Senior Programmer (Physics, Combat, AI)

Join us as a Senior Programmer to spearhead the development of one of Kinstrife’s most ambitious features: our physics-based combat engine. You will be pushing the boundaries of Unity 6 and DOTS, building a performant solution capable of handling large-scale battles with many dozens of physically simulated characters. This is a systems-heavy role for someone who loves the intersection of 3D math, physics and high-performance C#. If you have a knack for systems-thinking and love optimizing large-scale simulations where every microsecond matters, we’d love to hear from you. Responsibilities Own and optimize our DOTS-based combat and character systems (Jobs & Burst), ensuring large-scale battles remain performant across target platforms Lead the expansion of our physics-animation system, collaborating with animation & combat gameplay developers on new feature development Design and implement scalable low-level AI systems, including context steering for navigation and group behaviors like formations and tactical coordination Profile and optimize gameplay code to maintain smooth framerates during intensive combat scenarios with many dozens of combatants Collaborate with junior/mid-level programmers to build higher-level features on top of your systems Skills ✅ Essential Skills Strong understanding and hands-on experience with Data-Oriented Design, Unity C# and the Job System or equivalent 7+ years in game development, with a focus on systems, AI or physics programming Strong proficiency in 3D math and the application of physics for real-time gameplay Ability to coordinate with other gameplay programmers to bridge the gap between physically simulated behaviors and kinematic animation/logic Fluent in English with the ability to clearly document systems and collaborate effectively in a fully remote, asynchronous environment Highly self-driven with a systems-oriented mentality. You work best when given context and goals, rather than daily task lists ✨ Bonus Points Experience with Unity 6 and its latest features Experience with physics animation Experience with AI architecture & frameworks Enjoying performance optimization and making the most of every frame Interest in realtime simulation Interest in martial arts or contact sports