Yatima Santamorena

Profile

I make complex software easier to ship; my work sits where build engineering, game engines, release automation, infrastructure, and developer support meet: CI/CD, Perforce, Jenkins, Horde, BuildGraph, packaging, platform SDKs, and the scripts that keep teams moving

I have worked across AAA games, commercial engines, VR, architectural visualization, networking, and consulting; I am strongest in messy production environments where the useful answer is not just “write code”, but “find the real bottleneck, make it repeatable, document it, and make the next failure easier to diagnose”

Selected Work

People Can Fly build platform

• Senior Build Engineer contractor for People Can Fly, formerly Epic Games Poland
• Manage the entire DevOps infrastructure across Epic Games’ Horde, Perforce, Swarm, Jenkins, Groovy, Unreal BuildGraph, Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, Rancher, Harvester, Headlamp, Portainer, Homepage, and Robomerge
• Operate the production build platform end to end, from source control and build orchestration to deployment, cluster administration, and automation
• Integrate AI agents to automate boring and repetitive DevOps tasks
• Focus: make large Unreal pipelines easier to operate, easier to debug, and easier for the whole team to understand

GameMaker multi-platform releases

• Built and maintained automation for compiling and packaging GameMaker runtimes and IDE releases
• Supported Android, HTML5, iOS, Linux, macOS, WebAssembly, Windows, tvOS, and console SDKs including PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series XS
• Worked across Python, C#, PowerShell, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Docker, AWS, and S3
• Focus: turn a wide platform matrix into repeatable build and release paths

Unreal and VR performance work

• Developed VR virtual tours, experiences, documentaries, and games in Unreal Engine 4.x
• Worked with early-market hardware including Oculus DK2, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear, Cardboard, and Daydream
• Optimized for hardware-constrained VR: draw calls, pixel overdraw, mesh complexity, benchmarking, and C++ Blueprint extensions
• Focus: keep interactive experiences comfortable and shippable on hardware that did not forgive waste

Projects

• Drill - File search that goes nyoom, built because waiting for search results is spiritually damaging, Visit Drill
• GMILauncher - A practical GameMaker-related launcher/tooling project, View on GitHub

Experience

People Can Fly / ex-Epic Games Poland - Senior Build Engineer contractor

October 2023 to present

• Manage the entire DevOps infrastructure for production development and build operations
• Operate Epic Games’ Horde build system as the internal platform owner
• Administer Perforce and Swarm for production development workflows
• Maintain and improve game build pipelines around Jenkins, Groovy, Unreal, and BuildGraph
• Automate deployment and operations with Ansible, Docker, Kubernetes, Rancher, Harvester, Headlamp, Portainer, Homepage, and Robomerge
• Integrate AI agents into DevOps workflows to automate boring and repetitive tasks

NHB Consulting SEZC - Retainer contractor

August 2023 to present

• Provide technical support for an Anguilla-based consulting company
• Support networking and security operations for MikroTik, Ubiquiti, and OPNSense devices
• Coach senior staff on practical cybersecurity habits and operational safety

Crytek - Build Engineer

June 2023 to August 2023

• Maintained automated build processes for Crysis 4, Hunt, and CryEngine
• Supported distribution of builds to customers and QA
• Worked primarily in Python on build-system automation

GameMaker / YoYoGames / Opera - Build Engineer contractor

June 2021 to March 2023

• Designed automation for compiling and packaging engine runtimes and IDE releases across desktop, mobile, web, tvOS, and console platforms
• Researched and implemented cloud build work using GitHub Actions, AWS, and S3
• Maintained build and release systems with Python, C#, PowerShell, Jenkins, and Docker
• Worked with platform SDKs for Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Windows, WebAssembly, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series XS

Zuru Tech - Junior C++ Software Developer

December 2020 to March 2021

• Worked on arch-viz BIM software built on a fork of Unreal Engine 4
• Developed in C++14 with Visual Studio and Rider
• Wrote reliability tests that helped detect flaws and improve product stability

Ubisoft - Junior Gameplay Programmer

September 2020 to December 2020

• Worked on Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope with teams in Milan and Paris
• Built C++17 backend automation for navmesh generation in a modified Snowdrop engine
• Worked in a production environment using Perforce and Windows tooling

Sfera Productions - Unreal Engine / VR Developer

2016 to 2018

• Developed VR virtual tours, experiences, documentaries, and games with Unreal Engine 4.x
• Built for Oculus DK2, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear, Cardboard, and Daydream
• Digitized a Cranio Creations tabletop board game in Unreal with VR controllers
• Showcased work at Lucca Comics & Games and contributed to a Steam release
• Focused on draw-call reduction, pixel overdraw, mesh optimization, benchmarking, and Blueprint extensions with C++

ITC Consulting - Unity Developer

2015 to 2016

• Developed a Unity driving simulator with C# and external libraries
• Built a high-performance C# action-recording system backed by SQLite for replay analysis
• Connected cockpit hardware through Windows APIs, emulated RS-232, USB, and Arduino
• Maintained traffic AI for city simulation scenarios

Skills

Build and release engineering

• CI/CD, build automation, packaging, release operations, developer tooling, build farm operations
• Perforce, Swarm, Horde, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, BuildGraph, Robomerge
• Python, C#, PowerShell, Bash, Groovy, Inno Setup Pascal

Platforms and infrastructure

• Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, WebAssembly, tvOS
• Docker, Kubernetes, Rancher, Harvester, Ansible, AWS, S3, Headlamp, Portainer, Homepage
• Networking with MikroTik, Ubiquiti, and OPNSense

Game and engine development

• C, C++, C#, Unreal Engine 4, Unity, OpenGL, SDL2
• Console SDK experience: PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series XS
• Performance work for VR and hardware-constrained interactive systems

Education

Sapienza University of Rome - Computer Science

2013 to 2016

• Studied Computer Science before moving directly into startup and 3D engine work

Awards

Rotary Club Rome - Youth Award for Science and Technology

2013

• First place in a C++ programming competition

Languages

• Italian: native
• English: used regularly in professional contexts

More

• Started programming through game-making tools and stayed curious about engine internals, graphics, build systems, and performance
• Interested in home automation, KNX, Raspberry Pi, Home Assistant, Ubiquiti, search engines, RISC hardware, and teaching