The Lead Programmer supervises teams of programmers. He/she has three main responsibilities: steering development activities, managing programme quality and managing the skills of the teams.
Tasks
The Lead Programmer manages the video game development project. He/she plays a key role in the creation of a video game, supervising, organising and coordinating all the development work within a video game creation project.
To do this, he or she supervises a team of developers and programmers and ensures that each mission is carried out successfully and that all the specifications are met.
They must therefore :
- actively participate in the design and production of video games as part of a multidisciplinary production team;
- develop with a game engine and various complementary technologies;
- prototyping game mechanics
- programming optimised software components that lend themselves to the constraints of real-time interactive animation;
- Integrate game resources such as 3D models, animations, interfaces, visual effects and audio files.
- The Lead Programmer arbitrates on architecture and development, manages the development of complex functionalities and ensures compliance with technical specifications.
Skills and knowledge
The Lead Programmer is a sort of factotum who must master the various programming languages and tools needed to develop the game. He or she must also :
- control quality and know how to manage a team
- demonstrate pedagogy, rigour, diplomacy and a solid sense of analysis;
- have an excellent knowledge of video games;
- be analytical, innovative and critical of the quality of the gaming experience;
- be comfortable with subjective notions such as target audience and playability;
- possess the necessary managerial skills.
Their busy schedule means that they will be working long hours to ensure that they meet all graphical and technical expectations.
Salary
Lead programmers can earn between €32k and €42k (minimum €20k; maximum €86k; median salary: €34k)
Careers and career opportunities
Lead programmers mainly work for private video game development companies. These companies may be large or small, independent or under the management of a publisher.
Lead programmers have their career mapped out in the world of video games, but their profile, experience and knowledge will also enable them to work in other sectors.
After a few years as a Lead Programmer, they may move on to positions such as Technical Consultant, Functional Analyst or even Project Manager.
