---
title: 'Principal Engineer at Skydance'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-skydance-santa-monica-f3vw21j1x7hh'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-02'
---

# Principal Engineer at Skydance

- **Company:** Skydance
- **Location:** Santa Monica, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-02-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/skydance/284e1d4b-71fb-45c1-afe1-b692e6053fef

## Job description

Skydance Games, a division of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, is building the future of franchise-driven interactive entertainment. As part of a global storytelling company defined by iconic worlds and multigenerational fandom, we see gaming not as an extension of our brands, but as one of the most powerful ways their stories come to life and evolve alongside the audiences who love them.

Through creativity, collaboration, and trust, we empower our teams to push boundaries and turn bold ideas into experiences that resonate with fans around the world.

Do you want to craft games that challenge expectations and inspire players? Come build something extraordinary with us.

For more information on how we process your personal information, please review the Privacy policy located at https://privacy.paramount.com/recruitment-privacy-notice.

---

Skydance is looking for a Principal Game Engineer skilled in working with creative teams to architect key game features and frameworks. The Principal Engineer plays a critical role in driving innovation and ensuring that the organization stays at the forefront of technology trends. This role does not manage or have direct reports or are responsible for employment decisions. The Principal Engineer is considered a craft/thought leader, responsible for technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to other members of the team, and is recognized as an industry leader or master performer in exercising their competencies.

*Currently we can hire remote candidates with legal residence in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New York,Texas, Washington and Canada.

## Responsibilities

- Design and implement new game features from scratch using a combination of C++, Blueprints, and other tools.
- Collaborate with designers, artists, and audio developers to iterate on and refine key game systems.
- Take ownership of major systems, maintain development schedules, and drive implementation tasks at all levels of complexity.
- Developing and guide technology development using modular approaches for use across multiple titles.

## Qualifications

- Multiple years of professional experience with several shipped games.
- Extensive experience with Unreal Engine, modifying and creating custom tech to extend the engine’s feature set.
- Deep understanding of the challenges with modern game development, with proven history of building new technology to help teams overcome these challenges
- Self-motivated and self-directing, willing to pitch in areas of development beyond direct responsibilities.
- Experience providing feedback and guidance to other engineers – helping them stay on track and true to the overall vision of the game.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

The annual salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $217,000 – $246,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors.  The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.

We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description.

#Games #LI-hybrid

Paramount, a Skydance Corporation is a diversified media company creating high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive/games, and animation divisions.

Recruitment Fraud Alert It has come to our attention that there may be fraudulent activity by individuals impersonating our Talent Acquisition team. Skydance will only contact you from an official “@skydance.com” email address. If you suspect that you are being contacted by an unauthorized person or believe that the correspondence you have received is suspicious, please do not click on any links or attachments in such emails and submit any questions or concerns to our information security team at https://skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/.

## About Skydance

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Skydance Media is a diversified independent studio creating high-quality live-action, animated, interactive, and sports content for global audiences.
- **Entity Type**: Private (raised $275M in strategic capital from RedBird Capital Partners, CJ ENM, and others)
- **Headquarters**: Santa Monica, California, USA (with additional offices in Madrid, Spain and San Carlos, CA)
- **Founded**: 2010
- **Founders**: David Ellison

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Film & Television Production, Animation, Interactive Entertainment (Video Games/VR), Sports Media
- **Target customers**: B2B (streaming platforms like Apple TV+, Prime Video, Netflix, Paramount+; theatrical distributors) and B2C (consumers of movies, TV series, games)
- **Mission / Purpose**: To create high-quality content and engaging experiences for a global audience, pushing the forefront of where entertainment is heading.

## Products & Services
- **Live-Action Film & TV**: Produces blockbuster franchises (Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible, Terminator) and popular TV series (Reacher, Foundation, Grace and Frankie, Jack Ryan). Distributed through partnerships with Paramount, Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+.
- **Skydance Animation**: Full-length animated features (Luck, upcoming Spellbound) and series (WondLa). Studios in Los Angeles and Madrid with over 350 animation colleagues.
- **Skydance Interactive**: VR/immersive game development (The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, Archangel). Also licenses IP for other developers. Hybrid-remote team across California, Texas, Washington.
- **Skydance New Media**: Story-focused interactive experiences using real-time CGI, led by industry icon Amy Hennig. First announced project is a Marvel action-adventure game.
- **Skydance Sports**: Produces premium sports documentaries and series (Good Rivals, Air). Partnered with NFL Films for multi-platform sports programming.
- **Nocturna**: A horror label launched with Andy & Barbara Muschietti for high-quality horror features.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Raised $275M in strategic capital (led by RedBird Capital Partners and CJ ENN, announced in 2021). Over 500 employees across two continents.
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: RedBird Capital Partners, CJ ENM / Studio Dragon, Tencent, Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, NFL Films.
- **Growth Signals**: Became the first independent studio to reach #1 on two streamers in the same weekend (The Family Plan on Apple TV+, Reacher S2 on Prime Video). Rapid expansion into animation, sports, and interactive divisions. Partnerships with Marvel Entertainment for a AAA game.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Independence**: As an independent studio, Skydance retains creative control and can move quickly across multiple platforms.
- **Multi-Platform Reach**: Simultaneously produces for theatrical, streaming, TV, gaming, and VR, maximizing IP value.
- **Top-Tier Partnerships**: Long-term distribution deals with every major streamer and studio, ensuring global audience reach.
- **Artist-Driven Culture**: Attracts visionary filmmakers (Ben Affleck, Amy Hennig, Vicky Jenson) and fosters a collaborative environment.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expand Animation & Interactive**: Building a world-class animation studio and pioneering VR/immersive gaming.
- **Deepen Sports Content**: Leveraging NFL partnership and expanding into premium sports documentaries.
- **Grow APAC Presence**: Through CJ ENM partnership, collaborating on content for Asian audiences.
- **Horror Label (Nocturna)**: Tapping into the high-demand horror genre.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “A rising tide lifts all boats” – collaborative, artist-driven environment where every team member is valued. Emphasis on creativity and teamwork.
- **Work Model**: Hybrid and on-site roles available. Headquarters in Santa Monica (Film, TV, Interactive, Corporate). Animation offices in Miracle Mile (LA) and Madrid. New Media in San Carlos, CA. Interactive team is hybrid-remote across multiple states.
- **Benefits**: Comprehensive medical, mental wellness resources. Union benefits for animation staff (IATSE). Paid internships offered (Fall, Winter, Summer) with hands-on experience and access to top leadership.
- **Notable Perks**: Opportunity to work on iconic franchises (Marvel, Terminator, Mission: Impossible), cutting-edge VR, and original animation. Access to industry veterans and top-tier distribution partners.

## Sources
1. [skydance.com/about](https://skydance.com/about/)
2. [skydance.com/careers](https://skydance.com/careers/)
3. [jobs.lever.co/skydance](https://jobs.lever.co/skydance)
4. [skydance.com/faq](https://skydance.com/faq/)
5. [skydance.com/teams](https://skydance.com/teams/)

## Other roles at Skydance

- [Senior Rigging Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-rigging-artist-skydance-madrid-62a4dg6d69br) — Madrid, Spain
- [Senior Linux Administrator](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-linux-administrator-skydance-madrid-b8ys3eaq62m6) — Madrid, Spain
- [Senior Layout Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-layout-artist-skydance-madrid-mphnt8ky8dkj) — Madrid, Spain
- [Systems Administrator](https://feeny.ai/job/systems-administrator-skydance-madrid-4w71n9agvp4d) — Madrid, Spain
- [VP, Head of Strategy & Business Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/vp-head-of-strategy-business-operations-skydance-los-angeles-fsfdzfe4vbq9) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Animator](https://feeny.ai/job/animator-skydance-madrid-p0jt2qg9hga7) — Madrid, Spain
- [Principal Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-brandlight-tel-aviv-zydtbagz6teq) — Tel Aviv, Israel
- [Principal Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-motorway-london-t4egc687fcwx) — London, United Kingdom
- [Principal Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-cloudflare-f25qz8dfj6b9)
- [Principal Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-patientpoint-cincinnati-90hffa9qhagg) — Cincinnati, OH