Lead Gameplay Engineer (NPC Behavior)

At CD PROJEKT RED, we’ve built our legacy on the rich world and storytelling present in The Witcher to the dystopian future of Cyberpunk 2077. Now, we’re setting out on the next journey: to create a completely new IP which is Project Hadar. It is shaped by the same passion, quality, and vision that define everything we do.
Project Hadar is still in its early days. This is an exciting opportunity to join a team that’s building a universe from the ground up where your ideas, experience, and creativity can directly shape the project’s vision, identity, and direction.
We’re looking for people eager to bring their experience to something new and still taking form, who are unafraid of creative exploration and bold decisions, and who want to make a meaningful impact on an emerging world.
If you have experience leading teams that work on engineering NPC behavior technologies and developing how NPCs interact with the world around them, we want to hear from you! As part of the Engineering team, you will have the opportunity to lay the foundations of a brand-new CD PROJEKT RED project. You’ll be responsible for building a team responsible for NPC community and behavior technologies. You’ll develop innovative features and work closely with gameplay and quest designers, engineers, and other specialists to build the tech that drives our games.
Daily Responsibilities
Building and leading a team responsible for designing, implementing, optimizing, and maintaining NPC community and NPC behavior technology.
Collaborating with game designers, animators, writers and other specialists.
Partnering with design, QA, production, and other teams to define technical scope, timelines, and priorities.
Debugging, profiling, and resolving technical challenges across large-scale systems.
Conducting code reviews and maintaining clean, modular, and maintainable code.
Defining and documenting technical standards.
Collaborating on rapid prototyping, R&D, and testing new technologies and ideas.
7+ years of experience in developing NPC behavior systems in AA/AAA projects.
Proven experience leading a development team.
Experience in successfully shipping at least one game.
Expertise in C++ coding principles and practices.
Nice to have is experience in Unreal Engine 4 or 5.
Strong communication and team leadership skills.
Experience in risk management and team development.
Value openness, constructive feedback sharing, and respectful dialogue.
Bring perspective while remaining collaborative.
Passion for professional growth and staying updated on industry trends.
Fluent in English (written and spoken).
Familiarity with agile ways of working.
We appreciate curiosity, adaptability, and team spirit!

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
No