Senior VR Developer

Senior VR Developer REK Fighter Client

Location: San Francisco, CA (On-site at REK HQ)

Reports to: Chief Technology Officer

Company: REK Inc.

️ About REK

REK is creating a new global sport called Robot Kombat. It's real-time, VR-controlled humanoid robot fighting. Our flagship event, REK0, was the most attended robot fight in Temple Nightclub's history, blending robotics, gaming, and live entertainment into one unforgettable show.

We develop the REK Fighter app: the immersive VR application used by pilots to control REK's humanoid robots in competition. This system connects real-time motion, physics, and networked robotics into a seamless experience that feels like stepping inside a mech suit.

The Role

As REKs Senior VR Developer, youll be the hands-on technical lead for building and evolving the REK Fighter VR app.

Youll work directly with our CTO and robotics engineers to design and implement the software that pilots use to fight integrating motion control, networking, latency compensation, and live fight visuals.

Youll bring deep Unity and VR expertise to ensure that the experience feels precise, responsive, and cinematic the backbone of the worlds first robot fighting league.

Responsibilities

• Core Development: Build and maintain the REK Fighter Client in Unity (C#) for VR platforms (Quest, later maybe Pico XR, Android XR, PC VR, and/or Vision Pro).
• Input & Control Systems: Implement robust motion-to-robot control mapping, latency smoothing, and custom interaction models for humanoid teleoperation.
• Networking & Synchronization: Work with REKs low-latency streaming and control protocols to ensure bidirectional low-latency performance between VR client and robot.
• UX & Immersion: Create intuitive cockpit-style interfaces and spatial feedback systems for pilots.
• Simulation & Testing: Integrate hardware simulators and real robot interfaces for continuous testing and refinement.
• Optimization: Maintain high frame-rate stability (90/120 FPS), efficient rendering pipelines, and device-specific tuning.
• Collaboration: Partner closely with robotics, backend, and broadcast teams to align the VR experience with fight production workflows.
• Documentation & Pipeline: Establish build processes, performance benchmarks, and developer guidelines for future VR engineers joining the team.

Requirements

• 5+ years professional experience in Unity (C#) development.
• 3+ years building and shipping VR applications (Quest, SteamVR, or equivalent).
• Deep knowledge of VR input frameworks, spatial UI, and XR Interaction Toolkit (or custom equivalents).
• Experience with low-latency networking, streaming, or multiplayer synchronization.
• Strong understanding of 3D math, physics, and optimization for real-time environments.
• Ability to debug complex, performance-sensitive systems.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to thrive in a hands-on startup environment.
• Must be located in or willing to relocate to San Francisco this role is fully on-site.

Bonus Experience

• Work on teleoperation, robotics control interfaces, or motion capture systems.
• Familiarity with ROS / Isaac SDK / real-time robot communication.
• Experience with custom shaders, GPU-based video streaming, or volumetric rendering.
• Understanding of VR haptics, full-body tracking, or mixed-reality capture pipelines.
• Prior work in esports, simulation, or combat game mechanics.

Compensation

• Competitive salary (based on experience)
• Stock options in a high-growth robotics entertainment startup
• Full benefits, on-site access to REKs robotics lab, and opportunities to directly shape the future of robot combat

Why REK

At REK, your work wont sit behind a headset it will control real humanoid robots fighting live in front of thousands of fans.

You'll help define how humans compete through machines, building technology that bridges gaming, robotics, and sport.