Daniel Downes
Interactive Software Lead with
20 years of experience in
About me
Seasoned Interactive Software Lead with 20 years of experience across defence, MedTech, nuclear, energy, and digital media industries. Extensive expertise with Unity, Unreal, and Godot engines, specialising in VR/XR/Mixed Reality, simulation, robotic simulation, and physics simulation.
I take full ownership of projects, from initial brief through architecture, team alignment, and delivery. Adept at leading teams through full software lifecycles using Agile, ISO standards (BS EN 62304), SOLID, TDD, and Clean Architecture principles. Proven ability to mentor team members, write maintainable code, and deliver high-quality solutions.
Career highlights include work with BAE Systems, National Nuclear Laboratory, Deloitte, the NHS, and the Ministry of Defence. Currently based in Tokyo, Japan.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with loved ones, self-care and travel. In this industry, continuous learning is ever so important. I am currently learning and prototyping better UX solutions for AI-assisted mind mapping. I'm also into retro computing.
Projects
Riders Up - Racing Game
Owned code-quality transformation across the team, introducing code standards and review processes that improved maintainability. Resolved networking and UX issues.
- Netcode
- Agile
- HDRP
Building Safety Training
Delivered end-to-end VR training solution with locomotion, a fallback Street View desktop navigation, and a backend dashboard for custom hazard scenarios.
- Light Baking
- Custom Nav Solution
- Level Design
- UX Design
XR Exercise Games
Owned technical strategy and delivery as Head of Technology, leading a team of 5 at Strolll. Partnered with Microsoft, Magic Leap, and Unity to build XR exercise games for people with Parkinson's Disease.
- HoloLens 2
- Magic Leap 2
- Tech Lead
- CI/CD
- BS EN 62304
MoD R&D
Owned and managed MoD and DSTL-funded research projects, evaluating VR/AR display methods for situational awareness in defence applications.
- Varjo
- Defence
- VR/AR
Medical Doctor Training
Delivered VR training system adopted by the NHS, simulating high-stress clinical scenarios for medical professionals.
- Meta Oculus
- Netcode
- Tech Lead
- NHS
Skills
- Unity Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Godot Engine
- Project Ownership & Delivery
- C#
- C++
- XR / VR / AR / MR
- Simulation & Training
- Robotic Simulation
- UX Design
- Blazor + MAUI
- WinUI / UWP / WPF / WinForms
- TypeScript
- Git CLI
- Github Actions (CI/CD)
- Python
- OpenCV
- React
- Next.js
- Node.js
- Tailwind
Contact me
Reach out via LinkedIn or through this form.