Staff Software Engineer, Core Tech - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot engineers bring deep knowledge of specific technical areas but also value the opportunity to work in a variety of broader domains. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will also dive into projects that focus on team cohesiveness and cross-team objectives. You will drive technical initiatives and provide other engineers with a clear illustration of extraordinary engineering.

On our unpublished MMO, you will work with all team disciplines to design, implement, and iterate on modern game development workflows, pipelines, and AI. You will work in a small team alongside a product lead, technical artists, designers, and other engineers to ensure we can efficiently deliver on our player’s dreams. This role is for an engineer who has experience with distributed servers and services; the work done in this role will be foundational to the core technology of our MMO for years to come. The ideal candidate is passionate, driven, and wants to guide the technical vision of how we extend engines and optimize workflows. You will report to the Engineering Manager of Core Tech.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement sustainable, scalable solutions for a distributed network of servers and services, with responsibility for large, foundational components of MMORPG technology
• Lead and contribute to architecture requirements, technical design, and implementation across relevant systems, shaping the team’s technical direction and standards
• Partner with technical leadership to develop solutions, and collaborate closely with design to deliver high-performance systems that maximize player enjoyment
• Promote best practices and share expertise related to server performance, while mentoring engineers in your areas of specialization
• Work collaboratively to gather requirements, plan technical initiatives, and consistently deliver robust, scalable, and performant systems

Required Qualifications: 

• 6+ years of professional experience as a software engineer in the game industry, including contributions to at least one shipped game title
• Proficient in C and C++, with strong debugging skills and a solid foundation in common game and software design patterns
• Extensive experience developing real-time online multiplayer games using Unreal Engine, with expertise in networking systems such as replication, RPCs, relevancy, and latency mitigation techniques
• Background in distributed server and services architecture, including server-to-server and server-to-client messaging, low-level networking with an understanding of TCP/IP, and interfacing with databases
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across multiple disciplines, coupled with strong product sense, pragmatic decision-making, and player empathy in technical choices

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience developing MMORPGs with a focus on game server architecture, including work with mid-sized engineering teams and iterative, agile development workflows
• Skilled in managing requirements and refining game development pipelines for efficiency and scalability
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP routing and bandwidth optimization techniques
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine 5, including Blueprint visual scripting, and working knowledge of Iris

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise and a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this is the role for you!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.