Experienced Gameplay Programmer- Stellaris

A galaxy of stories, built by people who care.

We are a passionate team creating a living world that millions of players lose themselves in, and we are looking for an experienced gameplay programmer who wants to help shape where it goes next.

Your mission

As an Experienced Gameplay Programmer on Stellaris you will be responsible for complex systems across the full breadth of the game: designing and implementing architectural decisions for upcoming expansions, and helping improve the codebase as a whole. You will work shoulder to shoulder with designers and artists, contributing your perspective not just on how things are built but on what gets built and why. You will be someone the team turns to for technical guidance, and someone who helps the people around you grow.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement new architectural systems for Stellaris expansions

• Lead technical decisions within your domain and contribute to broader architectural discussions

• Improve, refactor, and maintain existing game systems, with an eye for performance and long-term codebase health

• Investigate and fix bugs, including complex and systemic issues

• Profile and optimise game systems to deliver a smooth player experience

• Collaborate closely with designers, artists and QA bringing both technical depth and design instinct to the conversation

• Help junior and mid-level programmers grow through code review, knowledge sharing, and hands-on guidance

• Plan and scope your own work with a high degree of independence, and flag risks early

Who you are

You are confident and focused. You can navigate a large, evolving codebase, context-switch between tasks without losing momentum, and drive work to completion independently.

You are a great communicator. You share early, explain your thinking clearly, and make it easy for designers, artists, and other programmers to work with you. You are approachable, and people feel comfortable coming to you with questions.

You are a quick learner with a can-do attitude. Stellaris has nearly a decade of development history and there is a lot to discover. You find that energising, not daunting, and you know how to find your footing in unfamiliar territory.

You care about the game, not just the code. You are as interested in the design of what you are building as the technical implementation of it, and you bring opinions and ideas to those conversations.

You are comfortable with change. Plans shift, designs evolve, and sometimes the right call is to start over. You stay grounded and help the team navigate the change.

What we're looking for

• 5 or more years of professional C++ experience in game development, including on a live game with an active player base

• Comfortable navigating and working across a large, complex codebase

• Able to own and drive architecture decisions within your domain

• Interest in performance and profiling, and the habits to back it up

• Strong communication skills and the ability to contribute confidently to design conversations

• Comfortable with Git and Visual Studio

• Good written and spoken English

Nice to have

• Familiarity with Stellaris or a general interest in grand strategy and 4X games

• Experience working on games targeting Linux or Mac

• Comfortable planning and tracking work in Jira or a similar tool

Work culture

We are a passionate team that genuinely cares about the games we make and the players who play them. Player feedback shapes everything we do, and we take pride in building something people love.

The team runs on trust. We have a flat hierarchy and high autonomy. You will have real autonomy over how you approach your work, and everyone here has a voice in how the game evolves. Good ideas are welcome regardless of where they come from.

We work collaboratively. Programmers, designers, and artists work closely together, and the best things we make come from all of us building them as a team. Experienced programmers here are a key part of that culture: they raise the level of the whole team, not just their own work.

We believe in growing together. There will be people to learn from, and you will have the chance to be that for others.

If you think that this description matches you, we highly encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we will interview candidates continuously. If you don't match all the requirements, please demonstrate how your passion, attitude and interest in Paradox might compensate for this.

At Paradox Interactive we celebrate difference and care deeply about diversity and inclusion. We, therefore, encourage you, no matter who you are, to apply for this job if you think you’d be a great addition to our team.

Practical information

• Scope: Full-time and permanent with a 6 -month probation period

• Reports to: Managing Tech Lead

• Location: Stockholm, Sweden. Relocation will not be provided.

• Salary: The salary range for this position starts at SEK 47,000 per month. The final salary will be determined based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and overall alignment with the requirements of the role.