About Aethernova

Aethernova is a mission-led deep-tech studio at the crossroads of games, XR and AI. We build human-centred products that solve meaningful real-world problems with start-up pace and high standards. We collaborate with top research labs around the world and our work reaches users in the UK and internationally.

The Role

We’re hiring a senior engineer who blends game/XR craft with applied AI agent skills. You’ll lead end-to-end delivery of polished, performant Unity/OpenXR experiences and design the runtime glue that lets multi-model agents interact reliably with those experiences. This is a hands-on role with technical leadership: shaping architecture, setting quality bars, and mentoring others.

What You’ll Do

• Lead prototyping and shipping of XR experiences in Unity (C#) using OpenXR for standalone headsets (e.g., Meta Quest).
• Own game-feel and interaction systems; review and raise the quality bar for UX, accessibility and reliability.
• Design, integrate and maintain product-grade multi-model agents (e.g., combining LLMs with vision/audio or structured tools) that drive in-experience behaviours and workflows.
• Define agent interfaces (APIs, events, contracts) for safe tool use; implement guardrails, fallbacks and graceful error handling.
• Establish evaluation and observability for agents and gameplay loops (offline/online tests, logs, traces, dashboards).
• Optimise for performance and cost: frame-time budgets, inference latency, caching and model/context management.
• Contribute to data pipelines and CI/CD (build automation, testing, versioning, environment config).
• Collaborate across disciplines; break down ambiguous problems, set milestones, and deliver predictably.
• Mentor teammates through code reviews, pairing and architecture guidance.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of professional experience in game development or interactive 3D, including strong Unity and C# fundamentals.
• Track record shipping XR or complex interactive products; deep familiarity with OpenXR and Unity’s XR tooling (or equivalents).
• Demonstrable experience building applied AI features or agents (multi-model or multimodal): integrating LLMs and at least one of vision, audio, or structured tools/APIs.
• Solid engineering discipline: testing, profiling, performance optimisation, debugging and documentation.
• Architecture skills for real-time systems (events, state, networking basics) and clean interfaces between gameplay and services.
• Comfort with Git-based workflows and code reviews; ability to lead technical discovery and set standards.
• Clear communication and a collaborative mindset; ability to make pragmatic trade-offs without losing quality.

Nice to Have

• Experience with hand/eye tracking, audio pipelines, speech or computer vision in real-time products.
• Graphics and performance know-how (URP, materials/shaders, asset optimisation).
• Experience with evaluation frameworks for agents, telemetry/observability stacks, or privacy-by-design practices.
• Experience shipping to stores or running closed betas at scale.

How We Work & What You’ll Get

• High ownership and autonomy in a small, mission-driven team.
• Flexible, remote-friendly working within UK time zones.
• Clear goals, fast feedback and scope to shape product, architecture and standards.
• Global impact and growth: work that reaches users and partners beyond the UK.

Location & Eligibility

You must be resident in the United Kingdom (or able to relocate before your start date) and have the legal right to work in the UK. This role begins as a 6-month engagement with strong potential to extend or convert to a permanent, full-time position.

How to Apply

Email your CV and a portfolio or links to shipped work to '[email protected]' with the subject line “Senior Game/XR & Agent Engineer — <Your Name>”. Include a short note on relevant XR and agent work, your availability and your UK location.