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Principal Gameplay Programmer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Zynga

Principal Software Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$133K - $179K/yr

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment, known for its diverse game portfolio that connects players worldwide. The Principal Software Engineer will lead financial analysis and data ...

Roblox

Principal Software Engineer, WebRTC

San Mateo, CA

$153K - $206K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, Audio-Video-Communication team, you'll be in charge of building ... Enthusiastic about crafting software programming environments for game developers, eager to apply ...

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How much do principal gameplay programmer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal gameplay programmer in the United States is $122,589.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $117,500.00 and $127,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.
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Infographic showing various Principal Gameplay Programmer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 33% Full Time, 60% Part Time, 4% Temporary, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $122,589 per year, or $58.9 per hour.
Simulation & Game Developer (Autonomous Systems)

Simulation & Game Developer (Autonomous Systems)

TurbineOne

Washington, DC • Remote

Other

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

ABOUT THE JOB

Company Intro:
 TurbineOne is the frontline perception company. We deliver decision advantage, better situational awareness, and stronger force protection. Our customers love how we automate the right portions of the military intelligence cycle while keeping them in the loop. The company is a small, fast-moving, and high-performance startup backed by the best DefenseTech venture capitalists.

Job Title: Senior / Principal, Simulation & Game Developer (Autonomous Systems)
Reporting to: Applied Robotics Engineering Manager
Location: Geographically flexible (remote-friendly)

Description

TurbineOne is looking for a senior/principal game developer to build an interactive simulation environment that brings our autonomous vehicle software to life. This role will focus on developing a "game-like" platform where both technical and non-technical users can design, run, and evaluate real-world scenarios involving aerial drones and autonomous maritime systems.

You will own the development of a simulation product that integrates our autonomy stack as the "agents" inside rich, physics-based environments. Leveraging platforms like Unreal Engine (AirSim) or Unity, you will create intuitive tools and immersive environments that enable rapid scenario testing, validation, and experimentation.

This is a highly cross-functional role at the intersection of game development, simulation, and robotics.

Primary Responsibilities
  • Own the design and development of a simulation platform that enables users to create and test real-world autonomous vehicle scenarios
  • Build immersive, physics-based environments using Unreal Engine (preferred, with AirSim) or Unity
  • Integrate TurbineOne's autonomy software into simulation environments as controllable agents
  • Develop intuitive tooling and UX that allows non-technical users to configure scenarios, define conditions, and evaluate outcomes
  • Create systems for scenario scripting, playback, telemetry visualization, and analysis
  • Collaborate closely with robotics engineers to ensure simulation fidelity and alignment with real-world vehicle behavior
  • Balance realism with usability-build simulations that are both technically meaningful and easy to interact with
  • Be a product owner-define and drive the vision for simulation capabilities; there are no tickets to crunch here
  • Dream big-prototype, experiment, and iterate quickly on new ideas for how simulation can accelerate autonomy development and testing
Desired Experience
  • 5+ years of experience in game development, simulation engineering, or interactive 3D application development
  • Strong experience with Unreal Engine (preferred) or Unity, including physics systems and environment creation
  • Experience building tools or systems for user-generated content (e.g., level editors, scenario builders, modding tools)
  • Familiarity with simulation frameworks such as AirSim, Gazebo, or similar is a strong plus
  • Experience integrating external systems or APIs into game engines (e.g., networking, real-time data, control systems)
  • Understanding of enemy AI, complex scripting behaviors or other NPC mecahnics
  • Strong sense of UX for interactive tools-especially for non-technical users
  • Experience working through ambiguity and shaping early-stage products
  • Bonus: familiarity with robotics concepts (ROS, MAVLink, etc.) or prior work in simulation for autonomy
Startup Culture Expectations
  • We're a small, fully remote team-everything is our responsibility
  • Our team thrives on autonomy, trust, and strong communication
  • You'll be expected to take full ownership of your domain-from idea to implementation
  • Comfort with constant change, fast iteration, and learning by doing is essential
  • We value builders who experiment, share failures openly, and push toward impactful solutions
  • Most startups fail-no one is coming to save us, and that's what makes this fun

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