Technical Director - RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Office location:
Cambridge, UK – This position can accommodate flexible working options, including predominantly remote work. However, applicants should be based (or be willing to relocate) within a comfortable commuting distance of our Office to attend onsite as required.

Are you a technical leader passionate about building scalable game technology that powers rich and evolving player experiences? As Technical Director for Rune Scape:
Dragonwilds, you will define, own, and evolve the technical vision behind a next‑generation entry in the Rune Scape universe. You'll be accountable for ensuring the game is built on a robust, performant, and extensible foundation capable of supporting a modern live‑service experience while honouring the Rune Scape legacy.

Working closely with design, art, engineering, product, and production teams, you’ll guide the project through complex technical challenges across systems, tools, infrastructure, and live operations. You’ll champion engineering quality, technical coherence, and sustainable development practices, empowering teams to deliver ambitious creative outcomes while maintaining long‑term technical health. As a senior leader within the studio, you’ll represent the Dragonwilds engineering organisation to Jagex senior leadership and partner teams, while also contributing to wider studio‑wide engineering strategy and cross‑project collaboration.

• Establish and drive the technical vision for Rune Scape:
  Dragonwilds, aligned with creative direction, world‑building goals, and long‑term live‑service strategy.
• Define architectural principles, technology choices, and best practices supporting a large‑scale online RPG built in Unreal Engine 5.
• Ensure engineering focus is aligned with the highest‑impact areas for stability, scalability, and long‑term growth.
• Build, lead, mentor, and grow a high‑performing engineering team passionate about the Rune Scape universe.
• Line‑manage engineering leaders and contributors as required, providing coaching, feedback, and career development support.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture that values ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition on recruitment, succession planning, and capability development.
• Work closely with production to plan engineering delivery, manage risks, and align milestones with gameplay and live‑ops needs.
• Build and maintain a transparent, adaptable technical roadmap supporting ongoing content updates and system evolution.
• Advocate for engineering needs during planning, ensuring technical health, performance targets, and operational resilience.
• Guarantee the stability, performance, maintainability, and scalability of Dragonwilds across PC and future platforms.
• Apply live‑game expertise to support continuous content delivery and long‑term system evolution.
• Guide engineers across multiple technical domains, offering constructive feedback beyond your direct specialism.
• Promote modern development practices, strong code quality, and efficient workflows aligned with studio standards.
• Partner with Jagex senior leadership to align Dragonwilds with wider studio goals, technology strategy, and franchise initiatives.
• Represent Dragonwilds engineering across leadership, product, and craft forums within Jagex.

• Extensive end‑to‑end experience shipping AAA PC or console titles, ideally including live‑service or large‑scale online games.
• Deep professional expertise with Unreal Engine and C++.
• Strong background developing or operating long‑lived online worlds, ideally within MMORPGs or related genres.
• Experience managing complex co‑development or outsourcing pipelines for large‑scale content production.
• Proven ability to lead and grow multidisciplinary technology teams through production and live phases.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence influencing senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success improving pipelines, processes, and workflows across cross‑functional teams.
• A servant‑leader mindset that empowers teams, supports well‑being, and inspires creative excellence.
• A passion for delivering exceptional player experiences and contributing to the evolution of the Rune Scape franchise.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, and we recruit, develop, and promote based on merit and ability. We encourage candidates to let us know if they require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, in line with the Equality Act 2010.