Software Engineer/Developer

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lead Developer building educational games and digital learning tools at UW–Madison’s Field Day Lab. Leading game systems engineering, prototyping, and developer mentoring.

Posted 8/19/2026full-timeMadison • Wisconsin • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLead💰 $70,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in game development, particularly with Unity and C#, while providing technical leadership and mentoring to software developers. Capable of translating project goals into actionable technical plans and fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Unity Game DevelopmentC# ProgrammingTechnical LeadershipGame PrototypingSoftware Development Practices

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

C#JavaScriptPythonGame Development PrinciplesApplication Design SpecificationsData Structure ImplementationSystems Performance StrategiesTesting and DebuggingTechnical DocumentationMathematical Modeling

Soft Skills

MentoringCoachingCollaborationCommunicationFeedback Provision

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Computer ScienceMaster's Degree in Software EngineeringDegree in Game Development

Industry Keywords

Educational Game ProjectsInteractive ApplicationsTechnical DirectionRapid PrototypingEngineering Solutions

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

JavaScriptPythonUnity

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Build core game systems for educational game projects
Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and coordination
Guide engineering practices and support other developers
Help shape the technical direction of multiple educational game projects
Prepare program documentation and training requirements
Maintain and troubleshoot applications, systems, or websites
Implement data structure and systems performance strategies
Review application design specifications, code new applications, and enhance existing applications
Develop or modify technical specifications for low-complexity projects using disciplined software development practices
Test and debug programs and prepare systems test data
Break projects into technical workstreams, estimate engineering effort, prioritize and assign tasks, track progress, and provide coaching and feedback
Collaborate with designers, artists, producers, researchers, and educators
Develop rapid prototypes and promote experimentation

Requirements

What you’ll need

Minimum of 7 years of professional software development experience, including experience developing games and interactive applications
Demonstrated expertise with Unity and strong understanding of game development principles
Advanced proficiency in C#
Experience with JavaScript and Python, with ability to adapt to new programming languages
Experience independently developing game prototypes from concept through implementation
Ability to read, understand, and refactor code efficiently
Experience translating project goals into technical implementation plans and engineering solutions
Experience leading technical decision-making for complex software projects
Leadership experience mentoring, coaching, and providing technical guidance to software developers
Experience breaking large projects into technical workstreams, estimating engineering effort, prioritizing and assigning tasks, tracking progress, and providing coaching and feedback
Ability to collaborate with designers, artists, producers, researchers, and educators
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including writing and maintaining clear documentation
Ability to mathematically model domains into simulations
Experience mentoring interns or early-career developers
Experience building rapid prototypes and fostering experimentation
Ability to maintain a regular onsite presence at 1025 W. Johnson Street, Madison, WI multiple days each week
Eligibility to work in the United States without employer sponsorship by the effective date of appointment
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Game Development, or closely related field preferred
References may be requested from final candidates
Employment may require a criminal background check

Benefits

Comp & perks

Generous paid time off
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Tax-advantaged savings accounts
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund