Games Developer

The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role. The School of Computing and Mathematics, in partnership with the National Football Museum, is seeking a talented and motivated Junior Game Developer to help create an innovative educational gaming experience. In this role, you will develop a top-down 2D game that explores the importance of rules in modern football. The project aims to help players from all backgrounds better understand how rules shape gameplay, enjoyment, and fairness, while encouraging a greater appreciation of football officiating. The completed game will form part of the National Football Museum's "Rules are for Losers" exhibition, scheduled to launch in early 2027. In this role you will:

• Develop a playable game demo within an agreed project timeline.
• Work to a defined project specification while contributing your own creative ideas and solutions.
• Collaborate with academic staff and museum stakeholders throughout the development process.
• Attend regular project meetings and provide progress updates.
• Visit the National Football Museum to support game design decisions and assess gameplay feasibility.
You will be supervised by Dr John Henry and Jimmy Mullin, with regular opportunities to engage directly with stakeholders from the National Football Museum. This is an excellent opportunity to:
• Build your portfolio with a real-world project.
• Gain hands-on experience in game development.
• Work with industry and cultural sector partners.
• Develop skills in project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and creative design.
Dates: 30 November 2026 - 12 March 2027 Hours: 5 hours per week Successful applicants will be expected to attend a project briefing at the National Football Museum, Manchester. The provisional date and time is Friday 4 December 2026 at 11:00am., Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

You should be studying a games development-related subject or be able to demonstrate equivalent game development skills through a portfolio and practical assessment. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:
• The ability to work effectively towards project deadlines.
• Strong self-management skills and the ability to work independently.
• Experience developing 2D games in Unity using C#.
• Strong programming skills and technical competency in C#.
• A well-developed games portfolio showcasing multiple projects or playable demos.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• An enthusiasm for game design and a willingness to work to a project specification while contributing creative ideas.
This opportunity would particularly suit a student looking to gain practical experience delivering a real-world game development project and enhance their professional portfolio.