay, rendering, presentation, audio and art, tackling complex problems to build robust, scalable, and high-performing technology. This is a leadership opportunity with a massive impact, perfect for someone passionate about building the engine that drives a world-class game.

You will be working on a hybrid model, 3 days a week out of our EAV Studio in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Reporting to the Franchise Technical Director, you will:

• Partner with the Franchise Technical Director to set the technical direction and roadmap for the Foundations stream, aligning with the overall project and studio goals.
• Oversee the technical design, implementation, and delivery of features and initiatives within the stream.
• Drive a culture of performance and optimization, establishing and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for CPU and GPU usage.
• Proactively identify and resolve complex technical challenges, leading to the triaging and prioritization of performance bottlenecks and system-level issues.
• Collaborating closely with other streams leads across Art, Design, and Production to ensure that core technologies meet the needs of the entire development team.
• Manage and mentor the engineering leads on the Foundations team, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Champion and enforce coding standards, engineering best practices, and the technical brief process.
• Act as a key technical stakeholder in milestone reviews and project planning, providing expert guidance and realistic assessments of technical scope and risk.

Your Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in software development, with a proven track record of shipping high-quality, performance-critical code on console platforms. Experience in rendering, gameplay or systems is a plus.
• 3+ years of experience in technical leadership or management role.
• Deep proficiency in C++ and a strong understanding of modern software architecture and design patterns.
• Robust understanding of performance analysis and optimization principles for both CPU and GPU. Direct experience with profiling tools is highly beneficial.
• Experience with large-scale game engines (bonus points for experience with Frostbite).
• Strong ability to analyze and solve complex, multi-disciplinary challenges.
• A collaborative and team-oriented mindset, with a proven ability to work effectively with engineers, designers, artists, and producers.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

* British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$138,700 - $199,900 CAD

In British Columbia, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts

We're proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.