Game Programmer Jobs in Charleston, SC (NOW HIRING)

About This Opportunity:

Please note, this listing is not for an immediate open position but for our Talent Pool for Co-Development Roles. By applying, you are expressing interest in being considered for future project-based opportunities that align with your skills and experience.

These opportunities are contingent on client needs and project availability. As projects are initiated or client proposals are developed, we will review candidates from this pool and contact those who most closely align with the requirements of the specific or prospective co-development opportunity.

How We Keep You Engaged:

We believe in maintaining strong relationships with our talent pool. As part of this community, you’ll receive regular updates, industry insights, and will be kept informed of upcoming opportunities. We will also check in to confirm your availability and interest.

Our hiring teams will carefully vet and select top candidates who best meet project needs, ensuring that you are matched with the right opportunity when it becomes available.

Next Steps:

If you are passionate about contributing to cutting-edge projects and want to be considered for future co-development opportunities, we encourage you to apply to this listing. While there may not be an immediate opening, your application ensures that you will be part of our ongoing talent review for upcoming roles. 

We are building a diverse and skilled pool of engineering talent in São Paulo to support current and future co-development projects across a wide variety of game genres and technical challenges. This is a general application for candidates with experience in AI, Gameplay, Systems, Tools, Engine, Animation, Networking, Live Ops, DevOps, or Cloud Services.
If you’re an engineer with a background in any of these areas or want to explore cross-functional opportunities, this is your invitation to get on our radar.

Only resumes submitted in English will be considered.

Requirements

Responsibilities
Depending on your area of expertise, you may:
•Design, build, and optimize gameplay systems, AI behaviors, animation pipelines, or core engine architecture
•Develop and maintain tools that empower content creators, designers, and QA teams
•Contribute to Live Ops, build pipelines, or deployment systems for scalable and stable game delivery
•Implement and refine networking, multiplayer architecture, or backend services for seamless player experiences
•Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure smooth integration of art, design, and systems
•Profile and optimize performance, memory usage, and load times across platforms
•Troubleshoot bugs, resolve bottlenecks, and propose clean, maintainable solutions
Qualifications
Experience
•3 or more years of professional experience in engineering roles in games or related tech fields
•Shipped at least one title on PC, console, mobile, or VR/AR
•Experience in one or more areas such as gameplay, AI, tools, systems, engine, animation tech, backend services, cloud, or DevOps
Technical Skills
•Proficiency in C++, C#, Python, or equivalent languages
•Hands-on experience with Unity, Unreal Engine, or proprietary engines
•Familiarity with source control, debugging tools, performance profiling, and agile workflows
Collaboration and Communication
•Comfortable working in cross-functional teams with artists, designers, and producers
•Clear written and verbal communication for documenting and sharing technical solutions
Mindset
•Proactive, curious, and solution-oriented
•Passionate about games, scalable systems, and collaborative development
Preferred Skills
•Experience with AAA pipelines, real-time rendering, or platform certification
•Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP and CI/CD pipelines
•Familiarity with Live Ops strategies, telemetry, and remote content deployment
•Prior co-dev experience or working with distributed teams

Note: Specific requirements may vary depending on project needs.
About the Talent Pool

This is a general engineering application. We encourage all qualified engineers to apply regardless of specialization. We regularly review this pool when staffing new or ongoing projects, so even if there isn’t an open role now, joining ensures you’ll be top of mind when client needs arise.

Please note, this listing is not for an immediate open position but for our Talent Pool for Co-Development Roles. By applying, you are expressing interest in being considered for future project-based opportunities that align with your skills and experience.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary.

• Dynamic, multicultural and fun environment.
• You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
• We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.

About Side

Side (formerly PTW) is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 20 studios in 14 countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. 

Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.

Help us bring stories to the world! Join a global team of passionate gamers and contribute to delivering unforgettable game experiences.

Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc