Senior Gameplay Software Engineer - EA SPORTS™ NHL

Electronic Arts is seeking an experienced Senior Gameplay Software Engineer to join the EA SPORTS™ NHL team in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The EA SPORTS™ NHL franchise has revolutionized sports gaming for millions of players worldwide, and the team is dedicated to creating on-ice experiences that connect gamers around the world through play.

As a Senior Gameplay Software Engineer, you will be a core architect of the moment-to-moment hockey experience, driving how skating physics, puck dynamics, player control, body checks, and spatial team AI come to life. You will collaborate with designers, animators, and technical leaders to deliver responsive, realistic, and exhilarating gameplay.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and build on-ice systems, including player movement/skating physics, stick handling, puck trajectory, collision dynamics, and team AI behaviours
• Collaborate with game designers, animators, producers, and audio engineers to translate hockey systems and creative concepts into polished gameplay mechanics
• Write clean, modular, and highly performant C++ code, taking ownership of memory management, multi-threading, and frame-rate optimisation for modern console hardware
• Explore and integrate emerging AI techniques, automated testing tools, and dynamic behaviour models to elevate on-ice intelligence and streamline team workflows
• Build and support internal tools, debug utilities, and editor extensions to empower designers and animators to iterate quickly
• Iterate continuously on responsiveness, stick control, animation transitions, and hit reaction physics to ensure maximum feel, precision, and player satisfaction
• Guide and mentor mid-level and junior engineers, advocating for software architecture best practices, thorough code reviews, and high technical standards

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of professional game development experience, with a proven track record of shipping title(s) or building core gameplay/physics systems
• Advanced proficiency in C++ and object-oriented software engineering
• Strong foundation in 3D math (vectors, matrices, quaternions), physics simulation, data structures, and algorithms
• Experience with multi-threaded architecture, memory optimisation, and performance profiling tools
• Deep understanding of character movement, animation blending/state machines, spatial AI, or real-time physics interactions
• Demonstrated interest or experience in leveraging AI tools, modern automation, and workflow optimisations in game development
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical disciplines
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience

Nice to Have:

• Direct experience developing for current-generation consoles (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S)
• Passion for hockey, ice sports, or sports gaming titles
• Knowledge of dynamic character physics, cloth/equipment simulation, or procedural animation techniques
• Familiarity with Perforce, Git, or modern continuous integration pipelines

Benefits:

• Competitive salary: $141,400 - $204,400 CAD per year
• Comprehensive benefits package, including vacation time, sick leave, health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plan